Tongue-twisters, those amusing expressions so artfully designed for maximum difficulty, are perfect for practicing pronunciation. The difficulty in these playful expressions arises from the rapid repetitions of easily confused sounds, producing verbal slips from the … [Read more...] about How to Improve Japanese Pronunciation with Tongue-Twisters!
Studying Japanese Through Manga: An Interview with Kumar Sivasubramanian
In which my old friend the manga translator Kumar Sivasubramanian shares how he used manga to learn Japanese, explains why manga is such a great study resource, and also gives us his personal manga-for-study recommendations. This interview was originally published on another … [Read more...] about Studying Japanese Through Manga: An Interview with Kumar Sivasubramanian
A Myriad Leaves: The Timeless Poems of the Man’yōshū
On May 1st 2019 Japan entered a new official era to mark the new emperor’s ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne. The name chosen for this era, Reiwa, uses two Chinese characters 令和, which were taken from an ancient Japanese poetry collection called the Man’yōshū. Oddly … [Read more...] about A Myriad Leaves: The Timeless Poems of the Man’yōshū
All About Wa – The Significance of the Kanji 和 in Japanese Language & Culture
If you ever live in Japan, sooner or later you are going to encounter the kanji character 和. Pronounced “wa” it is frequently used as a prefix in kanji compounds to mean “Japanese” or “Japanese style”. Here are some examples: 和紙 (washi) = Japanese paper 和歌 (waka) = a … [Read more...] about All About Wa – The Significance of the Kanji 和 in Japanese Language & Culture
Why Study Japanese: Seven Impractical Reasons
Japanese is a fascinating language, but studying it can be a challenge. Whether it’s the complex writing system, the unfamiliar sentence structure, the heavy emphasis on honorifics, or the plethora of particles, there will inevitably be times when you will feel utterly perplexed … [Read more...] about Why Study Japanese: Seven Impractical Reasons