Katakana is usually for foreign words, but there’s a whole class of Japanese-grown rice that has katakana names.
hiragana
There’s a fine line between kindly simplifying the Japanese language and offensively dumbing it down for foreign readers.
Foam shaped into hiragana word reacts to massaging, stroking, and poking with eye-raising exclamations.
You’ll never see these four hiragana on license plates, but maybe not for the reasons you’d expect….
It’s a showdown between Clighton, the death god Tryuk, and the mysterious B. Read More
“On that day, we ticks received a grim reminder. We lived in fear of the five-foot-tall humans.”
Read about the adventures of Narutoe – a ninja toe – and his friend Sauceke – a jar of tomato sauce.
If you’ve ever wanted to learn Japanese through horribly-drawn manga, then today’s your lucky day!
We’re back and ready to take on the third, and most puzzling, type of Japanese text: katakana.
Ariana Grande is a rising star that many are calling a “mini-Mariah Carey.” Launching onto the world stage after an incredibly successful run on the Nickelodeon show, Victorious, she is quickly gaining fans around the world with her solo music career. She has quite the following in Japan too, with her most recent album, My Everything, peaking at #3 on the weekly Oricon Music charts. And while Japan can’t get enough of her songs and her extremely long hair (extensions), there is something else that her Japanese fans are talking about these days: Ariana Grande is learning hiragana.
The characters above should look very familiar to any student of Japanese. Hiragana is the phonetic alphabet that is usually the first writing system you learn. Compared to the much more complex and difficult to remember Chinese characters and the angular katakana alphabet, the loopy hiragana characters have a pleasant round feel that’s often called “cute.”
But which character is the cutest of them all? Japan weighs in.
MOST POPULAR
Now
Japan’s most famous Mt. Fuji view park cancels cherry blossom festival because of overtourism
McDonald’s Japan partners with anime English teacher, but did they commit a cultural error?[Video]
A robot joins the team at a fast-food restaurant, but in an unlikely city in northern Japan
Japanese man gets drunk and falls asleep on Tokyo streets, then gets robbed by foreign national
Brand-new Pokémon park opens in Japan with larger-than-life-size Lapras【Photos】
A spotlight on Japanese singles figure skating: Jumping into the 2026 Olympics【Pt. II】
We visit izakaya in Thailand billed as “Middle Aged Man’s Paradise”, try food that’s illegal in Japan
Act of Japanese kindness touches one man’s heart, provides hope for elevator etiquette
You can now visit a recreation of Evangelion’s Tokyo-3 and live there in miniature form in【Pics】
Massive Godzilla figure stands more than six feet tall, costs more than $40,000
Weekly
Yokai are descending upon Tokyo this spring in the latest immersive art experience
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
New Studio Ghibli stamps leave an impression on your stationery…and your heart
Cherry blossom forecasts map shows Japan’s OTHER sakura season is starting right now
Three beautiful places to see Japan’s plum blossoms after starting your day in downtown Tokyo
Japanese women sound off on their minimum height requirements for a husband【Survey】- Japanese man gets drunk and falls asleep on Tokyo streets, then gets robbed by foreign national
Japan has a new bar just for people thinking about quitting their jobs, and the drinks are free
420 million yen in cash-filled suitcases stolen on Tokyo streets, incidents at Haneda and Hong Kong follow
Japan’s suicides fall to lowest recorded number ever, but one demographic hits all-time high
Monthly
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Japan releases first official sakura cherry blossom forecast for 2026
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
Archfiend Hello Kitty appears as Sanrio launches new team-up with Yu-Gi-Oh【Pics】
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning looks to be affecting tourist crowds on Miyajima
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
Studio Ghibli releases new “komorebi” plush toys from Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away
Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating- Yokai are descending upon Tokyo this spring in the latest immersive art experience
Yearly
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo- Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
RECOMMENDED STORIES
A spotlight on Japanese singles figure skating: Jumping into the 2026 Olympics【Pt. II】
We visit izakaya in Thailand billed as “Middle Aged Man’s Paradise”, try food that’s illegal in Japan
Act of Japanese kindness touches one man’s heart, provides hope for elevator etiquette
You can now visit a recreation of Evangelion’s Tokyo-3 and live there in miniature form in【Pics】
Massive Godzilla figure stands more than six feet tall, costs more than $40,000
Studio Ghibli produces commercial for Japanese convenience store chain Lawson 【Video】
11 different ways to say “father” in Japanese
Sushi cars are the newest crazy cool dream from Japan’s Tomica line
Five different ways to say “children” in Japanese
Anime isn’t like reality: Japanese police arrest man holding three knives, one in his mouth
Hotties from history: the geisha of Japan’s first beauty pageant【Photos】
Starbucks Japan joins Been There drinkware line with 20 cool designs for all over Japan【Pics】
-
