In recent years, the phenomenon known as トー横キッズ (Tōyoko Kids) has emerged as a distinctive feature of urban youth culture in Yokohama. This group of young individuals, often seen sitting on the streets and engaging in various activities, reflects broader social dynamics and issues affecting Japan’s youth today. In this…
Akira Kurosawa’s 「生きる」is a cinematic gem that delves deep into the human experience, focusing on themes of mortality, purpose, and the meaning of life. Released in 1952, the film tells the poignant story of Kanji Watanabe, a lifelong bureaucrat who discovers he has terminal cancer and embarks on a journey…
In recent years, Japan has been shaken by a scandal involving the Unification Church 統一教会, also known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. This controversy has intertwined with Japanese politics, celebrities, and public life, raising questions about the future of the nation’s political landscape and social fabric….
Japanese is a language rich with nuance, and reading it proficiently involves more than just recognising characters and words. The resources and content I put out via this website and Youtube tries to focus on one thing: authentic materials and content from real Japanese speakers so that you input better…
The problem You want to communicate in a second language, but you can neither understand nor form anything approaching a level of conversation that you’re subjectively happy with. The solution Go out there and talk and consume content anyway. There’s no secret shortcut that I can tell you, and I…
Following on from the post about motivation last week, here is a ‘part 2’ which focuses on recognising the traps your brain sets for you, as recognising these traps or pitfalls is the key to avoiding them. First we’ll consider the main points. I’ll split this up into reasons for…
Laziness and complacency are two of the most common obstacles that people face when trying to learn a new language. This will be a post taking some ideas from Dr K’s videos linked below, and it builds heavily on learning how your mind works and identifying what ‘laziness’ really means….
Learning Japanese can be a long and challenging journey, and it is common to experience a lack of motivation at times. Here are some tips to help you stay motivated while learning Japanese: By following these tips, you can stay motivated and make progress in your Japanese language learning journey….
another nail in the coffin for textbooks Teaching Japanese is one of those things that I enjoy immensely, but it’s hard to sell my services as being superior or the best use of your time and money when there are so many alternatives out there, like a textbook that claims…
Reading articles can be tricky given the amount of kanji, but with an add-on like rikaichan/kun, you can blast through this with a basic understanding of grammar: The article we’ll be reading can be accessed by clicking on the picture of it below: 運動嫌いでも腸内環境を整えるだけでやる気が自然と湧いてくるという研究結果 Starting with the title, as always,…