Japanese Language

Group Promoting Latin Characters for Japanese Writing Gives Up

Earlier this year, a group that aimed to replace the Japanese writing system with the Latin alphabet admitted defeat.

Egui: One Japanese Word’s Journey from “Awful” to “Awesome!”

"Egui" in Japanese used to have a thoroughly negative meaning. Not anymore. Here's when - and why - that changed.

The 10 Hardest “Kira Kira” Japanese Names to Pronounce

Some Japanese parents love having fun with kanji (much to their kids' eventual regret). Can you pronounce these 10 "kira-kira" names?

Google Translate Fail: Japan Restaurant Tells Customers “Go Away” in Korean

A Korean restaurant in Japan used Google Translate to greet its customers in Korean. They should've just asked an actual Korean person...

Japan’s Hot New Buzzwords Tell the Story of 2022

The hottest new words and phrases of 2022 tell a story of political and economic upheaval, as well as a tale of foxes and baseball gods.

In Aichi, This Japanese “Dirty” Word Means Something Different

Dialects are fun. But in the case of this one word from Aichi Prefecture, they can also lead to some hilarious misunderstandings...

New App Promises Greater Convenience in Reading Old Japanese Cursive

Kuzushiji, the “crushed letters” found in historical Japanese documents, have long been the bane of scholars. A new app may change all that.

Japanese Language School That Padlocked Student Gets Stiff Penalty

The government of Japan sanctions a language school for its horrific treatment of a student - but the school's fighting back.

What Japan’s Hot New Buzzwords of 2021 Tell Us

A hot YouTube song, gender equality, and the head of the International Olympic Committee all made 2021's list of Japanese buzzwords. Which word took home the grand prize?

Japanese Language

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