Japanese monsters
When people mention Japanese monsters, many think of the giant movie monsters like Godzilla. But there are many monsters, demons, ghouls and ghosts that can be found in ancient Japanese literature and folklore.
It would be no surprise then that there is a monster that is related to the current pandemic. But not in the way you would imagine. This monster comes to prevent or redu...
Japanese writing system and Chinese characters
The Japanese word kanji which means Chinese characters is taken from the meaning "Han characters". It forms a vital part of the Japanese writing system which also includes Hiragana alphabet and Katakana characters too.
There are a multitude of Chinese characters used in Japanese and it would not surprise you to know that some are uniquely formed by ...
Japanese school trips
Japanese school trips are a big part of the educational life in Japan. Often a whole year of students travel with a handful of teachers to either some famous tourist destinations or to some theme parks or go abroad. It is one of the most memorable parts of school life.
In this blog by a Japanese language teacher, Izumi Yanaka finds a nostalgic essay about that time. This en...
New Year's in Japan
New Year's season in Japan is a quiet and family-oriented celebration. Most people, especially families, spend the period at home and sometimes go out to experience some of the cultural activities like visiting shrines.
Modern New Year celebrations, especially for the younger generations can include countdown parties, but these are not the general norm. Why is New Year's so i...
Confucianism in Japan
Confucianism stands beside Buddhism as one of the religious, sociological, and philosophical teachings that spread across Asia to Japan. Whereas Buddhism had its roots in India, Confucianism was born in China.
In Japan, it was introduced as a fundamental component to the education system and became a staple in schools during the Edo period.
In this blog by Japanese teacher...
