Speaking Tests (313) | Japan Culture Navi

ArtsEssential geiko芸者と舞妓professional entertainers trained in dance, music and hosting

BuddhismEssential ohakamairiお墓参りvisiting the family grave

BuddhismEssential Buddhism in Japan日本の仏教how Buddhism arrived, changed, and ended up handling funerals

ClothingEssential kimono着物the traditional Japanese garment

ConceptsEssential okagesama deおかげさまでthanks to you and to unseen help

ConceptsEssential omotenashiおもてなしJapanese hospitality

ConceptsEssential otagaisamaお互いさまwe all need help sometimes, so no debt is owed

ConceptsEssential jankenじゃんけんrock-paper-scissors, used by adults to decide almost anything

ConceptsEssential mottainaiもったいないwhat a waste

ConceptsEssential aisatsu挨拶greetings as a social duty

ConceptsEssential the three Japanese scripts漢字・ひらがな・カタカナwhy Japanese is written with three writing systems at once

ConceptsEssential kansai-ben関西弁the dialect spoken around Osaka and Kyoto

ConceptsEssential omoiyari思いやりimagining how the other person feels

ConceptsEssential nanakorobi yaoki七転び八起きfall seven times, get up eight

ConceptsEssential deru kui wa utareru出る杭は打たれるthe stake that sticks out gets hammered down

ConceptsEssential senpai and kohai先輩・後輩seniors and juniors

CraftsEssential kintsugi金継ぎrepairing broken pottery with lacquer and gold

CraftsEssential origami折り紙paper folding

Annual EventsEssential osechiおせち料理the New Year food packed in stacked boxes

Annual EventsEssential oshogatsuお正月the Japanese New Year

Annual EventsEssential obonお盆the summer festival for returning ancestors

Annual EventsEssential kodomo no hiこどもの日Children's Day and the carp streamers

Annual EventsEssential white dayホワイトデーMarch 14, the return gift for Valentine's Day

Annual EventsEssential hanami花見cherry blossom viewing

Annual EventsEssential matsuri祭りa local festival

Annual EventsEssential hatsumode初詣the first shrine visit of the year

Annual EventsEssential hinamatsuri雛祭りthe doll festival on March 3rd

Annual EventsEssential omisoka大晦日New Year's Eve in Japan

Annual EventsEssential christmas japan日本のクリスマスChristmas as a couples' night with fried chicken

Annual EventsEssential mothers day and fathers day母の日と父の日how Japan observes the two imported family days

Annual EventsEssential bonenkai忘年会the year-end party to forget the year

FolkloreEssential Urashima Taro浦島太郎the fisherman who spends three days under the sea and returns three hundred years later

FolkloreEssential engi縁起whether something is considered lucky or unlucky

FolkloreEssential enmusubi縁結びmatchmaking, or bringing people together through fate

FolkloreEssential eto干支the twelve-year cycle of zodiac animals

FolkloreEssential senbazuru千羽鶴a thousand folded cranes, given as a wish for recovery or peace

FolkloreEssential Momotaro桃太郎the boy born from a peach who goes to fight demons

FolkloreEssential Japanese folk tales日本の昔話the handful of stories every Japanese child grows up knowing

Food & DrinkEssential unagiうなぎfreshwater eel, grilled and glazed

Food & DrinkEssential onigiriおにぎりa rice ball with a filling

Food & DrinkEssential ochazukeお茶漬けrice with tea or broth poured over it

Food & DrinkEssential katsudonカツ丼the pork cutlet rice bowl students eat before an exam

Food & DrinkEssential beer gardenビアガーデンthe rooftop beer gardens that open only for the summer

Food & DrinkEssential manjuまんじゅうthe steamed bun filled with sweet bean paste

Food & DrinkEssential ichiju sansai一汁三菜one soup and three dishes, the standard shape of a Japanese meal

Food & DrinkEssential nori海苔the sheets of dried seaweed used for rice balls and sushi rolls

Food & DrinkEssential katsuobushi鰹節dried, smoked and fermented bonito, shaved into flakes for stock

Food & DrinkEssential konbu昆布the kelp that gives Japanese stock its savory depth

Food & DrinkEssential zoni雑煮the New Year soup with rice cakes in it

Food & DrinkEssential oyakodon親子丼chicken and egg on rice, and the name nobody expects

Food & DrinkEssential daifuku大福the pounded rice cake wrapped around sweet bean paste

Food & DrinkEssential kome米rice as the center of the meal

Food & DrinkEssential miso味噌fermented soybean paste

Food & DrinkEssential tamagoyaki卵焼きthe rolled omelette, sweet or savory depending on where you are

Food & DrinkEssential washoku和食traditional Japanese cuisine

MannersEssential ojigiお辞儀bowing

MannersEssential sumimasenすみませんsorry / excuse me / thank you

MannersEssential eshaku会釈the small nod-bow used in passing

MannersEssential train etiquette電車の中のマナーwhy Japanese trains are so quiet

MannersEssential men wo susuru oto麺をすする音slurping noodles out loud

MannersEssential queueing列に並ぶwhy Japanese queues are so orderly

Modern JapanEssential family restaurantファミリーレストランthe all-purpose chain restaurant, and the drink bar

Seasons & NatureEssential koyo紅葉autumn leaves, and going to look at them

Seasons & NatureEssential shiki四季the four seasons, as Japan talks about them

Onsen & BathEssential onsen温泉a natural hot spring bath

Onsen & BathEssential yubune ni tsukaru湯船につかるsoaking in the tub rather than just showering

PlacesEssential the Great Buddha of Kamakura鎌倉の大仏the bronze Buddha that sits outdoors because its hall was destroyed

PlacesEssential Gion祇園と花街the old Kyoto quarter where geiko and maiko still work

PlacesEssential kyoto京都the capital for a thousand years, and how to explain it

PlacesEssential Kinkakuji金閣寺the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto

PlacesEssential Ginkakuji銀閣寺the Silver Pavilion in Kyoto, which has no silver on it

PlacesEssential Itsukushima Shrine厳島神社the shrine built over the sea, with a torii gate standing in the water

PlacesEssential Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park広島と平和記念公園the park in the middle of Hiroshima built where the city was destroyed

PlacesEssential Kokyo皇居と二重橋where the Emperor lives, on the site of Edo Castle

PlacesEssential Akihabara秋葉原the Tokyo district that went from radio parts to anime

PlacesEssential the Shibuya scramble crossing渋谷スクランブル交差点the all-way pedestrian crossing outside Shibuya Station

PlacesEssential Kiyomizudera清水寺the Kyoto temple with a wooden stage built out over a hillside

PlacesEssential Asakusa浅草the old temple district in eastern Tokyo

PlacesEssential osaka大阪the merchant city, and how it differs from Tokyo

PlacesEssential Tokyo Tower東京タワーthe red and white broadcasting tower built in 1958

PlacesEssential Todaiji東大寺と奈良の大仏the Nara temple housing a 15-meter bronze Buddha in a vast wooden hall

PlacesEssential the deer of Nara Park奈良公園の鹿the wild deer that roam a city park in Nara

PlacesEssential Shirakawago白川郷the mountain village of steep thatched farmhouses

PlacesEssential Hakone箱根the hot spring area in the mountains west of Tokyo

PlacesEssential Himeji Castle姫路城the white castle in Hyogo, the best-preserved original keep in Japan

PlacesEssential Mount Fuji富士山Japan's highest mountain, an active volcano and a World Cultural Heritage site

PlacesEssential Fushimi Inari Taisha伏見稲荷大社the Kyoto shrine with thousands of vermilion torii gates up a mountain

PlacesEssential Meiji Jingu明治神宮the Tokyo shrine set in a forest that was planted from nothing

PlacesEssential Arashiyama嵐山the district of western Kyoto with the bridge, the temple garden and the bamboo path

School LifeEssential kyushoku給食school lunch

School LifeEssential school cleaning掃除students cleaning their own school

ShintoEssential Shinto神道Japan's indigenous way of relating to spirits in nature and ancestors

ShintoEssential mikoshi神輿the portable shrine carried through the streets at a festival

ShintoEssential mushukyo無宗教saying you have no religion while keeping its customs

ArtsStandard shishimai獅子舞the lion dance that bites your head for luck

ArtsStandard shakuhachi尺八the bamboo flute once played by wandering monks

ArtsStandard suibokuga水墨画ink painting in black and white, brought by Zen monks

ArtsStandard senryu川柳the comic cousin of haiku, about people rather than nature

ArtsStandard sado茶道the way of tea

ArtsStandard choju giga鳥獣戯画the twelfth-century animal scrolls often called Japan's first manga

ArtsStandard nihon buyo日本舞踊classical Japanese dance, largely grown out of kabuki

BuddhismStandard ofuseお布施the money offered to a priest, with no stated price

Martial ArtsStandard keiko稽古training in a traditional art or martial art

Martial ArtsStandard shiko四股the sumo leg-raising movement, done as training and as a rite

Martial ArtsStandard Shorinji Kempo少林寺拳法a Japanese martial art founded in 1947, different from Chinese Shaolin kung fu

Martial ArtsStandard seiza and mokuso正座と黙想kneeling and the short silent sitting at the start and end of practice

Martial ArtsStandard shinai and bogu竹刀と防具the bamboo sword and protective armor used in kendo

Martial ArtsStandard dohyo土俵the raised clay ring a sumo bout is fought in

Martial ArtsStandard rei ni hajimari rei ni owaru礼に始まり礼に終わるit begins with a bow and ends with a bow

ClothingStandard kanzashiかんざしan ornamental hairpin worn with traditional Japanese hairstyles

ClothingStandard gakuseifuku学生服the classic Japanese school uniform: the stand-collar jacket and the sailor blouse

ClothingStandard kimono motifs着物の柄と文様the symbolism behind cranes, waves and other patterns woven or dyed into kimono

ConceptsStandard ichigo ichie一期一会one time, one meeting

ConceptsStandard en縁the connection between people that brings them together

ConceptsStandard on恩a debt of gratitude that you carry and repay

ConceptsStandard konjo根性grit, and the training culture built around it

ConceptsStandard sassuru察するworking out what someone means without being told

ConceptsStandard mizu ni nagasu水に流すletting the past wash away

ConceptsStandard sekentei世間体how you look to the people around you

ConceptsStandard mujo無常the impermanence of everything

ConceptsStandard buzzword of the year流行語大賞the annual award for new words, and what it really measures

ConceptsStandard wa和harmony as the thing a group protects

ConceptsStandard sontaku忖度acting on what you guess a superior wants, without being told

ConceptsStandard kizuna絆the bond between people who will not let go of each other

CraftsStandard maki-e蒔絵lacquer decoration made by sprinkling gold or silver powder onto wet lacquer

CraftsStandard yakimono no sanchi焼き物の産地the pottery towns that each make a distinct kind of ware

CraftsStandard shokunin職人the craftsman, as an identity

CraftsStandard ningen kokuho人間国宝a Living National Treasure, a state-certified master of a traditional art or craft

Annual EventsStandard otsukimiお月見moon viewing in autumn

Annual EventsStandard Sapporo Snow Festivalさっぽろ雪まつりthe February festival of giant snow sculptures in Sapporo

Annual EventsStandard supotsu no hiスポーツの日Sports Day, the second Monday of October

Annual EventsStandard umi no hi海の日Marine Day, the third Monday of July

Annual EventsStandard kanto matsuri竿燈まつりthe Akita festival of lantern poles balanced on one hand

Annual EventsStandard kinro kansha no hi勤労感謝の日Labor Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd

Annual EventsStandard kenkoku kinen no hi建国記念の日National Foundation Day, February 11th

Annual EventsStandard kenpo kinenbi憲法記念日Constitution Memorial Day, May 3rd

Annual EventsStandard yama no hi山の日Mountain Day, August 11th, Japan's newest public holiday

Annual EventsStandard tanabata七夕the star festival

Annual EventsStandard shochu mimai暑中見舞いthe midsummer greeting card

Annual EventsStandard Showa Day and Greenery Day昭和の日とみどりの日the two late-April holidays that swapped names and dates

Annual EventsStandard new year games正月の遊びthe traditional games played at New Year

Annual EventsStandard tenno tanjobi天皇誕生日the Emperor's Birthday, a holiday whose date changes with the reign

Annual EventsStandard toro nagashi灯籠流しfloating lanterns for the dead

Annual EventsStandard nijushi sekki二十四節気the twenty-four solar terms of the traditional calendar

Annual EventsStandard bunka no hi文化の日Culture Day, November 3rd

Annual EventsStandard kadomatsu門松the pine and bamboo arrangement placed at the door for the New Year

FolkloreStandard Kaguya-himeかぐや姫the girl found in a bamboo stalk who returns to the moon

FolkloreStandard darumaだるまthe round wish doll with no eyes

FolkloreStandard ichifuji nitaka sannasubi一富士二鷹三茄子the traditional ranking of lucky first-dream images: Mount Fuji, a hawk, an eggplant

FolkloreStandard chabashira ga tatsu茶柱が立つa tea stem standing upright in your cup, a small good-luck sign

Food & DrinkStandard anpanあんぱんthe sweet bean bun that made bread Japanese

Food & DrinkStandard gotochi gourmetご当地グルメlocal specialty foods, and the towns that market them

Food & DrinkStandard sashisusesoさしすせそthe order in which the five basic seasonings go into a Japanese dish

Food & DrinkStandard champonちゃんぽんthe Nagasaki noodle dish invented for Chinese students

Food & DrinkStandard monjayakiもんじゃ焼きthe runny Tokyo griddle dish you eat straight off the hotplate

Food & DrinkStandard kaiseki懐石料理the formal multi-course meal, and the two different things called kaiseki

Food & DrinkStandard amazake甘酒the sweet rice drink, with and without alcohol

Food & DrinkStandard ehomaki恵方巻the uncut sushi roll eaten facing a set direction at Setsubun

Food & DrinkStandard shokuhin loss食品ロスfood that could have been eaten but was thrown away

Food & DrinkStandard ishiyakiimo石焼き芋sweet potatoes roasted in hot stones, sold from a truck

Food & DrinkStandard japanese whisky日本のウイスキーhow Japan started making whisky, and why the old bottles vanished

Food & DrinkStandard umeshu梅酒plum liqueur, and the one alcohol Japanese households legally make

Food & DrinkStandard miso dengaku味噌田楽tofu or vegetables on skewers, grilled with sweet miso

Food & DrinkStandard hiyashi chuka冷やし中華the cold noodle dish that appears for one season only

HistoryStandard the Battle of Sekigahara関ヶ原の戦いthe 1600 battle that decided who would rule Japan for 265 years

HistoryStandard the Great Kanto Earthquake関東大震災the 1923 earthquake and fires that destroyed Tokyo and Yokohama

HistoryStandard kurofune黒船the American warships that forced Japan to open its ports in 1853

HistoryStandard terakoya寺子屋the neighborhood schools of the Edo period

HistoryStandard the lost decades失われた30年the long stagnation after the bubble

HistoryStandard the tale of the heike平家物語the war tale about the fall of a clan, recited to the lute

HistoryStandard manyoshu万葉集Japan's oldest surviving poetry collection

Life EventsStandard omiaiお見合いan introduction with marriage in mind

Life EventsStandard seijinshiki成人式the coming-of-age ceremony

Life EventsStandard married surnames夫婦の姓why couples must share one name

MannersStandard senjitsu wa domo先日はどうもthanking someone again next time

MannersStandard answering the phone電話の受け方phone manners at a Japanese company

Modern JapanStandard gender gapジェンダーギャップwhy Japan ranks low on gender equality despite high education levels

Modern JapanStandard barrier freeバリアフリーaccessibility in Japan, and the yellow tactile paving it invented

Modern JapanStandard furusato nozeiふるさと納税donating to another town and having it deducted from your own tax

Modern JapanStandard point economyポイント経済why everyone in Japan is asked for a point card

Modern JapanStandard yakuzaヤクザorganized crime in Japan, and why the offices have nameplates

Modern JapanStandard hikikomori引きこもりlong-term withdrawal from society

Modern JapanStandard karoshi過労死death from overwork, and the law Japan wrote because of it

Modern JapanStandard kaigo介護long-term care, and the insurance system behind it

Modern JapanStandard foreign workers外国人労働者how Japan brings in workers from abroad

Modern JapanStandard weather warnings気象警報Japan's tiered warning system and what each level means

Modern JapanStandard keikaku unkyu計画運休shutting down the trains before the storm arrives

Modern JapanStandard kokumin kaihoken国民皆保険the public health insurance everyone in Japan is required to join

Modern JapanStandard working from home在宅勤務why remote work spread and then shrank again in Japan

Modern JapanStandard women at work女性の就業where women's employment in Japan stands

Modern JapanStandard consumption tax消費税Japan's sales tax, its rises, and the reduced rate

Modern JapanStandard population decline人口減少と過疎a shrinking, aging country

Modern JapanStandard smoking rules分煙where you can and cannot smoke in Japan

Modern JapanStandard whaling捕鯨why Japan resumed commercial whaling, and how little whale is actually eaten

Modern JapanStandard takarakuji宝くじthe public lottery, and why the prize is tax-free

Modern JapanStandard mahjong麻雀the four-player tile game, and where it sits legally

Modern JapanStandard lost and found落とし物why lost things come back in Japan

Modern JapanStandard tachinomi立ち飲みthe standing bar, where you drink fast and cheap

Seasons & NatureStandard satoyama里山the managed woodland between the village and the mountain

PlacesStandard yokohama横浜the fishing village that became Japan's door to the West

PlacesStandard Yakushima屋久島the southern island of ancient cedars and constant rain

PlacesStandard kanazawa金沢the castle town that escaped the bombing, and its gold leaf

PlacesStandard Ginza銀座the expensive shopping district named after a silver mint

PlacesStandard karuizawa軽井沢the highland resort that began as a missionary's summer escape

PlacesStandard Kenrokuen兼六園the Kanazawa garden named for the six qualities a perfect garden should have

PlacesStandard Takayama高山the mountain town in Gifu with preserved merchant streets and festival floats

PlacesStandard koyasan高野山the mountain monastery where you can stay the night

PlacesStandard sakurajima桜島the active volcano that drops ash on a city of 600,000

PlacesStandard Sanjusangendo三十三間堂the 120-meter hall in Kyoto holding 1,001 statues of Kannon

PlacesStandard shikoku pilgrimage四国八十八ヶ所the 1,200-kilometer circuit of eighty-eight temples

PlacesStandard Shurijo首里城と沖縄the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom in Okinawa

PlacesStandard Kinosaki Onsen城崎温泉a hot spring town in northern Hyogo known for its seven public bathhouses

PlacesStandard kobe神戸the port city between mountain and sea, rebuilt after an earthquake

PlacesStandard kusatsu onsen草津温泉the strongly acidic hot spring with the wooden cooling ritual

PlacesStandard Adachi Museum of Art足立美術館the Shimane museum whose garden is viewed like a painting, not walked in

PlacesStandard Nagasaki and Dejima長崎と出島the port that was Japan's only window to Europe, and the second atomic bombing

PlacesStandard Tokyo Skytree東京スカイツリーthe 634-meter broadcasting tower in eastern Tokyo

PlacesStandard Tokyo Station東京駅の駅舎the red brick station building of 1914, restored in 2012

PlacesStandard dogo onsen道後温泉one of Japan's oldest hot springs, and its wooden bathhouse

PlacesStandard Nijojo二条城the Kyoto castle where the shogun gave power back to the Emperor

PlacesStandard Nikko Toshogu日光東照宮the shrine where Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined, covered in carvings

PlacesStandard Nihon Sankei日本三景the three famous views of Japan, chosen in the seventeenth century

PlacesStandard atami熱海the hot spring town that collapsed and came back

PlacesStandard fukuoka福岡the city closest to the continent, and its street food stalls

PlacesStandard Byodoin平等院鳳凰堂the eleventh-century temple hall on the ten-yen coin

PlacesStandard Beppu and Yufuin別府と湯布院the biggest hot spring town in Japan and the quiet one next to it

PlacesStandard beppu onsen別府温泉the town with the most hot spring water in Japan

PlacesStandard nagoya名古屋the industrial city between Tokyo and Osaka, with its own food

PlacesStandard Arima Onsen有馬温泉the old hot spring town in the hills behind Kobe

Pop CultureStandard esportseスポーツcompetitive gaming in Japan

Pop CultureStandard mukashi no asobi昔の遊びthe pre-electronic children's games still taught in schools

Pop CultureStandard Japanese film日本映画Japanese cinema, then and now

School LifeStandard shugaku ryoko修学旅行the school trip everyone goes on

School LifeStandard naishinten内申点the school's internal assessment that counts toward high school entry

School LifeStandard entrance and graduation ceremonies入学式と卒業式the formal ceremonies that open and close a school year

School LifeStandard bukatsu no intai部活の引退leaving your school club after the last tournament

School LifeStandard hokenshitsu保健室the school nurse's room, which is also a refuge

ShintoStandard Gion Matsuri祇園祭the month-long Kyoto festival that began as a rite against plague

ShintoStandard yakubarai厄払いthe shrine rite performed in an unlucky year of life

Work CultureStandard harassmentハラスメントworkplace harassment and the law against it

Work CultureStandard bonusボーナスthe twice-yearly lump-sum pay

Work CultureStandard shain ryoko社員旅行the company trip

Work CultureStandard settai接待entertaining clients

Work CultureStandard tenkin転勤company-ordered relocation

Work CultureStandard haken派遣社員agency temp workers

ArtsAdvanced kumiodori組踊Okinawan musical theater, created for Chinese envoys

ArtsAdvanced biwa琵琶the lute that carried Japan's war tales

BuddhismAdvanced Buddhist schools in Japan宗派の違いthe main branches of Japanese Buddhism and how they differ

BuddhismAdvanced mandala曼荼羅a diagram of the Buddhist universe used in esoteric ritual and meditation

Martial ArtsAdvanced osu押忍the all-purpose word shouted in martial arts dojos

Martial ArtsAdvanced dojo-yaburi道場破りthe movie trope of a stranger challenging a rival dojo to a duel

ClothingAdvanced kimono formality着物の格the ranking that decides which kimono may be worn where

ClothingAdvanced seasonal kimono rules着物の季節の決まりlined, unlined and sheer kimono, and when each is worn

ConceptsAdvanced kejimeけじめdrawing a clear line between one thing and another

ConceptsAdvanced kachofugetsu花鳥風月flower, bird, wind and moon

ConceptsAdvanced ma間the meaningful gap

ConceptsAdvanced kotodama言霊the belief that spoken words carry power

ConceptsAdvanced sanpo yoshi三方よしgood for the seller, the buyer and society

ConceptsAdvanced shu ha ri守破離the three stages of learning a traditional art

ConceptsAdvanced shoshin wasuru bekarazu初心忘るべからずnever forget how you began

ConceptsAdvanced iki粋the understated stylishness of Edo townspeople

ConceptsAdvanced yugen幽玄depth that is felt rather than shown

CraftsAdvanced denden daikoでんでん太鼓the pellet drum you shake to quiet a baby

CraftsAdvanced katana kaji刀鍛冶the swordsmiths who still forge Japanese blades by hand

CraftsAdvanced the mingei movement民芸運動the 1926 movement that found beauty in everyday objects made by unnamed craftspeople

CraftsAdvanced Kiso hinoki木曽のひのきprized cypress from a valley protected by a harsh Edo-era logging law

CraftsAdvanced Wajima-nuri輪島塗the lacquerware of Wajima, built up in over a hundred separate steps

Annual EventsAdvanced zassetsu雑節Japan's own seasonal markers, added to the imported calendar

Annual EventsAdvanced junisan mairi十三参りthe shrine visit at thirteen

Annual EventsAdvanced jusanya十三夜the second moon-viewing night, about a month after the harvest moon

Annual EventsAdvanced hatsuyume初夢the first dream of the year, and what it is said to foretell

FolkloreAdvanced ushimitsu doki丑三つ時the dead of night, around two in the morning, when spirits were said to appear

Food & DrinkAdvanced tokorotenところてんseaweed jelly pushed into noodles, sweet in the west and sour in the east

Food & DrinkAdvanced yakatabune屋形船the roofed boat you eat and drink on

Food & DrinkAdvanced kuri kinton栗きんとんtwo different sweets with the same name

HistoryAdvanced kimigayo君が代the national anthem, and why it is argued about

HistoryAdvanced jinrikisha人力車the two-wheeled passenger cart Japan invented and exported

HistoryAdvanced hidden christians潜伏キリシタンthe Christians who kept the faith through 250 years of prohibition

HistoryAdvanced teppo denrai鉄砲伝来the arrival of the matchlock gun in 1543 and how fast Japan copied it

HistoryAdvanced cultural property system文化財の制度how Japan designates national treasures and protects its heritage

Home & LivingAdvanced ranma欄間the carved panel above the sliding doors

Life EventsAdvanced eitai kuyo永代供養the temple keeping your grave when nobody is left to

Life EventsAdvanced sankotsu散骨scattering ashes at sea, and the rules around it

Modern JapanAdvanced the Ainuアイヌthe indigenous people of northern Japan, recognized in law only in 2019

Modern JapanAdvanced gateballゲートボールthe team game invented in Japan for children, now played by the old

Modern JapanAdvanced US bases in Okinawa沖縄の米軍基地why most US military facilities in Japan are on one small island

Modern JapanAdvanced technical intern training技能実習と育成就労the foreign worker program Japan is replacing after years of criticism

Modern JapanAdvanced textbook screening教科書検定と歴史認識how Japanese textbooks are approved, and why neighboring countries react

Modern JapanAdvanced nuclear power in Japan原発と再稼働what happened to Japan's reactors after 2011, and where policy stands now

Modern JapanAdvanced kodokushi孤独死dying alone and not being found

Modern JapanAdvanced imperial succession皇位継承who can become emperor, and the shortage of people who qualify

Modern JapanAdvanced capital punishment死刑why Japan still has capital punishment, and how it is carried out

Modern JapanAdvanced juminhyo住民票the address registration that everything else depends on

Modern JapanAdvanced shogakukin奨学金the word that means scholarship but usually means student loan

Modern JapanAdvanced taiki jido待機児童children on the waiting list for daycare

Modern JapanAdvanced same-sex marriage同性婚why Japan has partnership systems in most cities but no legal marriage

Modern JapanAdvanced refugee recognition難民認定why Japan recognizes so few refugees, and what changed in 2023

Modern JapanAdvanced immigration detention入管の収容why Japan can hold people without a time limit or a court order

Modern JapanAdvanced buraku discrimination部落差別discrimination against people linked to certain communities, based on ancestry alone

Modern JapanAdvanced Yasukuni Shrine靖国神社the Tokyo shrine for Japan's war dead, and why prime ministers' visits are disputed

Seasons & NatureAdvanced national parks国立公園Japan's national parks, where people live and work inside

Onsen & BathAdvanced konyoku混浴a mixed-sex bath, now rare

Onsen & BathAdvanced hito秘湯a remote, hard-to-reach hot spring

PlacesAdvanced Mount Aso阿蘇山the active volcano in Kyushu with fifty thousand people living inside its caldera

PlacesAdvanced Kumano Kodo熊野古道the old pilgrimage routes through the mountains south of Osaka

PlacesAdvanced gunkanjima軍艦島the abandoned coal island off Nagasaki

PlacesAdvanced seikan tunnel青函トンネルthe undersea tunnel joining Honshu and Hokkaido

PlacesAdvanced Shiretoko知床the northeastern peninsula where drift ice reaches its southern limit

PlacesAdvanced Naoshima直島the small island in the Inland Sea turned into a contemporary art site

PlacesAdvanced mozu furuichi kofun百舌鳥・古市古墳群the giant keyhole tombs you cannot go inside

ShintoAdvanced kannazuki神無月the month the gods are away

ShintoAdvanced counting kami神様の数え方why Japanese counts gods with the word for pillar

Work CultureAdvanced shukko出向being loaned to another company