During your trips to Japan, you will, of course, hear people all around you speaking Japanese. Common words and expressions you may encounter include “kawaii” (cute), “samui” (cold), “atsui” (hot) “ne!” (a tag question meaning “isn’t it?”, “aren’t you?”, etc), arigatou (thank you) and “mata ne” (see you), and more. Have you ever come across…

Sumimasen – this is a Japanese word meaning “I am sorry” or “Excuse me”, which we always keep saying to one another. If you have been to Japan, you might wonder why people always apologize. I, for instance, say “sumimasen!” more than 10 times a day (I’m not exaggerating), but I don’t always mean it…

TKG – Today’s young generations all know and use this abbreviation. This indicates “tamago kake gohan”, which is simply rice with an egg. We often eat this for our breakfast or light meal. This is literally simple and easy, but also known as one of the best Japanese food for men and women of all…

Harajuku is one of the most popular spots among foreigners coming visit in Japan. Long years ago, Japanese girls eating crapes in Harajuku was the talk of the town, and picked up by magazines. This made us to think that girls eating sweets are “cute” in the modern society. Today the crape can be replaced…

If you start living in Japan, the gift-giving culture will be one of your new challenges. Japan is very familiar with gifts, both giving and receiving. We give gifts, receive gifts, anytime and anywhere. Here are some gift rituals we Japanese customarily do. 1. New Year’s Gift We give a gift to persons involved (boss,…

Even we Japanese are sometimes amazed by how Japan’s restrooms are developed, especially when we visit some huge department store. Some Japanese read comics in a restroom inside a home. That’s because it is extremely comfortable to stay there even for long minutes. You won’t believe that toilet makes people want to stay longer, but…

Many people here are speaking of hanami, which is becoming a common word for foreigners. It is very beautiful Japanese-styled party for the occasion. However, what if it rains the day you plan to have hanami party on? The time of your Japan trip should be limited, and it is often difficult to postpone it…

Japan is a pets power. Pets are family to people, and we can say dogs and cats are still strongest of all pets. Nowadays, the number of dogs and cats has outnumbered children under 15. Reference：diamond.jp/ What attracts us Japanese human beings about living with their pets? 1. Pets have great healing power. We work…

You might have been to a Japanese Izakaya. It’s a Japanese-style bar-restaurant and most of them let you learn about Japanese food, service and culture. There are tons of Izakayas all round and you might be wondering which one you’d better visit. So let me introduce some of the recommended Izakayas. 1. Tsukada Noujou You…

People say Japanese food brings long life span to all of us. If you like or are used to some hot and strong-tasting foods, our national food may taste a bit weak to you, but let’s take a look at what kind of meal Japanese usually eat. This is what Japanese typical dining looks like.…