JAPANESE LANGUAGE
Why Do Japanese People Say That Chinese Sounds “Scary”?
A recent social media discussion that could have turned dicey instead became a referendum on a single Chinese particle.
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JAPANESE LANGUAGE
TRAVEL
How Much Japanese Do You REALLY Need to Know to Visit Japan?
This is a question most travelers to Japan want to know. The answer is less about memorizing vocab and more about how…
INSIDER
How Kusama Yayoi’s Death Puts a Spotlight on Japan’s “Whiteness Problem”
The death of Japanese artist Kusama Yayoi prompted many English-language social media users to revisit her racist screeds. Japanese users, for the…
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
How Higashino Keigo Improved My Japanese
In the wake of the beloved author's death, our author shares how Higashino Keigo's accessible writing made his own Japanese better.
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
Japanese Social Media Auto-Translation: a Blessing, or a Curse?
Is auto-translation on Japanese social media breaking language barriers or creating new problems? We look at the illusion of certainty and its…
TRAVEL
Why AI Translation Makes For An Awkward Japan Trip
More tourists report using AI translation - even though many admit it sucks. Here are better alternatives than talking through a machine.
ENTERTAINMENT
Dazai Osamu Wants Us To Feel Less Alone
A new collection of the Japanese author's short stories in English comes as he enjoys a resurgence thanks to BookTok and anime.
SEX & NIGHTLIFE
Japan’s Biggest Maid Cafe Uses New Tech to Break Down Language Barriers
At Home Cafe hopes to better accommodate foreign tourists as well as deaf customers using a visualization device from a Japanese company.