TCJ Blog

When Japanese hear the word “flower,” they think of cherry blossoms (Sakura) immediately. Why do Japanese love Sakura so much? This time, I would like to introduce you to the symbol of Japan, Sakura, and the Japanese words related to it.

For Japanese learners who struggle with grammar or find it difficult to improve their scores, this article provides clear and careful explanations from the perspective of a professional Japanese teacher. It brings together essential grammar points from official textbooks, introduces effective study methods and recommended learning materials, and offers a concrete study plan to help learners successfully pass the JLPT N4.

Do you think Japan is a great sports country? Students of Japanese often tell me that “Japanese people all like baseball”. It is true that baseball has long been considered Japan’s national sport, but not everyone is interested in baseball. In addition to baseball and soccer, other popular sports include marathons, including ekiden (relay races), basketball, figure skating, and rugby, which is attracting attention for the 2019 World Cup. So what sports are popular in Japan? We will also introduce some sports that originated in Japan.

We explore concrete ways to strengthen Japanese proficiency, which is essential for the reading section of the JLPT (Japanese language proficiency test) N4. This includes overall study strategies, recommended study time, effective methods, and guidance on selecting appropriate learning materials.

When I speak to Japanese learners and ask, “What is the most difficult part of learning Japanese?” most of them say, “Keigo.” Interestingly, it’s not just Japanese learners who find honorifics challenging—even native speakers struggle with it. In fact, there are specialized textbooks on keigo specifically designed for business professionals. That’s why understanding how keigo works can give you a huge advantage in mastering Japanese. Let’s dive into the world of Japanese honorifics!