Japanese with Hikari's Blog

If you've been studying Japanese from textbooks, you might be shocked the first time you hear real conversations from Japanese friends.

People don’t always speak like polite anime characters or JLPT examples. We use slang, shorten words.

Let’...

Winter in Japan is basically a warm hug served in a bowl 🫂 

If you’ve ever wondered what people eat to stay warm during those chilly months, you’re in for a treat. Let’s see if you have tried them all already!

🍲 Nabe

One of the stars of the season...

Starting something new is always exciting, right?

Like when you first dive into studying Japanese, start a new job or part-time gig, pick up a fun hobby, or even just hit play on a brand-new anime episode, there’s always that fresh energy at the beg...

Ready for another must-know particle?

If に(ni) shows where something exists or where you go, then で(de) shows where something happens or how it happens.

Think of situations like:
“I study at the library.”
“I came by train.”
“I wrote this with a pen....

What’s one of our favorite topics when chatting with friends?
Of course, it’s talking about the things we like!

And Japanese people are the same. We love talking about our own interests, and also enjoy hearing about what other people like. To be hon...

Sometimes, all it takes is one small thing to make a big difference.
Like when you say, “Just hearing your voice makes me happy,” or “I understood it just by looking at the picture.”

Or on the flip side, you might have seen those sketchy ads like, “L...

Ever opened an attic that hasn’t seen the light of day in years?
Or walked into your room and thought, “Ugh, everything’s covered in dust…”?
Maybe you’ve glanced at a test paper and sighed, “Wow… it’s just mistake after mistake.”

In Japanese, the go-t...

Life is full of “even if” moments, right?

Even if it rains, we still go out.
Even if you fail once, you can try again.
Even if it takes a lot of time and money, I want to study abroad in Japan.

In Japanese, the phrase for this is たとえ〜ても (tatoe ~ temo...

Have you ever had one of those moments where you thought, “Phew, that was close… luckily everything turned out okay”?
Or maybe something unfortunate happened, but looking at the situation you felt, “It could have been worse...”

In Japanese, we say 幸い...

Have you ever thought back and said, “Ever since that moment, everything changed”?
Like, “Ever since I started learning Japanese, my Netflix list is full of Japanese anime and yakuza movies!,” or “Ever since I met my best friend, my life’s been bright...

Are you the type who always prepares everything perfectly in advance?
Like, you’ve already printed your tickets, packed an umbrella just in case, and even made a backup plan for your backup plan?

Or maybe you’re the opposite, omeone who thinks, “It’...

New year in Japan, or Oshōgatsu (お正月), is a big deal. It’s calm, meaningful, and full of traditions that go way beyond countdowns and fireworks. If you’ve ever wondered why the whole country feels different around January 1, here’s your guide to the ...

The Japanese particle series continues!

Have you ever wanted to say “me too!” or “that as well” in Japanese?
Like when your friend says, “My favorite anime is Naruto,” and you want to jump in with “Me too!”

Or when you’re traveling and want to add ...

The Japanese particle series continues!

Have you ever wanted to say “my favorite book” or “my friend’s house” in Japanese?
Well, the magic word you need is の (no)!
It’s tiny, but super powerful, it shows possession, like “’s” in English.

And the fun...

Here comes another Japanese particle!

Have you ever wanted to make a list of things?
Like groceries you need to buy at the supermarket… or all the exciting things you want to do on your trip to Japan.

Or maybe you want to talk about doing something ...

The journey through Japanese particles continues, まだまだ つづくよ！

Have you ever wondered how to say “There is a dog” , “I want ramen” , or “I’m the one who is Hikari” in Japanese?
Without these expressions, it’s almost impossible to have a proper conversa...

You know how Japanese people often speak kind of softly, without making strong statements?
Well sometimes you do want to sound sure, right?

Like when you’re thinking, “I’m sure that…” or “It must be true!”
Or maybe even, “No way, that can’t be right!...

Have you ever wanted to say “I think…” in Japanese?
Like, “I think tomorrow will be sunny”, or “I don’t think this train is going to stop here”.

That’s when the super useful phrase と思う (to omou) comes in!
It’s an N4 grammar point, but you’ll hear it ...

When you explain something, it’s tough to make it clear without giving examples, right?
If I had to write a blog without using “for example,” I’d be stuck… and I bet you’d agree with me!

That’s where the magic word 例えば (tatoeba) comes in.

It usually...

Sometimes in life, we just don’t have a choice.

Maybe your train is delayed and you have to walk.
Maybe the restaurant is full, so you can only wait in line.
Or maybe your teacher gave you homework, so… you just have to do it!

In Japanese, the perf...

There are times when you need to tell someone to act in accordance with instructions or rules.

Something like…
“Along with this plan…” or “In accordance with the rules…”
For example, “Please follow this order when placing requests,” or “In this area, ...

Have you ever wanted to express a kind of resignation, like when you already know how things will turn out, no matter what you do?

“It won’t work out anyway, even if I start now.”
“After all, she’ll just make excuses and say no, so I shouldn’t expect...

In your country’s news, do you often hear phrases like “There is a possibility that…”?

In Japanese, there’s a very similar expression: 恐れがある (osore ga aru).

The key point is that 恐れがある is used only for negative possibilities, things that might be d...

If you've ever been to Japan, you've probably noticed something pretty wild...
Vending machines are literally everywhere.
Like, on quiet streets, in the countryside, even up mountains! 🏞️🥤

So, what’s the deal? Why does Japan have more vending machines...