Blogs edited and submitted by Chiho Kamioka

Japanese sake Japan's national drink is Sake or Japanese rice wine. The drink is enjoyed all year round in Japan and the methods of drinking it differ from season to season. One way to enjoy the drink is to have varying vessels to drink from. Takane sensei here introduces some of the best ways to choose a Japanese sake vessel. Please listen to and watch the video to learn how to pronounce natura...

Nature in Japan Japan often gets mislabeled as a major urban sprawl due to the spectacular metropoles of Tokyo and Osaka. But actually, over two thirds of the islands of Japan are covered by forests and mountains. Shiomi sensei who is from Kobe, shows in this week's blog that there is much more to Japan than big cities. Read this fun and easy blog to learn more Japanese for free. And listen to ...

Japanese Idol groups There are numerous “idol groups” in Japan which are manufactured pop groups usually made up of young girls that are chosen for their cute looks and personalities. The recent trend has been to relate these groups to local areas, and Igarashi sensei introduces a quick look at this trend with a surprising twist ! Read these blogs to learn Japanese and listen to the video to pr...

Japanese children's songs Japanese culture has, as most do, many songs that are taught to children. Some of these are nursery rhymes, but some have a cultural background. In this blog, Murahara sensei reflects on one such song that is particular to hometown of Kagoshima in southern Japan. Please read this amusing blog, and learn some Japanese vocabulary. Listen to the video to practice some Jap...

Japanese summer noodles Noodles are a staple Japanese cuisine and are especially popular in the hot and humid summer months. It is a season when a lot of people lose their appetite due to the heat. But noodles are suitable for this season. They can also be cooled down which is great for those with a lack of appetite. Ueno sensei finds that these Washoku staples are actually more than just a food...