Many Japanese textbooks teach a very simple rule: 🔹living things → imasu, 🔹non-living things → arimasu. Clear and easy, right? But let’s test it. What about a tree 🌲? A tree is alive. So… Ki ga imasu (There is a tree)? That sounds strange. In Japanese, we say: Ki ga arimasu. Wait… why? So the rule “living vs non-living” is not enough. Let’s try another idea. What about movement? 🔹People and animals move → imasu. 🔹Objects and plants don’t → arimasu. That seems to work. So

Japanese learners often learn these three expressions as “after doing something” or “and then.” ・きのうは、レストランで ご飯(はん)を 食(た)べて、映画(えいが) を 見(み)ました。 ⇨ Yesterday, I ate at a restaurant and watched a movie. ・きのうは、レストランで ご飯(はん)を 食(た)べてから、映画(えいが) を 見(み)ました。 ⇨ Yesterday, after eating at a restaurant, I watched a movie. ・きのうは、レストランで ご飯(はん)を 食(た)べたあとで、映画(えいが) を 見(み)ました。 ⇨ Yesterday, I watched a movie after eating at a restaurant. All three sentences are grammatically correct, but the nuan

You’ve probably heard this simple idea before: Katakana words are just English words in Japanese. Easy, RIGHT? So when you learn words like ペン (pen) for pen or コーヒー (koohii) for coffee, it feels reassuring. “Great, I already know these!”💡 But then something strange happens. If we say “salaryman” to an English speaker… and they look confused.😵‍💫 Or if we mention a “one-piece” for a dress… and it doesn’t quite land.🤦 And what about “juice” or “Viking”? Those should be easy…

Japan has a special holiday period called Golden Week, a stretch of four national holidays at the end of April and beginning of May that turns into a 7 to 10-day break. The name itself came from the film industry. A studio executive described this holiday period as "golden" after a film performed unexpectedly well, borrowing the term from broadcasting's "golden time," meaning peak viewing hours. The name was never official, but it caught on, and ever since, the film indust

When learning Japanese, you often see that both “たくさん (Takusan)” and “いっぱい (Ippai)” mean “a lot” or “many”!😊 However, they are not exactly the same! There is a small but important difference in nuance and usage.💡 First, “たくさん (Takusan)” is slightly more formal and is used to describe a large quantity in an objective way.📘 For example… 📚宿題(しゅくだい)がたくさんあります。 (I have a lot of homework.) 👤人(ひと)がたくさんいます。 (There are a lot of people.) It is used when you calmly describe numbers

みなさんは日本(にほん)のカレーパンを食べたことがありますか？ (Have you ever tried Japanese Curry Bun?) 日本(にほん)のカレーパンはとてもおいしいんです！😋 (You can find curry bread at almost any bakery in Japan, and it’s really delicious!) Today, I would love to introduce a new restaurant serving real Japanese Curry Bun in Singapore.🇸🇬 You can have a very high-quality Japanese Curry Bun here👍 🌟Giraffa https://share.google/VW2k6JxbEikXSf7Sb 🍽11:00-22:00 This restaurant is located on level 2 of the Westgate. (They also have

ラーメンが　すきですか？🍜 旅行(りょこう)も　すきですか？✈️ If you like both, I highly recommend a “ramen trip.” When people visit Japan, many want to try ramen. But ramen can be completely different depending on where you eat it. The soup, noodles, and even the style all change by region. That’s what makes it so fun. There are many types of ramen. When you think of tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen, which place comes to mind? Probably Fukuoka, right? Then what about shoyu (soy sauce) ramen? You might think

Have you ever felt this while studying Japanese? “The textbook says one thing, but native speakers sound slightly different…”😔 You are not imagining it. Japanese, like every language, naturally changes its sounds in everyday speech. Today, let’s look at two very common patterns: Vowel weakening or devoicing Long vowels becoming shorter 1. When Vowels Become Weak or Almost Disappear 🫥 🔹学生 (gakusē – “student”) Phonetic form: /ɡa.kɯ.seː/ In theory, every vowel is clearly pron

Want to chat in Japanese with your Japanese friends? In this blog, we'll show you everything you need to know ― from choosing a keyboard to typing tricky sounds! 💬 Why Type Japanese on Your Phone? 💬 Have you ever wanted to send a message in Japanese to a Japanese friend, but didn't know how to type it? 📨 Good news ― once you understand how Japanese typing works on a smartphone, it's actually faster and easier than you might think! In this blog, we'll cover the two types o

Every spring, many people travel to Japan to see cherry blossoms.🌸 This tradition is called 花見(Hanami), which means “flower viewing.” But hanami is not only about looking at the flowers!! For many Japanese people, it feels more like a picnic and a chance to spend time together.🧺 Friends, families, and even coworkers gather under the sakura trees and enjoy the season. At a typical hanami, people bring food and drinks and sit on picnic sheets. You can often see bento boxes, s