learning
Junior high school students at one school are learning Japanese culture by recreating historical sites in the popular game.
Travelling in a foreign country can be daunting, especially if you don’t know the language. While a one-year preparatory course isn’t necessary for just a week or so in a foreign land, learning a few key words and phrases is certainly recommended.
Some time ago, travel culture website Matador Network put together a list of “10 Extraordinarily Useful Japanese Phrases for Travelers“, a mostly tongue-in-cheek collection of phrases which, while at times giving some useful material, is probably more suited for those looking to jazz up their Japanese than it is for the average traveler. For that reason, perhaps, the list recently caught the eye of Japanese net users and has been garnering a lot of attention in the language’s homeland.
Check out the list below and see what you can use!
When was the first time you uttered a “bad word”? We all probably grew up with adults telling us not to say certain words, and that there were words that only adults could speak of. As a kid, blurting one of those “forbidden words” felt like something cool and thrilling, but now that I’m well beyond that age, such words have lost their significance as a big taboo.
Some kids, however, seem to be blurting out the F-word even before they’ve reached the age to be told that it’s an “adult word”. Of course, they’re not saying it on purpose, and that’s exactly what makes it so amusing and adorable! Frog it, we’re going straight to the videos after the break!
We’ve talked countless times about how to learn Japanese. Heck, we’ve even brought you lists of essential applications and resources to help you in your quest to master the language. But we’ve always maintained that the best way to learn Japanese, or any language for that matter, is to make practical use of it and make it relevant to your own life.
And what better way to use your newly acquired Japanese than making friends all over the world while avoiding being crushed to death by spiked ceilings or knocked into a bottomless pit?
As we’ve said before, Japanese isn’t actually as hard to learn as it’s often made out to be. Unlike English, for example, Japanese follows its own grammatical rules far more rigidly, pronunciation is easy because there is only one variant of each vowel sound to choose from (none of this tomayto/tomahto business), and it’s possible to create entire, perfectly meaningful and valid sentences without uttering a single pronoun or bothering to conjugate a verb.
Nevertheless, the language will not magically seep into you through a desire to speak it alone — you still need to encounter and study it as often as possible. With that in mind, we’d like to present to you the six and a half resources that no dedicated student of the Japanese language should ever be without. Oh, and the good news is some of them are completely free.
When it comes to Japan’s three writing systems, kanji, hiragana and katakana, it’s the most complex of the lot that usually gets the most attention. The numerous lines and strokes involved in kanji pictographs are so revered that people nominate one at the end of every year to represent the mood of the nation. Even foreigners across the world are taken by their meaning and beauty, with many committing a patch of skin to their favourite (sometimes completely wrong) kanji in tattoo form.
But what about the least utilised member of the group, the katakana characters used for foreign words? Well it looks like they’re finally getting a bit of love, with a recent survey being conducted among foreign residents in Japan to determine the coolest looking symbol in the katakana syllabary. Place your bets now for which one comes out on top!
I’ve always maintained that, while the method may work for a very lucky few, drilling lists of words and kanji characters is like trying to commit blocks of random numbers to memory – that is to say painfully hard work, time-consuming, and not in the least bit natural or fun. Rather, a better way to approach language learning is to encounter words in context so as to easier form cognitive connections and assimilate them into that which we already know.
So when I stumbled upon Koe, an upcoming role-playing game designed to help people learn Japanese as they play, I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of excitement.
MOST POPULAR
Now
Tokyo station platform to transform into sake bar with hot drinks, hot oden, and hot kotatsu
Starbucks Japan quietly slips fans another Christmas present with Joyful Medley Strawberry Milk Tea
Kawaii Monster Land getting set to become Harajuku’s newest whimsical underground wonderland
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Uniqlo Ukiyo-e Blue T-shirts: A cool-hued reinterpretation of some of Japan’s greatest paintings
How to get your money’s worth at an all-you-can-eat crepe challenge in Japan
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
Getting a driver’s license in Japan the hard way: The first written test
Totoro gamaguchi pouches will hold whatever you want them to, but already captured our heart
We visit Oshima, an island in Japan where walking counterclockwise means death【Haunted Japan】
Weekly
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area- Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort- Uniqlo Ukiyo-e Blue T-shirts: A cool-hued reinterpretation of some of Japan’s greatest paintings
This hot springs town in Japan sets fire across a mountain every winter in a beautiful tradition
Japan’s first hotel with a human washing machine is now ready for you to come and bathe in it
Gundam and Reebok team up for new GQuuuuuuX Pumps【Photos】
Studio Ghibli mixes with sporty street styles of New Era to put No Face on your head in cap series
Japanese woman sues man for 1.5 million yen for violating her “right to chastity”
Monthly
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods and a rhinestone tumbler that costs 19,500 yen
Real-world Nausicaa Ghibli anime glider completes its final flight in Japan【Video】
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes- Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
The 10 best day trips from downtown Tokyo【Survey】- Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
A guide to visiting Sagamiko Illumination, one of the three biggest light-ups in Kanto- Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
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
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
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】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
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
RECOMMENDED STORIES
How to get your money’s worth at an all-you-can-eat crepe challenge in Japan
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
Getting a driver’s license in Japan the hard way: The first written test
Totoro gamaguchi pouches will hold whatever you want them to, but already captured our heart
We visit Oshima, an island in Japan where walking counterclockwise means death【Haunted Japan】
Japan’s Sleep Shelter is here to help gamers play all night and sleep all day【Photos】
What does “Konnichiwa” really mean? Understanding Japanese greetings
Hayao Miyazaki comments on Chihiro’s final test scene in Spirited Away
Evangelion original anime studio Gainax is now completely dissolved, Eva’s creator mourns ruined friendships
Japan’s cooling body wipe sheets want to help you beat the heat, but which work and which don’t?
Getting a driver’s license in Japan the hard way: The first driving test
Japan’s awesome, eco-friendly, old-school water heaters (and how to use them)
-
