Our beloved cat daughter, Koko, has crossed the rainbow bridge. She had been so healthy, but suddenly her condition deteriorated in June, and after a battle with illness over the summer, she passed away on October 8th. We are heartbroken… and missing her so much. The home without her no longer feels the same. But […]
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The Moment I Felt Alone – Japanese Phrases
There are Japanese phrases that are deeply part of me. I feel alone or lonely when I don’t get to say these to anyone. Today, I want to share a small story related to those phrases. In Japanese, we have specific expressions when we come home or welcome someone home. NOTE: You can drop the […]
Japanese Kamon 家紋（かもん）- Family Crest
家紋（かもん Kamon）means “Family Crest” in Japanese. Let me talk about Japanese Kamon in this article. Kamon is hardly used in modern Japan, but in Samurai Era, each 武家（ぶけ Buke = samurai family) had their own Kamon. Tokugawa’s Kamon One of the most famous Kamon in Japan is 三つ葉葵（みつばあおい Mitsuba Aoi）. It was the Kamon by […]
Too Old To Learn the Japanese Language?
Do you think you are too old to learn the Japanese language? I sometimes receive emails from older learners asking if they are too old to start learning Japanese. The answer is “No.” Never Too Old To Learn You are never too old to start learning something new. We are all lifetime learners until the day […]
日本語のラブレター Japanese Love Letters by Married Couples
I want to share with you a few Japanese love letters by married couples. They are real Japanese people who are married for many years. And the letters are for their spouses. Some of them are still alive. Others are now in heaven. These letters are from the book I bought about 10 years ago. […]
Learn Kanji – Honest Review of the Books I Recommend
Do you plan to learn Kanji soon in the future? Are you looking for a good Kanji book to study? In this post, I’m going to share my honest reviews of three books. These are the Kanji books I personally feel are good and helpful. Good Books to Learn Kanji No book is perfect. Each […]