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July 28, 2024
 

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NIHONGO

Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 28, 2016
Condolences: What to say when there's nothing you can say
In the event of a death, even though there may be nothing you can say that will help the grieving, you have to try. This is a particular challenge in a second language.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Mar 28, 2016
Learning the ins and outs of even-ifs using 'ni shiro'
Introducing the meaning and uses of uff5eu306bu3057u308d (even if), which is a more formal version of uff5e u306bu3057u3066u3082.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Mar 28, 2016
Farmer fells famed Hokkaido 'Philosophy Tree'
A lone tree in central Hokkaido that served as one of the main photo spots in the area has been cut down due to its worsening condition and the bad manners of tourists to the site.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 21, 2016
Lessons in history and bureaucracy lurk within Japan's geographical layer cake
Although in English we say Japan has 47 prefectures, Japanese uses four terms to express the same concept. And that's just for starters.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Mar 21, 2016
A certain ratio: the relative strengths of wariai, wari to and wari ni
Introducing the meaning and adverbial uses of the noun u5272u5408 (u308fu308au3042u3044, ratio).
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Mar 21, 2016
'Konmari' decluttering book finally tops U.S. best-seller list
The English version of a Japanese book on how to declutter rooms has topped U.S. newspaper USA Today's weekly best-seller list.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 14, 2016
Japanese go out on a limb for health (but not for love)
You could say that health has become a national obsession — one of the most obvious side-effects of Japan's super-aged society.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Mar 14, 2016
Breathing a sigh of relief with tokoro datta
Introducing the patterns Xu3068u3053u308du3060u3063u305f and Xu306fu305au3060u3063u305f, which indicate what might have happened but in fact didn't.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Mar 14, 2016
Japanese like the look of life in Nagano
Nagano Prefecture is the place that Japanese would most like to move to if they were to relocate to the countryside, a survey shows.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 7, 2016
To furu or furareru: In Japanese or any language, breaking up is hard to do
The girl who dumped me wasn't Japanese, so I was surprised to get a Japanese language lesson out of the ordeal.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Mar 7, 2016
Don't miss an opportunity when kikkake comes knocking
Introducing u304du3063u304bu3051, which identifies a clue, trigger, motivation or cause to start something.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Mar 7, 2016
Manga and anime goods store opens in Bangkok
An estimated 400 customers lined up in Bangkok for the opening of the first Thai branch of Animate, a Japanese manga and animation goods store.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Mar 7, 2016
Let's discuss the Tokyo Marathon
February in Tokyo was the season for running, as thousands prepared for one of the world's major sports events: the Tokyo Marathon.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 29, 2016
Joining Japanese words together to reveal the true nature of things
Once you understand how the pieces fit together, you can magically turn verbs into nouns and vice versa, expanding your Japanese vocabulary by leaps and bounds.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Feb 29, 2016
Ramming home the point with dokoro ka
Introducing the meaning and usage of the particle of emphasis u3069u3053u308du304b and its related expressions.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Feb 29, 2016
Bid for world heritage status for Christian sites retracted
The government has decided to retract its recommendation to UNESCO that a slew of churches and other Christian sites be listed as World Heritage sites.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 22, 2016
When it comes to taking the temperature and talking about it, Japanese is sensational
Where in English something is just 'cold,' in Japanese it's not so simple.
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Feb 22, 2016
Seeing the other side and defying expectations with 'han shite'
Today we will introduce the meaning and usage of the adverbial phrases Xu306bu53cd(u306fu3093)u3057u3066 (contrary to X) and Xu53cdu9762(u306fu3093u3081u3093) (on the contrary), which are mainly used in written language, formal speech, lectures or when talking about a rather serious theme. In the pattern X(noun/noun phrase)u306bu53cdu3057u3066Y(clause), X is usually a word like u4e88u60f3 (u3088u305du3046, anticipation), u671fu5f85 (u304du305fu3044, expectation), u4e88u6e2c (u3088u305du304f, prediction), u610fu5fd7 (u3044u3057, will) or u610fu601d (u3044u3057, intention), u6cd5u5f8b (u307bu3046u308au3064, law) or u30ebu30fcu30eb (rule), and Y is the result or fact that betrays the content of X. In Ms. Yamani's sentence in Situation 1, X is her and her staff's expectation that their product would sell better and Y is the fact that it is not. Its noun-modifying form is uff5eu306bu53cdu3057u305f, as in u5e38u8b58(u3058u3087u3046u3057u304d)u306bu53cdu3057u305fu884cu52d5(u3053u3046u3069u3046) (an action that defies common sense).
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Feb 22, 2016
Password hacks as simple as 1-2-3-4-5-6
Even after tens of millions of people had their online accounts hacked, many Internet users still rely on easy-to-guess passwords.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Feb 17, 2016
Views from Tokyo and Chiba: Have you made any memorable gaffes while learning another language?
Japanese and foreign nationals share their favorite embarrassing missteps on the long journey to second-language fluency.
Japan's population continues to fall even as foreign resident count rises
The number of residents in Tokyo as of Jan. 1 rose by 0.03% from a year before, data shows, marking a year-on-year increase for the first time in three years, while the country's other 46 prefectures saw their populations continue to decline.
Ahead of the Olympics, Japan is still talking about the gymnast who won't be there
Japan's Shoko Miyata withdrew from the gymnastics team herself over her drinking and smoking, although it had already appeared as though the association was prepared to send her home from the team’s training camp in Monaco.
Yen melt-up nudges Japanese stocks into correction territory
Japanese stocks are down 10% from their July peak as the yen strengthens.
‘Crazy’ yen rally is at risk of shattering as soon as Wednesday
Some investors are warning that a yen rally is fragile, as was on show this week when the yen rapidly retraced an advance after Thursday’s stronger-than-expected U.S. economic growth figures.
Japan's average life expectancy rises for first time in three years
A decline in COVID-19-caused deaths likely helped boost the average life expectancy for Japanese men and women to rise for the first time in three years in 2023.
The Japanese Olympians looking to shine in Paris
Rim Nakamura, who is attempting to win Japan's first Olympic gold medal in cycling, will be one of the top Japanese athletes to watch at the Paris Games.
Japan’s minimum wage set for record ¥50 hike in major boost
Demonstrators rally to demand a big hike in minimum wages in Tokyo last week.
Japan loses top spot on strongest passport list to Singapore
Japan had the strongest passport for six years running from 2018, before being dethroned by Singapore on the 2024 list.
Why Japan's mysterious stash of classified funds escapes scrutiny
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi (right) during a meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Japan eyes gold — and the future — as Olympic men's soccer campaign begins
Japan midfielder Yu Hirakawa controls the ball during a match against the United States in Kansas City, Kansas, on June 11.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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
By Alex K.T. Martin

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