年別アーカイブ：2021年

Hinamatsuri (ひな祭り), which is called Doll's day or Girl’s Day in English, is one Japanese spring event on March 3rd. People celebrate and pray for girls' health and happiness. It is custom to display Japanese ornamental dolls on a tiered stand with a red carpet-like material and have a special meal with one's family. Justinaひな (hina) means doll in ancient Japanese , and 祭り (matsuri) means festival! We'll share not only what Hinamatsuri is like but also its origin and the history of Hinamatsuri!Atsuya Hinamatsuri (ひな祭り) is a calm spring festival with a special meal and beautiful Japanese dolls! Hinamatsuri ...

Everyone wants to enjoy their trip with what they want to eat and drink. It's one of the most important things for a great stay in Japan. Do you want to drink your favorite coffee in a Japanese Starbucks? Great! Here is a perfect guide on how to order drinks at Starbucks in Japanese! JustinaWe'll share not only how to order, but also what to do when you don't understand what the staff said! How to order drinks at Starbucks in Japanese The basic order is the same as in any other country. You tell them the size first, a ...

Oshiruko(おしるこ) : Japanese sweet red beans soup with grilled mochi! Oshiruko　おしるこ Oshiruko (おしるこ) is a traditional Japanese treat made out of red azuki(あずき) bean soup with mochi (もち) !  It’s often eaten in winter, as the dish is served warm, but it can be eaten in any season. Oshiruko has been eaten as far back as the Edo period, right after farmers began growing sugar.  Azuki beans あずきまめ Azuki beans naturally grow all around East Asia. In Japan, they’re the second most cultivated legume, right after the soybean. You’d think so, since they’re used in many traditional Japanese treats besides ...

Tokyo is a great town for entertainment and travel, but it is also a great town for exercise. 皇居(こうきょ)ランニング(Koukyo running, or imperial palace running) is the nickname for a famous course for joggers and runners that spans around the imperial palace of Japan. The course is popular for office workers working in Tokyo because the imperial palace is in the center of the Tokyo business area. Some people do koukyo running before or after work. In this article, we will talk about koukyo running, covering the course, manners, and how to enjoy koukyo running. AtsuyaKoukyo running is a must-run course ...

“鬼(おに)は外(そと)！福(ふく)は内(うち)！(Demons out ! Luck in!)” In the Setsubun festival, Japanese people say 鬼(おに)は外(そと)！福(ふく)は内(うち)！and throw beans out opened doors and windows to drive away evil spirits and bring in good fortune. 節分(せつぶん) (Setsubun)  is one of the most well-known spring events for Japanese people. In this article, you will understand how to enjoy Setsubun and all about Setsubun’s rules, culture, and history! Justina I know about throwing beans during Setsubun! Actually, Japanese people do many things other than throwing beans during Setsubun! Atsuya What does 節分(せつぶん)  (Setsubun) mean? The original meaning of 節分(せつぶん) (Setsubun) is “the day before the equinox or ...

あんこ餅 (もち)(Ankomochi), お団子(だんご) (odango), たい焼(や)き (taiyaki), and まんじゅう (manju). In Japan, these delicious treats tempt people into their sweet and yummy traps all the time! People who love sweets are called “甘党 (あまとう)(Amato)”. In this article we are going to learn how to say sweet tooth in Japanese! We will also learn about other Japanese words related to sweet tooth! 甘党(あまとう)(Amato) 甘党(あまとう) (Amato) is a person who likes eating sweets more than drinking alcohol. So it is similar to the meaning of sweet tooth in English! Recently, 甘党(あまとう) is just used for people who like sweets, but the correct way ...

Cats are the best animal in the world. Everyone loves cats. They are cute, sweet, and make us feel warm and fuzzy. As almost all languages have cat words and cat idioms, Japanese has many words and idioms which have “cat" (猫(ねこ)) in them, too. Some of them are understandable out of the Japanese context, but some of them are based on Japanese cultural ideas for cats. In this article, we are going to learn 7 cat words and cat idioms which Japanese natives are using in real life! -Cat Words-猫ねこのつく言葉ことば 猫舌(ねこじた)(Neko-jita) 猫(ねこ) (Neko) means “cat” and 舌 (した)(jita) means ...