Tag - nihongo

 
 

NIHONGO

Japan Times
JAPAN / History / JAPAN TIMES GONE BY
Jan 2, 2022
Japan Times 1972: Japanese soldier captured in Guam
A soldier who was under orders to 'never surrender' is captured in Guam after 28 years of hiding in the jungle.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 24, 2021
The holidays are here, but it’s not just the weather that’s cold
Christmas in Japan is a time for giving gifts, but make sure to save some of your money for the new year holiday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 17, 2021
All is not golden with the 2021 selection for kanji of the year
There was a sense of serious deja vu when 'u91d1' (kin) was announced as kanji of the year for 2021, it's fourth time to take the honor.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 10, 2021
Sports, silent meals and 'Shut Up!': What Japan was talking about in 2021
The year's top buzzwords were announced to great fanfare, but the real word on everyone's lip last week was 'omicron.'
Japan Times
LIFE / Language
Dec 10, 2021
How do this year's English buzzwords translate into Japanese?
Collins Dictionary announced its 'Word of the Year' and technology-related terms came out on top.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 3, 2021
Practicing pitch-accent is on the rise among Japanese learners
Listen closely to a Japanese speaker say 'chopsticks' and 'bridge' (both 'hashi') and see if you can tell the difference. If you can, that's thanks to pitch-accent.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 26, 2021
When Japanese borrows the words from another language, but not their meanings
Loanwords can prove tricky in Japanese. Once a word is imported, it can take on a whole other meaning to that of the language it originated in.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 19, 2021
Be active in discussions about crime by mastering the passive voice
With news about train-related crime appearing in broadcasts, we look at the basic structure of talking about victims and perpetrators.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 12, 2021
The limitations of audio-visual translation in shows like ‘Squid Game’
Entertainment translation is a constant juggling act, and viewer criticisms are sometimes made with a lack of understanding of how translation for subtitles and dubbed overlay work.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 5, 2021
The samurai philosopher, the baseball star and language used in a Japanese boardroom
The lingo inside a Japanese boardroom tends to borrow a lot from baseball as well as from 16th-century samurai philosopher Miyamoto Musashi.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 29, 2021
Scary Japanese stories to read in the dark
The hook on the car door, Bloody Mary, there are plenty of urban legends in the West that will provide frights on Halloween. Japan has its share of scares, too.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 22, 2021
Loud, but not so clear: Discussing ‘noise’ and the rules surrounding election cars in Japanese
The sound trucks that make the rounds on Japanese streets are unanimously thought to be noisy. However, are they effective?
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 15, 2021
Visual elements make Japanese an easier language for those with dyslexia
Learning Japanese may seem daunting for those diagnosed with dyslexia, but it turns out that fundamentals of the language actually make it easier to learn than its Western counterparts.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 8, 2021
Pandemic or no pandemic, I need to get out of my house
A lot of people have had to spend more time at home during the pandemic and that has led to some getting stir-crazy.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 30, 2021
Words that mean how they sound: The power of onomatopoeia
You may not understand exactly what's being said when you hear onomatopoeic words in Japanese, but you'll most likely have an idea of what they mean based on how they sound.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 24, 2021
Have you heard?: The Japanese for getting someone’s attention is pretty simple
The mayor of Helsinki reportedly made a suggestion that his city should go 'all English.' Can you imagine a Japanese city doing the same thing?
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Sep 24, 2021
Heading into fall with politically themed Japanese vocabulary
Load up on some election vocabulary for the upcoming polls, as well as some new coronavirus jargon.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 17, 2021
Parting words from Japan's Olympians and Paralympians
Short and sweet, the soundbites Japanese athletes gave to the press are sure to help you in expressing both happiness and disappointment.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 14, 2021
Japanese for when you’re lost in life — or just lost on the road
While we can't say 2021 has been defined by loss, it's pretty evident that a feeling of being lost has popped up in a lot of situations.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 3, 2021
It's the question on everyone’s mask-covered lips: 'Wakuchin utta?'
Whether you have received a vaccine or not, you may be finding that conversations about Pfizer and Moderna are becoming more common than chats about the weather.

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals