Weird English in Japan

There are times when Japan intentionally tries to have English available and when they're just trying to sound cool. When it comes to English for menus and such, they typically get it right. But when English is used in fashion or advertisement it can go all wrong. Many of you may be familiar with shirts in Japan that have an English phrase on it. For the most part, you understand what they mean but it still sounds weird. I don't have photos of that because I resisted going shopping (except the Pokemon Center. Blew all my money there). I did go out to eat a lot, and that's where the funny advertisements come in. I found two signs in Japan, both outside of restaurants, that just didn't make sense to me. Maybe you'll understand what's trying to be said more than I do.

Most Common Words You Hear in Japan

Whether you know Japanese or not you can tell when you start to hear the same words while walking the streets. I know a bit of Japanese so I recognized all the common words you hear in others' conversations, but my husband who knows no Japanese was able to pick up a few words just from observation.

Here are the most common words you'll hear in Japan.

So so so so so (そうそうそうそうそう)

The original phrase this came from is sodesu (そうです) which is used to agree or confirm with someone. In actual words it means "that's right." As you can imagine, repeating it several times in a casual way of saying "right, right, right, right." In English it may sound like you're trying to shut someone up fast but in Japanese it is more of a strong agreement. This phrase is used mostly by young adults, but it can also be used by older adults in a more casual setting with a friend. This phrase is never to be used in a formal situation.

Majide (まじで)

This is a simple one. "Seriously?" Used with young adults, you'll hear this word a lot in a conversation. Someone will say something and the other person will reply with majide, seriously? This is how you casually express surprise or shock at something someone has said. I've only heard this getting popular in the last two years, so I'm not sure how long this has actually been used.

Sumimasen (すみません)

The word sumimasen has many meanings and usages. You will hear it everywhere such as the station, a restaurant, and even at a store. Sumimasen initially means "excuse me" but can be used as a quick "I'm sorry." For the restaurant you'll hear it used to get a waiter's attention as in Japan they don't come check on you unless called upon. You'll hear it used at the store for the same reason. For the station there could be two scenarios. The first being if you need to pass through a crowd you can use it as an excuse me. The second being if you accidentally bump into a person while trying to catch a train, in that case it would be used as a sorry. It's a common word used in everyday life situations. It's an extremely useful word to know if you plan to travel to Japan.

If you're ready to learn Japanese, here's where to start on how.

Not looking to learn the language but would like to know important words for travel, here's material for that.

This was just a small post to get myself back into writing after being gone for three weeks after going to Japan. It's like playing an instrument. It takes a lot of practice and once you know how to do it you need to keep at it or the ability to do so will slowly disappear.

These are three words my husband noticed while in Japan. I used him as my source since he doesn't know Japanese. He knows no Japanese but picked out these three words from overhearing strangers' on the street. Once he kept on hearing these over and over again he began to actually learn these terms and how to use them.

Hope you enjoyed reading. There's bigger and better to come. To keep up with it all the greatness soon to come follow my blog for updates and also follow me on my social media where I'm most active!

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If You Like New Orleans, You'll Like Japan Pt.2

So a long while ago when I first started blogging I did a really popular topic called "If You Like New Orleans, You'll Like Japan." If you haven't checked it out yet click here. This article drove it home for me because I consider New Orleans and Japan my homes. They are places that I hold dear to my heart. New Orleans is my physical home, it's where I live and build my life. Japan is my emotional home, where I connect well with society and the way of life (this will be another topic I'll talk about in the future).

I wrote the first part of "If You Like New Orleans, You'll Like Japan" as therapy, this is called Japan Therapy after all. I miss Japan all the time, so I decided to write a blog post for myself in order to cope with not being in Japan. I figured that writing similarities about Japan and New Orleans would help, and it did.

Now, I'm writing this part two for a lot more people than myself. I'm writing to those of you who went to Japan to visit and are missing it like I am. I'm writing to those who aren't knowledgeable enough about Japan to realize how amazing of a place it is. I'm writing to those of you who live in New Orleans like I do but don't know just how close your city is in relation to Japan. I started this blog as therapy for myself, but now I've been on this mission to educate people about Japan. And if you don't live in New Orleans but love Japan, maybe this will give you a reason to visit New Orleans sometimes. Both are very unique places.

Let's get down to business.

How to Memorize Japanese Vocabulary

I'm currently learning Japanese, as many of you may be learning too. I have mastered hiragana and katakana and have learned all the particles such as は、の、を、が、に、etc. Basically what I'm missing are the words. I don't know why, but I have the hardest time trying to remember vocabulary. And if I want to start speaking Japanese, I think it's pretty important to have some vocabulary down.

Well, lately, I've been studying like crazy (crazy meaning when I have the time which is like a hour a day). I think I've finally got the swing of things with learning the vocabulary and I'd like to share it with you. I'm pretty old school when it comes to studying so my method of studying involves flashcards.

So here's how I do it, in two easy steps.

Start Learning Japanese

I have a ton of ideas for blog posts in my head but I haven't done one on learning Japanese in a while. I know there are people who are trying to learn Japanese like myself. We're all doing what we can to learn in our own way whether it's taking formal classes, watching anime and dramas, or studying with friends. Each of these sadly has a flaw. Taking formal classes cost money and you learn in the order of the textbook being used. Watching anime doesn't get you far in your studies and you only pick up small words and phrases. Studying with friends can be a good idea, but at the same time you all are either distracting each other from actually studying or you all look to each other for guidance and get stuck. I did all of these things and still do some of them. Japanese is a hard language to learn and it will take years if you are not fully dedicated everyday, like myself.

To a Japanese person my level of Japanese is at the lower intermediate level. I can read and write hiragana and katakana and make basic sentences. A beginner is not knowing anything, a total beginner. The upper intermediate level is when you know the grammar but you can't understand conversations in Japanese. And finally, advanced is when you know how to converse in Japanese and can understand Japanese television and newspapers. I really hope one day I can get to the advanced level but I'll be lucky enough to just get to upper intermediate. The obvious way to learn fluent Japanese is to live there for a few years but me and most other people don't have that opportunity to do so (it's just not in our cards we've drawn). I'm in no way qualified to teach Japanese to others, but I don't mind helping out with giving tips and stuff like that.

Grammar/ Sentence structure

There is one thing that we should all focus on studying though and that's what we NEED to study. Open up a Japanese textbook, go ahead. The first introductory chapter is useful because of the hiragana, katakana, and helpful phrases but then the chapters start to teach you vocabulary you don't need to know. I find that a textbook doesn't challenge you enough like an actual person does. The one thing a textbook is good for is all the sentence structure and grammar rules in it. Collect all of those into one spot and study those each day to keep yourself refreshed. Even form the sentence, leaving out nouns, subject, time, adjective/adverbs, and verbs so you can practice making your own sentences.

Understanding the particles is a critical part of learning the sentence structure.

Vocabulary

In order to form sentences you need to know some vocabulary. Don't just learn random words. Be smart about what you learn. Ask yourself, "What am I going to Japan for? A job? A vacation?" If it's for school or a specific job learn the vocabulary related to those occupations. If it's for a vacation learn words for everyday conversation or what you think you would use like directions and asking questions. To study these vocabulary I suggest going back to the basics of studying and writing some flashcards. Learn 10 words at a time, adding 10 more everyday. Don't stop studying the flashcards for that day until you make no mistakes. If you miss a few days of studying you will have to start from the beginning because you won't remember anything, so make sure you study those flashcards everyday (it shouldn't take you any longer than a hour). 

Good old flashcards. They really do work.

Writing Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji

Learning how to write Japanese is important so you can read signs and other important information. With hiragana and katakana you just need to practice once a day, tallying how many you've got wrong. The goal is to keep practicing until you can write each one without any mistakes. Kanji is a little more work. Each day study 5 kanji, adding the previous 5 to the mix. Make sure that the 5 you are studying that day you have memorized it's English and Japanese meaning and are able to write the kanji. The next day, your goal is to be able to regenerate the previous kanji and it's meaning. If it can;t be done you need to study those thoroughly again with the next additional kanji. This method has worked for me previous, letting me comprehend 80 kanji at once.

You will keep getting better with each day!

I hope these study tips help you reach closer to your goal of learning Japanese. If you have any tips to help others please leave a comment below on your methods.

Like always, thanks for reading. I appreciate it all the time.

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The Best Ways to Learn Japanese Casually

There are three kinds of people learning Japanese. First, there are the hard core learners. These people have their heads in the books like crazy trying to learn the language. Some even take a big step forward and move to Japan in order to learn and surround themselves in the language. The second kind of people are the ones who took the introduction classes to Japanese in school but never pursued it further, so the only Japanese they know are the extreme basics. This also goes for the people who only watch anime and just retains the basics. And then there are people like me, the ones who casually learn Japanese. These people are not fluent in Japanese but they shouldn't claim to not know Japanese because they've retained and gained more out of the language than most people.

Today I'm going to be discussing my learning process in hopes to help those of you in my situation and for those who simply would like to learn some Japanese easily and with no stress.

Let me explain my situation first. I'm in my mid-twenties right now. I've graduated from college and have a full time job that has nothing to do with my major. I'm happily married and have a ton of friends I still keep up with from college. I've had the wonderful opportunity to study abroad in Japan for a summer and to go back to Japan for my honeymoon. So here's the question, how am I going to learn Japanese? I'm not planning to move to Japan because of my developing life here in America, so I won't learn that way. I can't take classes because it'll cost money that can be better used for life stuff and actual trips to Japan. There are my old textbooks from my Japanese classes I could use, but who has the time to sit down and focus on studying? I wake up, go to work, get home in the evening, blog (my life goal is to become a writer), take care of our dog, spend time with my husband, and then go to bed to do it all over again. One weekends we can substitute work with hanging out with friends since that's the only time I get to see them. I have no time to look at textbooks and learn Japanese that way. I have other ways of learning Japanese and I'd like to share it with you!

Japanese Dramas

Hana Yori Dango
"Boys Over Flowers"

I know what some people are already going to say. "What about anime!?!" There are two things wrong with anime. 1. Anime mostly has casual speaking that can be considered very rude, and if there is polite speaking in an anime it's a soldier of some sort speaking to a captain. This is not useful. 2. Anime is getting so imaginative lately that the vocabulary in them are useless to people wanting to speak Japanese. Now dramas on the other hand are great study guides. With dramas, you are watching real Japanese people speaking Japanese that you should be learning. Listen to their pronunciation and what they're saying. Pause the drama and try to repeat what they said. Watch the same episode of the drama again to get a feel for the vocabulary being used. You'll start to get a grasp of what the actors are saying and you'll be able to say it too.

Maiko Fujita, a J-pop singer.

Japanese Music

I love listening to Japanese music. Not only is it fun but you can learn Japanese this way too. Listen to the words and how the singer is naturally getting his/her words out. Repeatedly listen to the same song over and over again and try to sing along to the music. Then look up the lyrics to the song and sing along with the lyrics in hand. Once you've got the song memorized go back to the lyrics and try to translate them yourself. Look up the real translation and see how you did. Then you can go on to another song and start the process over again.

Phone Apps

Screenshot of the apps on my phone.
And yes, that's my doge.

I finally found an important use for my phone. There are phone apps available to teach you Japanese! Yeah, there are some that are not too good, but I found a few that are actually worth using and that are free!

AnkiDroid- this app is used like flash cards. there are a ton of downloadable flashcards to practice Japanese with. I use the flashcards titled "Human Japanese." These specific cards help me with vocabulary and sentence structure. And just like flashcards if you don't know the answer you can put the card back in the pile to try to answer it again later.

Obenkyo- This is another great app I use. It's a study guide app that let's you test on the material you studied. The tests are multiple choice. The app even takes your score and shows you your progress on the tests. You can test yourself on hiragana, katakana, kanji, numbers, vocabulary, and particles.

Japanese Manga

Japanese and English manga side by side.

This is definitely for the more advanced. To study this way you have to know how to read hiragana and katakana and you have to have a lot of vocabulary down. I have Japanese manga of manga that was translated already in English. What you do is you read the English manga first to get a feel for what kind of vocabulary you'll be using. Then grab a notebook and pen to write your translation of the Japanese manga. Once you're done translating, you can go check yourself using the English translation. I have used this way once so far. It's difficult so only study this way when you are confident about your Japanese reading skills.

I hope these methods help you study Japanese. They're fun and non-traditional ways to study and learn Japanese. These are the only ways I study due to my schedule and I find it helps me retain the Japanese I've learned so far and gain a little more. Remember, if you don't use it you'll lose it. So keep studying and have fun with it.

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Karaoke in Japan

In Japan, it is not common for young people to hang out at each other's houses. Young adults usually go out somewhere if they want to hang out. One of the most common places for people to hang out at are karaoke venues. Karaoke is not only a way to socialize but it is a way to experience night life without the bar hopping or club going.

Karaoke has everything you need. It has food, drinks, and good times.

The screen for a Japanese song at karaoke.

Of course you're in Japan so there are Japanese songs.

If you know Japanese or have a song from an anime or drama you already memorized then you're good to go.

If you are like me and know what the song is supposed to sound like and know hiragana, then you're also good to go.

If you don't know any Japanese songs or how to read Japanese, don't panic, there are English songs available to pick from. So you are also good to go! You can go back to the 80's or choose a more modern song. They'll have it.

My friend Kaji picking a song from the electronic menu.

When you first get to the karaoke venue you'll pay for your karaoke time (meaning you pay for hours). I found two hours to be sufficient enough. After you pay, the attendant will bring you to a karaoke room that is just for your group. Feeling thirsty? There's a button on the wall for you to press to call an attendant to take your order. Get the party started by grabbing the electronic menu to select the first song. The song will pop onto the monitor and you can begin singing into the mic that's provided in the room. Time goes by fast when you're having fun so make sure you're using the time wisely.

Hope you get the chance to experience karaoke in Japan. It's very fun and a great way to get out the house or hotel.

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Speak English?!? You Try Speaking a Difficult Language!

Hi everyone!

This post is going to be very controversial. I'm sorry if this makes some of you uncomfortable but it needs to be addressed. Now this is obviously my opinion on the situation and you have every right to think differently, but here it goes.

Let's start off with a story.

I work at a car dealership. Nothing I say has any reflection on the business itself or the professionalism of the workers, it's all their personal feelings I'll be telling. Anyway, we get a lot of different customers coming through our doors. Some are young, some are old, some are White, and some are Hispanic. They can be coming into the dealership to buy a car or to service their car. Well, a lot of my coworkers who deal with customers are older than me and are not as cultured as me. I'm not saying older people can't be cultured, but these coworkers of mine are into their own lives and definitely not interested in other cultures. They even find it weird and surprising when I talk about Japan. They just never had the desire to learn more than what they need to know. To get to the story, one day a customer came into the dealership. He supposedly had a really thick accent. My coworker claimed he was Chinese due to his name and passed the customer onto someone else because she couldn't understand him. Then I heard a comment from the spectators in the office that people should speak English if they come to America. What?!?!?! This guy was clearly speaking English, he just had a Chinese accent still which is normal.

Now let's get down to my opinion and morals of this story.

Why should anyone coming to America have to speak English? I thought America was a free country, and welcoming to all types of people. We even have Americans who speak different kinds of English like slang, or just not proper English at all. These foreigners coming to America are here for the opportunities and some even learned English so they could fit in. I rather these people living in America than the lazy people who just sit at home all day wondering why their life is so miserable and not doing anything to fix it themselves.

My Japanese notebook, plus some doodles.

It really bothers me when someone says something stupid like "they should speak English." Obviously the people who say this have never truly learned a language so they can't possibly understand. It's hard to learn a language! People always ask me if I can speak Japanese and it's the hardest thing to answer. I can't say no because I do know some Japanese. Yet if I say yes everyone thinks I know it fluently which is not true. I end up saying yes to their question but add that I know enough to get around. They are still impressed with me but then they turn around and say stupid stuff like speak English! Well then, since you are so adamant about people speaking English you should try speaking another language. See how that works out for you. You'll never be able to compare your speaking skills with others who are learning English because English is the hardest language to learn and you've grown up with it since birth. 

I'm studying Japanese.

So I dare those of you who've ever said that foreigners should speak English to actually learn a different language first before saying something that stupid. You just sound ignorant when you say it.

That's my life lesson I'm sharing with all of you. I hope it didn't get too intense for you but this is a serious subject that happens more often than you may think.

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Thank you for you're support! See you next time!

The Japanese You Should Know

In my last post I said Japanese was not needed in order to go to Japan. I still believe that statement, but it never hurts to know a little bit. Knowing even a bit of Japanese will be a great cushion for those of you who are nervous about visiting a country whose first language isn’t English. Some of you may be ambitious and determined enough to learn Japanese fluently, but for people who don’t have the time nor desire to learn may still want to know the essential words just to get by.

Pronunciation

The first thing you need to know is the sound/pronunciation of Japanese consonants and vowels. This is the easiest part about learning Japanese. The Japanese consonants sound exactly like English consonants. Vowels will be easy for people who have studied Spanish before. Japanese vowels sound exactly like Spanish vowels. Now knowing this, you can actually speak English to Japanese people by using Japanese pronunciation on English words. You will have a higher success rate in being understood.

Congratulations! You’ve taken the first steps into learning Japanese!

Numbers

You don’t really notice how much numbers are used on a daily basis until you go to another language speaking country. Yes, you will encounter the numbers in the form of 1 2 3, but you should definitely know the Japanese pronunciation. I say this because on signs outside of shops or on menus you’ll see actual numbers, but what happens if you ask a clerk how much something is and she understands you but doesn’t know how to answer in English so she says it in Japanese. This is why I said you should know how to pronounce numbers. Other incidents could be closing times or train arrivals. The list can go on. Below is a short list of the numbers you will need to know and its Japanese pronunciation.

0 – zero                                        11 – juu ichi

1 – ichi                                          12 – juu ni

2 – ni                                             13 – juu san

3 – san                                          20 – ni juu

4 – shi/yon                                   100 – hyaku

5 – go                                            123 – hyaku ni juu san

6 – roku                                        1000 – sen

7 – nana/shichi                            10000 - ichiman

8 – hachi

9 – kyu

10 – juu

Phrases

Phrases will be your life-line. They never change and are constantly used by both Japanese and foreigners. It’s helpful to know these phrases when traveling in Japan. They are great practice in speaking Japanese. The Japanese are usually impressed when a foreigner speaks Japanese. They are so impressed that they may mistake your little Japanese as knowing Japanese fluently. They will figure you out once you put on that blank stare and come back down to a lower level of Japanese or even go straight into English. The phrases I’m about to suggest will help you get around in Japan and to interact with the locals a little. Some of these phrases are round about translations because they may not have an exact English meaning and I’ve shortened some words for easier memorization. Remember to use Japanese pronunciation!

Nice to meet you – Hajimemashite

Hello – Konnichiwa

I don’t understand – Wakarimasen

Excuse me (to get someone’s attenetion or as a sorry) – Sumimasen

It’s ok – Daijobu

Here (after you) – Dozo

Thank you – Arigatou gozaimas

How much is this? – Ikura desu ka

Where is _______? – _______ wa doko desu ka

Yes – Hai

No – Iie

It’s cute – Kawaii

It’s delicious – Oishii

No thank you – Keko desu

Japanese classroom assignment.

And this is your survival Japanese. Unless you get super adventurous, which some of you will, you’ll only need this much for those unexpected encounters. This is a very beginner introduction to Japanese that is taught in the first 3-4 weeks in a Japanese class. It’s pretty hard to teach Japanese in a blog but if you need any advice about Japanese please don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my best to answer you. Due to its difficulty, this will be one of the last times I try to teach Japanese on here unless it’s requested. I hope you learned a lot and you get to use some of this in the future.

Until next time! Matta ne! That means see you. :)

You Don’t Need to Speak Japanese

If you plan to travel to Japan there’s no need to panic about not knowing Japanese. Most of you who will go visit Japan will be traveling to the cities of Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. These cities are bigger in size and are used to having tourists around. The only time you would have to worry about knowing Japanese is if you go out into the rural areas of Japan. Japan is very tourist friendly.

Some Japanese Can Speak English

Most Japanese people know that English is becoming a world language and have interest in learning it. It is a requirement in school for children to learn English from elementary to high school. Some students even continue their English studies into college. Think of it as the equivalent to American children learning Spanish all throughout their elementary and high school education. Their English won’t be perfect but it’ll be enough for you to understand.

Japanese People are always willing to help

Not all, but some Japanese people will be courageous enough to approach you about needing help. When you’re looking lost or confused don’t be surprised when a Japanese person comes up to help. If they don’t understand your English they will either get through it with hand signals or search for another Japanese person who knows English. They will do whatever it takes to help you out. I have experienced this kindness several times through my journeys in Japan. Same came be said the other way around. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. They’ll get through it the same way I described before.

Signs can be in English

If not English, signs will at least be in Romanji which is essentially the Japanese words using English letters. You will encounter this on street signs, in restaurant menus, at train stations, and at airports. These places are really the only time you need English signs. If the signs are not enough help you can always find the help desks at train stations and airports. They have a Japanese staff that is fluent in English and other various languages ready to help tourists.

Osaka train station platform.

Now of course, knowing any kind of Japanese can help. In my next post I will talk about how much Japanese you should know in preparation of your trip to Japan. You shouldn’t be stressing out about being fluent in the language or not.

Until next time!