Tips for living in Japan

January 29, 2020Hints For Learning JapaneseSuper-J

Japanese Verbs Follow Systematic Rules

All Japanese verbs end with “u” when expressed using Roman letters. For example, all of the verbs “yomu (read),” “kaku (write),” “kiku (listen)” and “hanasu (speak)” end with “u.” This is very easy to learn, but we hardly use these “dictionary form” verbs in daily conversation. Many foreigners speak Japanese using the “desu/masu” form, which […]

January 29, 2020Japanese PerspectiveSuper-J

Japanese have a Peculiar Sense of Beauty

Despite the fact that the original religion in Japan is Shinto, Christmas, Halloween and Valentine’s Day are also events that are celebrated. Recently, chapel weddings have overtaken traditional Japanese-style ceremonies as the most common style of wedding among Japanese. For Japanese, chapels have a bright image and romantic feel. While the majority of Japanese belong […]

January 28, 2020Hints For Learning JapaneseSuper-J

Expressions in Japanese differ according to personal relations

In Japanese, words and expressions differ according to the personal relationships concerned, such as superior, inferior, friend, stranger, etc. Special terms are used for royal families. On the other hand, the Japanese language has male expressions and female expressions. In short, female speeches are different from male speeches. Furthermore, the Japanese language has a colloquial […]

January 27, 2020Japanese PerspectiveSuper-J

Japanese Like Foreign Cultures

Japanese, essentially a clone-like race, have an ardor for foreigners, who have very different features. Because of these differences, many westerners are used in Japanese commercials. They are “cool” to Japanese. Japanese welcome not only stars, but also ordinary westerners. Japanese also have strong interest in foreign cultures. Japanese accept anything from fashion to food, […]

January 26, 2020Hints For Learning JapaneseSuper-J

Japanese have ‘Fertile’ Expressions

The endings of Japanese sentences make the Japanese language very versatile. For example, “will” can be translated as “deshou,” “darou,” “tsumorida,” “yoteidesu,” etc. Perhaps this is making Japanese more difficult to understand. But it also makes it possible to express subtle nuances to other people without placing emphasis on intonation or facial expression. When Japanese […]

January 25, 2020Hints For Learning JapaneseSuper-J

Delicate Expressions Created from Japanese Characters

One of the outstanding characteristics of Japanese grammar may well be that the verb comes at the end of the sentence. In the case of English and Chinese, the verb comes after the subject so that people can guess what the speaker wants to say. However, in Japanese you cannot understand the full meaning of […]

January 24, 2020Japanese PerspectiveSuper-J

The Foreigners who are not Called “Foreigners”

When Japanese use the term “foreigners” they usually imagine Westerners. Japanese hold exotic feelings towards those who have different appearances. To Japanese, Westerners are truly “foreigners.” Japanese people’s deeply rooted ardor for Westerners, who obviously have different genes, is coming from the fact that Japanese have clone-like genes. For Japanese, this feeling may be similar […]

January 22, 2020Hints For Learning JapaneseSuper-J

You can Learn Japanese without studying Japanese Characters

There are three different types of Japanese characters. These are hiragana, katakana and kanji, but the basic character set should be hiragana. Katakana is mainly used for words that have been imported from foreign languages. For instance, “camera.” This word has been adopted using similar Japanese pronunciation “kamera” and is written in katakana（カメラ）. Kanji is […]

January 22, 2020Japanese PerspectiveSuper-J

Japanese are a Clone-like Race

Japanese speak the same language and share the same culture. The key to understanding Japanese people is that it is important to realize that Japanese are a mono-cultural, agricultural-based race living on islands that enjoy a mild climate. In other words, they have been raised purely in the land of Japan, where very little mixing […]

January 21, 2020Hints For Learning JapaneseSuper-J

Japanese is the Easiest Language in the World! !?

Japanese is generally perceived to be a difficult language to learn. “In fact, it is the easiest language in the world,” KISHIMOTO Tatsuo, professor of Ritsumeikan University mentioned in his book “Secrets of Nihongo” (HIRA-TAI BOOKS). However, it does not mean it is all easy. One of the peculiarites of the Japanese language is that […]