Gakuu – Learn Real Japanese

Author: Michael

  • Fire Safety – 火の用心

    Fire Safety – 火の用心

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    by

    Michael
    in ,

    One of the more iconic types of poster you’ll find in Japan are the fire safety posters. Often adorned with a cute girl or popular celebrity, they aim to raise awareness of accidental fires in the home and encourage people to be vigilant.

  • Your Company Or Mine? 当社 – 弊社 – 貴社 – 御社

    Your Company Or Mine? 当社 – 弊社 – 貴社 – 御社

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    by

    Michael
    in ,

    In business Japanese, you will often hear unique expressions and vocabulary that rarely appears in other situations. One such occasion is when talking about the company between businesses.

  • Who Wears the Pants? 亭主関白 & 嬶天下

    Who Wears the Pants? 亭主関白 & 嬶天下

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    by

    Michael
    in ,

    Ever heard the phrase ‘She wears the trousers in the relationship’? (Or, for our American readers – who wears the pants!?) Most native English speakers will probably be familiar with the expression, or at least have a vague understanding of the meaning. Something about authority, right? Right. Well, there exists a couple of words that…

  • No Loitering or Sleeping in the Station!

    No Loitering or Sleeping in the Station!

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    by

    Michael
    in ,

    A seemingly simple sign in the local train station conceals a couple of juicy words to learn. No loitering or sleeping inside the station premises!

  • Please Do It Subway Posters

    Please Do It Subway Posters

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    by

    Michael
    in ,

    Tokyo Metro produce refresh their series of subway posters annually, with an unique design for each month. In recent years, the posters by graphic artist Bunpei Yorifuji have been particularly stylish and easy to understand, utilising clever visuals and bright colours to grab the attention of commuters.

  • Gugurekasu Lyrics

    Gugurekasu Lyrics

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    by

    Michael
    in , , ,

    Here are the lyrics to the famous Vocaloid song ‘Gugurekasu’ – Go Google it! The song was created by AaminP (あー民P) using the voices of vocaloid characters Megurine Luka and Kamui Gakupo -【巡音ルカと神威がくぽ】. I’ve also added translation notes and insights into the Japanese language used and slang terms from 2ch at the bottom of this…

  • Let Me Google That For You – ググれカス

    Let Me Google That For You – ググれカス

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    by

    Michael
    in , ,

    Google currently holds the title of Search Engine King for most people, and it’s the go-to tool for looking most anything up. So heavy has our reliance on the search giant become, that it’s now considered something of an insult to ask a question that could easily be answered by Google Sensei.

  • Complete – コンプ

    Complete – コンプ

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    by

    Michael
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    Here’s a neat little conversation that I just spotted on Facebook that has a slang term and some pretty simple language. It definitely gives you a better feel for how an actual conversation between two young guys would play out! As you may have guessed from the title, コンプ simply means ‘complete’. As with many…

  • Becoming A Master – 守破離

    Becoming A Master – 守破離

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    by

    Michael
    in ,

    The word Shuhari is originally a Japanese martial arts concept from Bushido that describes the stages leading to mastery in a given discipline, but it can also be applied in other fields and situations, such as the entertainment sector or in business. Let’s break it down. 守破離 しゅはり The 3 stages of learning that lead…

  • Beware of Perverts!

    Beware of Perverts!

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    by

    Michael
    in ,

    While not an overwhelmingly common sight, in some districts of Japan you may come across signs like the one below that warn against folk of stranger dispositions.