english language
To coincide with Japan’s annual “Kanji of the Year” event, which reveals the mood of 2015 with a Chinese character, popular online dictionary site Weblio asked its Japanese users to nominate an “English vocabulary word of the Year”. The top ten results provide a unique insight into the hot topics of interest in Japan in 2015.
I’m addicted to following the Instagram and YouTube accounts of foreigners in Japan. Not only can it be really cool to see a different perspective on the country, you can also learn some great stuff, too. Take this video by Rachel of “Rachel & Jun” fame, together with “Texan in Tokyo” (aka Grace) as they explain five words you didn’t know were Japanese!
![Superhero Wasabi Woman debuts in hilarious video made by English-learning students [Video]](https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/screen-shot-2015-04-06-at-23-06-50.png?w=640&h=340 "Superhero Wasabi Woman debuts in hilarious video made by English-learning students [Video]")
What do you get when you have a group of intermediate/advanced English language students make a video about adjectives? You get “Wassabi Woman,” that’s what.
A video recently surfaced on YouTube that is putting to shame all of the group project videos any of us have ever made and is making English teachers around the world smile.
Learning a foreign language is hard. Even if you master all the vocabulary and grammar, there’s still no guarantee that you’ll ever achieve a native-like accent. For Japanese learners of English, differentiating between the “l” and “r” sounds and pronouncing the “th” sound correctly can be tricky them no matter how many years they’ve been practicing.
But have you ever wondered what it’s like the other way around? What sounds do we English speakers make that sound strange when we speak Japanese? Well it turns out the sound that we mess up the most is one you might not have expected: “fu”.
MOST POPULAR
Now
Japanese gamer mom wants kids to unlock the achievement of beating a game without Internet guides
Do Japanese people like Dr. Pepper? Online poll seeks the truth, gets 28,000 responses
Deep-fried ramen croquettes now exist in Japan, and we are all powerless to resist them
Chicago Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish a hot topic on Japanese Twitter with frank reply to fan’s request
Japanese Network TV asks Twitter user’s permission for “photo” of a trash home…from Fallout 76
Disney’s Japanese New Year’s plushies and figures are ready to make oshogatsu cuter than ever
The Straw Hat Students are back with a new One Piece Japanese high school anime short【Video】
Japanese hit song “Paprika” goes global with English version by new singers and dancers
Rare Fish Festival in Tokyo serves up dishes so good that oil may leak from your anus!
High schooler “forced” to quit school sues Kumamoto prefecture for a single yen
Weekly
Why do Pokémon Trainers “black out” when they lose a battle? This could be the real reason
Prominent boob-centric manga artist shocks fans by revealing she’s a beautiful buxom woman
Butt wing angel panties from Japan give us a lot to think about【Photos】- Japanese hit song “Paprika” goes global with English version by new singers and dancers
Anime company president arrested for taking nude photos of teen girl who wanted to be voice actress- Japanese Network TV asks Twitter user’s permission for “photo” of a trash home…from Fallout 76
- High schooler “forced” to quit school sues Kumamoto prefecture for a single yen
Taxi driver argues with man, runs him over then drives into wall 【Video】
11 cheapest Tokyo neighborhoods to rent an apartment in show living here’s not an impossible dream
Not everyone hates school uniforms: Japanese Twitter shows us why
Monthly
Japan’s cheapest hotel charges just 130 yen (US$1.20) for a room, with a huge, no-privacy catch
We visit the new all-you-can-eat KFC buffet restaurant in Tokyo
Uniqlo’s shockingly sexy new clothing item inspires selfies and anime-style fan art
Japan’s pre-sliced cat-shaped bread: The greatest thing since non-kitty sliced bread
Harajuku Station will be demolished after the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics
That time we got imprisoned in a Tokyo hostess bar
Japanese makeup tutorial shows how a middle-aged man can turn into a beautiful young woman
One last visit to Japan’s craziest, scariest video game arcade: Warehouse Kawasaki【Photos】
Manga about 40-something man’s relationship with daughter’s schoolgirl friend sparks controversy
Vandalism on rise at Japanese shrines as pro-Hong Kong protest prayer boards are defaced
Yearly
Microsoft Japan’s experiment with 3-day weekend boosts worker productivity by 40 percent- Japan’s cheapest hotel charges just 130 yen (US$1.20) for a room, with a huge, no-privacy catch
Five reasons not to live in Japan (as chosen by Switzerland’s perviest otaku)
PewDiePie buys house in Japan, calls it “a dream come true”
Naruto’s author Kishimoto reveals what characters’ names would’ve been if editor didn’t intervene
We asked a Niantic insider 30 questions about Pokémon Go, learned a lot of useful information
Why do Japanese recycle bins have two openings but dump everything into the same compartment?
Japanese Mame Shiba Inu banknote design pays homage to nation’s beloved dog
Why do Japanese toilets have double hooks on their doors?
Japanese Phantom Cheesecake: A sweet so popular 2,000 sold in ten minutes
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Disney’s Japanese New Year’s plushies and figures are ready to make oshogatsu cuter than ever
The Straw Hat Students are back with a new One Piece Japanese high school anime short【Video】
Japanese hit song “Paprika” goes global with English version by new singers and dancers
Rare Fish Festival in Tokyo serves up dishes so good that oil may leak from your anus!
High schooler “forced” to quit school sues Kumamoto prefecture for a single yen
This beautiful, heartwarming winter anime is also a McDonald’s Japan commercial【Video】
Pikachu is opening his own take-out Pokémon sweets shop in Tokyo!
Experience afternoon tea with a Japanese twist in Harajuku!【Photos】
Japanese crane game serves up actual slices of cake – and we got some!【Photos】
This Shinto shrine’s gorgeous glass gateways are the only ones of their kind in all Japan【Photos】
This is Japan’s oldest curry bread bakery, and it’s awesome【Taste test】
What’s really for breakfast? 20 Japanese people give us a peek at their morning meal【Photos】
Life-size Mewtwo, graffiti Pikachu welcome us to the newest Pokémon Center megastore in Shibuya
-
