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Let’s Talk About Japanese Cram School
I talked about My Japanese education a while back, but wasn’t able to adequately discuss Japanese cram schools(塾/juku). So, why don’t we talk about that today? Cram schools are specialized schools that...
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Using Japanese Sign Language To Improve Your Spoken Japanese
Editor’s Note: Since yesterday you learned about the history of JSL, as well as some of the movements going on around it, I thought today it would be appropriate to take a look at a guest post by...
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Learning To Drive In Japan
I came to Japan not knowing how to drive. I thought I was coming to Japan, land of superb trains. Actually, I was coming to Hokkaido, land of trains delayed by snow and deer. I made it through two...
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HELP! I Don’t Know How To ALT!
Summer is almost here, bringing with it sweltering heat, limited edition Crunky ice cream bars, and a whole new flock of ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers). Maybe your dream of coming to Japan is...
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Gotta Catch ‘Em All: Karuta!
Nintendo has been a household name in the world over for the last 30 years, and their Pokemon franchise took the world by storm in the 90s. But did you know that the multimedia Nintendo empire started...
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Introducing Introduction: Mastering Jikoshokai and the ALT Self-Intro Class
Hajimemashite! It’s nice to meet you! If you come to Japan you’re going to find yourself saying this quite often. Introductions are very important in Japanese culture. It can be seen as an extension of...
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Origami: Improving Children’s Minds One Fold at a Time
My first exposure to foreign cultures was through a Japanese classmate in kindergarten. Until then I had lived in a limited world, unaware of other cultures, countries, and the vastness of universe....
View ArticleIt’s TextFugu’s Last Sale!
It’s that time of year, again. But this time the pot is a little sweeter than usual. As is usually the case with New Years, TextFugu, our online Japanese textbook, is on sale for 50% off. Get It:...
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Why Quantity, Not Quality, Makes You Fluent In Japanese
I’d like the start this article with a quote from “Art & Fear”, a book written by David Bayles and Ted Orland. The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two...
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Improving Your Japanese Through Exercise?!
Language learners rejoice! Science has finally discovered a way to improve your mind, body and overall health – all at the same time. But fear not, this isn’t Tofugu brand snake oil. There’s nothing to...
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Why English Is Hard and Japanese Is Easy
Before all my past linguistics professors start to wail and compose angry comments, let’s get that deliberately sensationalist title out of the way: Really, no language is harder than any other...
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JET Program Japanese Study: Setting Yourself Up for Success
When you first arrive in Japan, it feels as if you’ve got all the time in the world to study. But 1-5 years can fly by fast (especially the 1). Unless you’re planning to live in Japan long term, there...
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