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July 24, 2026
 

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NIHONGO

Retirement can bring unexpected changes to long-established relationships, prompting some Japanese couples to adjust to new routines and a shared daily life.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 17, 2026
Japanese has a word for when your husband makes you sick
Explore Japan¡¯s ¡°husband-origin illness¡± while learning vocabulary and grammar about marriage, retirement and relationships.
Students take part in a tournament leading up to last year's Ogura Hyakunin Isshu Competitive Karuta All-Japan High School Championship.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 10, 2026
Japan¡¯s top high school ¡®karuta¡¯ players head to their own Koshien
Classical poetry meets lightning-fast reflexes in one of Japan¡¯s most unique competitions for teenagers.
The country is gradually transforming Japanese-language education from a volunteer-driven system into a professional, government-supported network to better serve its growing foreign population.?
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 2, 2026
Japanese-language education is at a turning point
Once volunteer-based, the system is shifting toward shared responsibility between local governments and trained professionals.
Watermelon is a favorite choice for beating the heat during a Japanese summer.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 26, 2026
Summer in Japan: The language and flavors of staying cool
From watermelon and shaved ice to riverside barbecues, discover how Japan stays cool while temperatures soar.
Visitors at a park in Budapest watch a traditional Japanese fencing demonstration by a classical samurai sword school during Japanese Cultural Program Day in July 2021.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 22, 2026
Is Cool Japan really the secret to soft-power success?
The part of Europe where Japanese culture is growing fastest is also where Japan has invested least.
A fortune teller in Tokyo's Yanaka district reads a client's palms.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 18, 2026
Predicting the future, one Japanese grammar point at a time
From fortune tellers to weather forecasts and prediction markets, learn how Japanese expresses uncertainty.
Before heading out to a public World Cup viewing, make sure you know the right words to support your team.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 11, 2026
The fighting words fueling support for Japan¡¯s World Cup team
Learn how Japanese expresses support, perseverance and encouragement through World Cup vocabulary and everyday phrases.
Young Japanese soccer fans get ready to cheer on their team at a training center in Monterrey, Mexico, ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Jun 11, 2026
Japanese sports terms you may hear on TV
Like in other countries, Japanese announcers are filled with colorful terms to describe what you¡¯re seeing on air.
The number of public school students requiring special Japanese-language instruction reached a record high of 84,759 in fiscal 2025.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jun 9, 2026
Japan to launch language support project for foreign children
The number of public school students requiring special Japanese-language instruction reached a record high of 84,759 in fiscal 2025.
How Japanese-language instruction is provided currently varies widely according to region.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
May 26, 2026
Record number of students in Japan need help learning Japanese
As of May 2025, a total of 84,759 students at public elementary, junior high, high and special needs schools required support, a government survey shows.
A Vietnamese migrant worker who lost her job amid the COVID-19 outbreak studies Japanese language at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo in July 2020.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 22, 2026
Beyond the native speaker myth: Who ¡®owns¡¯ the Japanese language?
As Japan considers adding language requirements to permanent residency and other visa categories, it must also reconsider what ¡°proficiency¡± means.
A mock poster uses the verb ¡°hataraku¡± in its ¡°tai¡± form to tell potential applicants ¡°we want to work with you.¡±
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 22, 2026
In Japanese, saying what you want can be complicated
From softening requests to reading others¡¯ intentions, expressions of desire in Japanese are rarely straightforward.
Even a slight brush with the law can be enough to cause reputational damage for public figures.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 15, 2026
How Japanese grammar captures the gap between legal outcomes and public judgment
Using ¡°monono¡± and ¡°ni mo kakawarazu¡± to explore contradictions between expectations and outcomes in Japanese.
Masako Suzuki (right) and Sosuke Seki, members of the plaintiff's legal team, speak to reporters Tuesday at the Tokyo District Court's press club.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
May 12, 2026
Tokyo court rejects refugee¡¯s bid for naturalization over limited Japanese skills
The case highlighted the unclear criteria foreign residents face when wanting to become a naturalized citizen in Japan, with the plaintiff¡¯s lawyers calling it a ¡°black box.¡±
Sun hats, hoodies with built-in UV protection and parasols are on the must-have lists of Japanese moms this summer.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 8, 2026
When it comes to their kids, Japanese mothers look beyond pink and blue
A look at how evolving vocabulary around fashion signals changing attitudes toward gender and function.
The government is considering creating a Japanese language program for foreign people that would be a factor in residency screenings.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Apr 29, 2026
Japan considers making language programs a factor in residency screenings
This comes in response to calls from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for measures to address problems between Japanese and foreign residents.
Under the new blue ticket system, cyclists will have one week in which to pay fines for minor traffic violations.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 24, 2026
The language around Japan¡¯s new bike rules leaves no room for ¡®maybe¡¯
Blue tickets are now being issued for minor traffic offenses, but you have to watch you don¡¯t get scammed.
Riku Miura (left) and Ryuichi Kihara celebrate in Milan after winning gold in the pair skating event.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 19, 2026
No one else will do: What a pair of figure skaters can teach us about familiarity in Japanese
An Olympic duo illustrates how honorifics and in-group dynamics can signal closeness across different contexts.
People admire the Kajimoto Family wisteria trellis during the Shindachijuku Wisteria Festival in Sennan, Osaka.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 16, 2026
After Japan¡¯s cherry blossoms fade, spring keeps blooming
The fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms gives way to a rolling season of color, vocabulary and new ways to describe change.
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average is displayed outside a securities firm in Tokyo on March 2.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 28, 2026
It¡¯s not too late ¡ª at least not when it comes to investing in Japanese stocks
Volatility meets vocabulary as common expressions shape how people think about money and timing.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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