The BBC presents a fun interactive guide to learning key Japanese phrases and etiquette. The guide is perfect for someone making their first visit to Japan – and not planning to stay.
You can try your hand at learning basic phrases though a quiz and then download the phrases as an MP3 to listen and practice [...]

If you like being the center of attention and having your friends laugh at you, not with you, try using this old Japanese gag the next time you are with your buddies. The Japanese comedian Dandy invented the ippatsu gag called ‘Gets’. All you need to do is point both fingers like a gun and [...]

Are you thinking about taking the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) in December? Well, start studying because you are running out of time. If you have been studying Japanese at school or via textbooks for an extended period of time (1-2years) then you are off to a good start.
If you’re someone who has learned Japanese [...]

Recycling in Japan can get pretty complicated. You are expected to sort your garbage into burnable, non-burnable, paper, glass, plastic, and so on until you have 10 or MORE separate categories of trash. (see this New York Times article for a dizzying overview on the complicated nature of recycling – complete with a slide show)
To [...]

One of my favorite pastimes since moving to Japan is watching Sumo. I’ve learned so much about Japanese culture from watching the tournaments, the interviews with the wrestlers, and the officiating. I don’t know of many other sports that encapsulate the spirit of a culture as much as Sumo does for Japan.
That being said, the [...]

Beagle 38 is another original Japanese comedic combo that has gotten my attention recently. Beagle 38 is a three man group that consists of Nakaya (left), Nose (middle), and Kato (right).
Kato and Nose have been making regular appearances on Japanese owarai shows including Bakusho Red Carpet . In their recent appearances they dress up as [...]

Tired of copying and pasting words from a Japanese website to your dictionary? We found 2 tools through an article on wikipedia to help speed along your reading process.
Furiganizer.com – great FREE practice reading tool that allows you to save text and words for further study. The site gives both the furigana reading (pronunciation of [...]

Are you planning on taking the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) this December? If you are, you may be having problems finding a starting point for your studying. Preparing for the JLPT can sometimes be perplexing, but there are certain areas that you should focus on for better results.
Of the 3 sections included in the [...]

Jungle Pocket has made many guest appearances on the Japanese comedy show Bakusho Red Carpet lately. Jungle Pocket is a 3 man owarai group that is all about overacting and drama. They have especially caught attention because of their original style and surprisingly low usage of the ‘ipattsu gag’ (Cheap physical comedy).
In the clip below, [...]

It seems like every Japanese person can fold at least a few complicated origami objects. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to fold an origami crane by learning from a book. It wasn’t until someone finally showed me how to fold a crane that I learned how.
If you don’t have your own [...]