Recently I’ve been asked about the spelling of Konnichiwa in Hiragana. Is it こんにちは or こんにちわ? Which is correct and why? The answer is こんにちは with は (Hiragana HA) at the end instead of わ (Hiragana WA) although the phrase is pronounced “KonnichiWA.” Why? Because the WA in this particular phrase is a particle (Topic […]
Culture
Common Japanese Phrases – Download the List (PDF)
Let’s learn some common Japanese phrases in this lesson! Before I introduce those phrases, let me talk about speech styles. We Japanese differentiate speech styles depending on who we are talking to. We have Formal speech and Informal speech. Native Japanese people, when they are little, first learn the Informal speech because this is […]
Japanese Romaji – Sensē, Sensei or Sensee?
Japanese Romaji is a writing system to spell Japanese syllables in Roman (Latin) characters. Do people in Japan use Romaji? The answer is Yes and No. Romaji system was invented for non-Japanese people who cannot read Japanese characters (Hiragana, Katakana, & Kanji). In Japan, you may see things spelled in Romaji at airports, train stations or […]
What is Miso Paste? – Secrets for Japanese Longevity
Have you ever wondered why Japanese people live such long lives? (average life span for men: 80.79 years old; for women: 87.05 years old) I have wondered and suspected if it is due to many fermented foods we consume on a daily basis. Miso paste is one of them. Do you know Japanese miso paste? […]
Japanese Stories for Kids – Karasu no Panyasan (VIDEO)
Let’s Read Japanese Stories for Kids! Reading Japanese stories for kids written in Hiragana by a real Japanese author is a great way to improve your reading skills. Today I want to read a book for you that I recommend as a Japanese reading material. The book is called Karasu no Panyasan. (Mr. Crow’s Bakery) […]
Kagoshima City Japan – My Hometown
I would like to share with you about my ふるさと “furusato” (hometown). I grew up in a city called KAGOSHIMA city, Japan. KAGOSHIMA is located in the southern tip of Kyushu. Many of you may know that Tokyo used to be called “Edo” during the samurai period. My hometown, on the other hand, used to be […]