Behind the calm, polite face of a Kyotoite is an angry woman who wants to shout at you for being so uncultured.
learn Japanese
Learn Japanglish with the help of ladies in kimono, sumo wrestlers, and schoolgirls in fox masks.
These adorable clips and characters will help you memorise kanji symbols and make you smile at the same time.
It’s a showdown between Clighton, the death god Tryuk, and the mysterious B. Read More
Why not up your Japanese language skills by learning a local dialect? Here are some phrases to get you started!
“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!
You can learn all the words and practice all the kanji, but there’s one little Japanese language quirk that will almost certainly trip you up when you first encounter it.
Master these and you can convince anyone you’re a native Japanese speaker…over the phone anyway.
Love Japan? Want to learn Japanese? Check out RocketNews24’s six fundamental top tips for learning Japanese!
With enough hard work, anyone can learn to speak and read Japanese. But you know you’ve truly made it as a Nihongo master only when you can effortlessly break out a few yojijukugo, or four-kanji idioms. Join us after the jump for 10 of our favourites!
It used to be that if you were studying a foreign language in your own country, the only listening practice that was easily available to you was hearing your teacher or classmates speak, or listening to the CD that came with your textbook. The first Japanese textbook I ever bought actually came with a cassette tape, which was particularly irritating as it was 2006 and I didn’t even own a Walkman any more.
Then someone invented a website that allowed users to upload short videos for all the world to see. Fast-forward nine years and YouTube is one of the biggest sites on the planet, making it a veritable treasure trove of free online spoken content.
So whether you’re after language lessons, YouTubers who vlog in Japanese, or just want to try watching your cat videos in a foreign language, online videos could be your new secret weapon. The trick is just knowing where to look.
Unlike the creature it features, the above image has been floating around online for a few years, but recently has returned back to Japanese shores. However, here such a situation has led to a decidedly punnier outcome. Let’s read what Japanese people have to say about it and maybe learn a little unusual Japanese along the way.




















Japanese vending machine sells freshly squeezed lemon juice with a futuristic light show
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Tokyo’s Haneda Airport airlines announce stricter luggage check-in deadline for domestic flights
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Pokémon comes to McDonald’s Japan for new Happy Meals toys, brings every generation’s starters
Coco’s Japan is very confident in their chilled ramen, but should they be? [Taste test]
Is covering your entire upper body with cooling strips enough to fend off Japan’s summer heat?
Studio Ghibli’s No Face twirls to sound of Spirited Away’s theme song in beautiful accessory box
7-Eleven Japan rethinks convenience store sandwiches with a wild new choc-mint variety
Toyota Museum’s international retro vehicle parade returns to Aichi this autumn
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever gacha capsule toys, featuring iconic menu items as plush coffee charms
7-Eleven Japan adds new chocolate fruit gummies to its sweets range, but are they worth the hype?
Kyoto receives more foreign tourists than ever before, but fewer visitors say they’ll return
7-Eleven Japan now offering baked-in-store pizza by the slice with two very different topping sets
Starbucks Japan opens new store inside historic seaside quarantine station near Tokyo
Foreign tourists in Japan eat far more rice than previously thought, according to new data
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction
Uniqlo looks back to the very start of Pokémon with new black-and-white pixel art T-shirts[Pics]
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
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
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Coco’s Japan is very confident in their chilled ramen, but should they be? [Taste test]
Is covering your entire upper body with cooling strips enough to fend off Japan’s summer heat?
Studio Ghibli’s No Face twirls to sound of Spirited Away’s theme song in beautiful accessory box
7-Eleven Japan rethinks convenience store sandwiches with a wild new choc-mint variety
Toyota Museum’s international retro vehicle parade returns to Aichi this autumn
Sanrio characters join forces with your favorite Japanese snack mascots as prizes at Family Mart
Japan’s favorite popsicles add multilingual packaging to better connect with foreign tourists
Sweet dreams are made of cheese at this all-you-can-eat cheese and doria restaurant
7-Eleven Japan adds new chocolate fruit gummies to its sweets range, but are they worth the hype?
Japan’s Super Volunteer, 86-year-old Haruo Obata, heads to the Kumamoto earthquake site
Live-action Princess Mononoke is coming to streaming as a live event, previews look amazing [Video]
Daiso now sells stress-relief punching bags, but are they worth beating on?
We tried Starbucks Japan’s new coffee for people who don’t drink coffee
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]