It’s still a bit cold but without a doubt one can say that spring is approaching! Perhaps you have also seen some plum blossom flowers blooming in your neighborhood too! Cherry blossoms bloom after plum blossoms and this year it is expected that cherry blossoms will be in peak , in Hyogo, from the week […]
Kanji Many Japanese teachers and language texts advise learners to hold off on studying kanji. There are a few reasons for this: they believe that kanji are too difficult for foreigners to learn. they think that the learning of kanji will take away from the time needed to study grammar, vocabulary, etc. many of their […]
There are a number of proficiency tests for Japanese. The most well-known is the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (日本語能力試験 nihongo noryoku shiken), called the JLPT for short. There is also the Business Japanese Proficiency Test. The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) The JLPT is held twice a year, in summer and winter. You can take […]
The Hyogo International Association in Kobe offers evening Japanese classes for foreign residents for a nominal price of 2,000 yen per semester: Hyogo International Association. (Find the English PDF at the middle of the page.) Sign-up is on a quarterly basis and first-come first-served. There are a number of other places in Hyogo Prefecture that […]
New Year’s Day (Shogatsu) January 1st Most companies and banks close from 29 December to 3 January. Vast numbers of Japanese travel home or go on vacation at this time, and most schools, companies, etc. hold End of the Year parties (bonenkai) and New Year Parties (shinnenkai). Children are given money (otoshidama). On New Year’s […]
Workplace Etiquette Arriving & Leaving Work: When entering the teacher’s room in the morning, say “Ohayo gozaimasu” (Good Morning). You should also be punctual. Punctuality is viewed as part of being an adult member of society in Japan, so take the extra five minutes. When leaving at the end of the day, say “Osaki ni […]