Japanese shrines and temples When traveling in Japan you can find some very traditional architecture and atmospheres at the shrines and temples. At first glance, they do seem rather similar but they are actually quite different in religion, customs and uses. The typical answer you might receive if you ask most Japanese people about the differences, is often a simple explanation of the different ...
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JOI Support staff and manager.
Japanese shrines and temples When traveling in Japan you can find some very traditional architecture and atmospheres at the shrines and temples. At first glance, they do seem rather similar but they are actually quite different in religion, customs and uses. The typical answer you might receive if you ask most Japanese people about the differences, is often a simple explanation of the different ...
Japanese rice cakes They are very popular during the winter and especially during the New Year season, but you can enjoy them all year in a variety of different cooking methods. In this Japanese language learning blog, Japanese teacher Yuko Momoki who lives in Yamanashi prefecture, introduces one of the prefecture's most popular rice cake sweets. Japanese rice cakes or mochi are one of Japan's t...
Japanese raw cuisine Japan has a tradtion of eating raw food. Raw fish is a staple of Japanese cuisine or Washoku. There is of course sushi and sashimi but there is also a custom of eating raw eggs. The most popular way to do this is with rice. With the popular dish Sukiyaki being an example. Yet this blog for Japanese language learners introduces an even simpler speciality. The blog is written...
Imported words in Japanese Gairaigo are loan words or imported words into Japanese of foreign origin. Many of them come from English and Chinese but there are some words from other European languages too. In Japanese these words are usually written in the katakana phonetic script, but some have Kanji readings attached to them which are often known as 'ateji'. In this blog for language learners,...
Japanese sweet and snack makers Japan has a huge number of snack and sweet producers. From the traditional makers of Wagashi which are traditional Japanese confections that are often served with tea, to the modern snacks and potato chips that you can buy in supermarkets and convenience stores all over the country. Some snacks are considered local delicacies and domestic tourists often buy these ...