Learn Japanese Online - JOI Teachers blog

Learn Japanese vocabulary, Kanji and phrases with this free blog with a YouTube video for audio learning, vocabulary lists and English Translation !
Every week, a professional Japanese teacher posts a new blog .

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Japanese culture

Learn about Japanese culture from this Japanese language blog by the JOI's professional Japanese teachers.


Japanese winter customs In Japan with its four seasons, there are many customs that are particular to each season and they differ from area to area. The food and plants that grow in this season and the nutritional needs of our bodies during the winter are part of the reasons behind the customs. In this Japanese language learning blog, which features a video and vocabulary list, Oosawa sensei, a...
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Shopping in Japan In a typical Japanese shopping district you can find the usual supermarkets, clothing stores and alcohol stores along side the ubiquitous convenient stores. But the type of shop introduced here by Japanese teacher Itaya sensei in this Japanese learners' blog, might be one of the most useful type of shop in Japan. Itaya sensei reads the blog in fluent and natural Japanese, so p...
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The Academic Year in Japan The trimester system is the usual standard in the Japanese education system. The school holidays take place in between these. Suszuki sensei is a Japanese teacher at JOI and has two children. She adds her personal view of the education system and introduces a shift from the trimester system in this week's teachers' blog. Read the blog in Japanese below and learn Kanji...
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Superheroes Japan The cultural impact of Japanese superheroes is hard to measure. And there are many Japanese people who spent large parts of their youth following the adventures of these characters on TV and in comic books. In this teachers' blog by Yuko Momoki sensei, a Japanese teacher at JOI, she introduces her own view of this phenomenon. Read the blog and listen to the video to learn voca...
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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...
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