Japan feels like the future and a time capsule at the same time. One minute you tap a card and glide through a gate like a spy. The next minute you are digging for coins like it is the nineteen…

Tokyo is romantic and chaotic in the same hour. Neon rivers, perfect cafes, and then your brain freezes the moment you try to book a date style service in Japanese. I tried it once to learn social Japanese and see…

Tokyo moves fast. Teens in Harajuku invent a word at lunch and it shows up on TV by dinner. If you rely only on textbook Japanese, normal chats can feel like decoding a secret stream. I learned this the awkward…

(And Why I Once Ended Up with a Whole Chicken…) Have you ever tried to order food in another country and ended up with something completely different from what you wanted? Yeah… same here. Japan is magical—from bullet trains to…

Okay, listen. I didn’t think I’d ever write a love letter to mayonnaise. But here we are. Specifically, Japanese mayo — also known as Kewpie, aka that cute little bottle with the creepy-cute naked baby on it. If you’ve ever…

Have you ever wondered what Mario Kart sounds like in Japanese? Or maybe, like me, you impulsively bought a Japanese version of the game and now find yourself staring at the screen, completely lost? Don’t worry—I’ve been there, and I’m…

So, you’ve decided to learn Japanese? Sugoi! (That means “amazing!” in case you didn’t know.) Whether you’re trying to impress your friends, prep for your dream Japan trip, or just add another skill to your ever-growing list of hobbies (because…

Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to say thank you in Japanese, but your brain short-circuited and you just awkwardly nodded instead? Maybe you panicked and blurted out “Arigato gozaimasu!” with way too much enthusiasm, making…