The Nihongo Master Blog

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

• Basic Japanese Grammar: Expressing Superlatives with 一番, もっとも and 最〜

  This article will cover a grammar point that is super easy, ridiculously quick to learn and basically the best for a laid-back study sesh. Can you guess by the hints I’m dropping? In our Season 4 Episode 15 of the Nihongo Master Podcast, we...

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• Pride Events and LGBT Spaces in Japan

  In recent months, Tokyo has announced that it will begin recognizing same-sex relationships. This would allow same-sex couples hospital visitation and the ability to rent apartments together. Unfortunately, Japan is still not recognizing sa...

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• 14 Fun Facts About Anime

  Anime is popular worldwide, but we’re sure there are some facts about anime that most people don’t know! Here are 14 fun facts about anime you might not know!

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• Basic Japanese Grammar: Expressing Hope with ばいい, たらいい, といい, ならいい

  All of us have hopes and dreams, and don’t we want to express them? In our Season 4 Episode 8 of the Nihongo Master Podcast, we looked at how to say “I hope…” or “it’ll be good if…” in Japanese. When I first started learning Japanese, I rea...

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• 40 Japanese Words for Pride Month

  Pride month is here! To celebrate LGBT communities around the world, let's learn some LGBT terms in Japanese. First off, the term for sexual orientation is 性的指向 (せいてきしこう, seiteki shikō). The concept of different sexual orientatio...

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• What is Japanese Idol Culture?

  What is Japanese Idol Culture? What goes into becoming a Japanese idol and how do these Japanese idol groups maintain so much influence in Japanese culture?

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• Basic Japanese: Too Much & Not Enough (すぎる・足りない・十分〜ない)

  In our Season 4 Episode 4 of the Nihongo Master Podcast, we looked at the ways to say “too much” and “not enough” in Japanese as part of our Study Saturday Language Series. I remembered the times I went somewhere in Japan and needed to expr...

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• Basic Japanese: Asking and Receiving Directions

  In one of our Study Saturday language series episodes on the Nihongo Master Podcast, Season 4 Episode 6, we looked at directions in Japanese. This is one of the basic Japanese knowledge that one should master when starting out with learning...

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• Basic Japanese Grammar: Making Comparisons (の方が・より・ほど)

  As part of our Study Saturday language series on the Nihongo Master Podcast, we cover bite-sized language pointers in a fun and easy way. It’s formatted just like our online learning system: : we’ll go through the grammar point, then have a...

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• Japanese Cinema Finally Goes To The Oscars

  Last year 9.8 million people watched the American Academy Awards on television. This prestigious ceremony celebrates the hard work and dedication that actors, directors, writers and film crews put into the movies they create together. Howev...

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