People often ask me, “How long does it take to learn Japanese?”Every time, I’m tempted to respond with a bewildered, “What?!” in my mind.It’s not because it’s a bad question—it’s just that the question itself is rooted in a misconception. Learning a language isn’t a linear process with a fixed timeline. There are endless ways […]
Japanese Culture
A solo hike to Mount Yoshino
Mount Yoshino offers splendid views of cherry blossoms during spring. It is one of the most popular hanami 花見 (flower viewing) spots in Japan. In April 2016, on a lovely sunny day I went on a solo hike to mount Yoshino to experience senbonzakura 千本桜 (thousands of cherry trees). Although I kept a regular track […]
Manga Museums in Japan
The collection of manga books and materials available here is unparalleled. There are research reference rooms where you can get access to over 2,50,000 manga materials inclusive of international publications. There are also exhibition corners, featured sections and workshop areas.
Japan Habba 2018
It gives me immense pleasure to share the updates and photos from Japan Habba 2018 with you. This event started off in 2005 as a small Indo-Japan cultural exchange gathering and now it has grown into one of the biggest events in the city of Bengaluru. This year Japan Habba was held on 3rd of […]
The importance of Ema in Japan
What is ema? Those cute wooden votive plaques hanging outside a shrine or a temple are called ema. People tie ema for two reasons – when they are praying for something or when their wish comes true. Ema usually come with painted pictures and people just written down wishes on them before tying them up. But why its called an ema? Ema […]
How did Hiragana and Katakana originate?
If you have started learning Japanese, you might have heard by now that there were no written scripts in Japan until Kanji were introduced from China. In early Japan, people only communicated verbally and once kanji were introduced in the 5th century, chronicles, stories and poems emerged in the written form. Soon Hiragana and Katakana scripts […]
Finding India in Japan
I am talking about that feeling you get when you are walking down the streets of a foreign land and then suddenly you spot something that is connected to your motherland. It could be a restaurant that serves your country’s cuisine or a handicraft store that sells items imported from your country or anything else […]
13 Japanese words that are used in English
Even if you do not speak Japanese, you might be using Japanese words in your daily life without even knowing. Have you heard of the term ‘loanwords’ or 外来語 (gairaigo)? According to the online Oxford Dictionary, a loanword is “a word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification“. Japanese language has contributed many […]
Tenbu|天部 – Indian dēvatā who went all the way to Japan
Itsukushima shrine in Japan is popular among Japanese and foreign tourists. Its a place of devotion as well as sightseeing. The deity which is enshrined here is considered a manifestation of Benzaiten. Goddess Benzaiten is actually the Japanese counterpart of goddess Saraswati, an Indian (Hindu) deity. In Japan, there exist numerous such deities of Hindu […]
5 reasons to love Japan
Japan is unique in its own ways. Don’t you agree? A country with deep-rooted tradition and yet technologicaly advanced. Be it fashion or food, there is a touch of kawaiiness (cuteness) in everything that makes us all go ”aww kawaii desune!” You are going to hear the word “kawaii” so often in Japan that you […]