Blogs edited and submitted by Chiho Kamioka

Holidays and observances in Japan Japan is a country that has a surprising number national public holidays as well as days of observance. The difference between the two is that on days of observance people do not get time off work but they usually celebrate the days with either cultural ceremonies and decorations, or small festivals. Many of the observance days have roots in the ancient culture ...

Japanese Enkai Etiquette Japanese office workers and friends often have drinking parties at Izakaya or Japanese pubs. These are a great way to get to know people in Japan in an informal setting, and also enjoy some Japanese cuisine. But even though these are informal gatherings, there are some rules of etiquette that should be followed and these can trip up a first-timer , whether they are peopl...

Mystery in Japan Japan is often seen as a mysterious country with opaque history and interesting cultures shrouded in secrecy. But in this Japanese language blog by JOI Japanese teacher Rie Imoto, there is another mystery found in Japan. Is it a UFO or could it be a meteor ? The answer is unexpected. Read this blog to learn some Japanese for free and listen to the video, read by Imoto sensei to ...

The Bon Festival Througout Buddhist Asia, there are many similar festivals held and the one called the Bon Festival in Japan is a popular one in many countries. The origins are from one of the disciples of Buddha who wanted to help his mother in the afterworld. So the modern version is usually associated with family and the ancestors. In this Japanese language blog by Momoki sensei, who lives i...

Ancient schools of learning in Japan In the 6th century, with the introduction of Buddhism and Confucianism in Japan from China and Korea, the imperial courts devised the first formal learning in Japan. In this blog by Takane sensei, a Japanese language teacher at JOI online school, she introduces one seat of learning that began at a temple and could be said to be the first actual university in ...