The Nihongo Master Blog

Learn interesting topics about Japanese language, entertainment, culture and more.

• 25 Japanese Words to Know for Matsuri Season

  The majority of Japanese festivals happen during the summer months, so summer is known as festival season in Japan! Some of Japan’s biggest festivals occur during summer, including Obon and Tanabata. Festival in Japanese is matsuri (まつり)...

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• 10 Symbols of Summer in Japanese Culture

  Summer, known as 夏 (なつ), is filled with tradition and culture in Japan. As a country that has hot summers, Japan has learned to adapt. Summer has become a time of fun and festivities with many ways to beat the heat! Here are some common...

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• The Importance of Marine Day in Japanese Culture

  Celebrate Marine Day with 50% OFF all Nihongo Master subscriptions with the discount code MARINEDAY when you sign up here! Marine Day (海の日, うみのひ) is a national Japanese holiday that occurs annually on the third Monday in July. The ho...

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• Celebrating Tanabata, the Star Festival

  Tanabata (たなばた), also known as the Star Festival (星祭り, ほしまつり), is an annual festival held throughout Japan. The holiday is traditionally celebrated on the “seventh day of the seventh month." However, this date can vary depe...

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• Basic Japanese Grammar: Asking and Giving Permission with てもいい

  One of the most important grammar points is asking and giving permission. The way to do that is by using the phrase “te mo ii” (てもいい). If you ask me how often I use it, I’d say pretty often. If it’s not me using it, it’s me hearing it b...

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• Try These 4 Unique Eateries in Japan!

  We all love food, don’t we? I bet a lot of us are huge Japanese food lovers, as well! I assume we’re all also experts on the types of Japanese food out there, so that’s why this article isn’t about that at all. We’re actually here to look a...

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• Top 4 Activities On Your Japan Travel Bucket List!

  As the world slowly opens up again, we’re hoping Japan is going to open up its borders, too. In fact, there are rumours that we might be able to travel for leisure to the Land of the Rising Sun as soon as the end of the year! So to get your...

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• Basic Japanese Grammar: Step-By-Step Guide to the て-Form!

  One of the most important conjugations in the Japanese language is the te (て) form. You need it for a lot of other conjugations. So if you don’t master the te form, you can’t really get into a lot of other grammar points. In our Season 4 E...

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• Rainy Season in Japanese Culture

  The rainy season is an annual occurrence throughout Japan. The dates of the rainy season vary throughout the country, but on average, it occurs from June to July. Subtropical places such as Okinawa have an early rainy season from the beginn...

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• Sanja Matsuri: What Is It and How to Celebrate?

  Summer is one of the most anticipated seasons worldwide. In Japan, as well, many look forward to the warmer weather. Summer in Japan is one of the most exciting times of the year. One festival that kicks off the start of the summer season i...

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