And it’s time for the ninth Japanese slang review of 2026 (see all prior posts here)! In these posts I deep dive into the world of Japanese terms you probably won’t see in a textbook, l…

「セクシャル・ハラスメント」が新語・流行語大賞（新語部門・金賞）に選ばれたのは1989年のこと。「セクハラ」という言葉はすっかり定着しているが、40年ほど前まで、そうした概念を指す言葉は日本にはなかった...

かつて「今すぐ無料で手に入る１５０の辞書」（2017年4月）で紹介したように、国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション（デジコレ）は、日本の歴代のレファレンス書――百科事典、辞書、年鑑、書誌、索引、図鑑――を自宅から参照できる、独学者にとっての巨大な書庫である。 あの記事から9年。デジコレはその間に大きく変わった。2022年に始まった個人向けデジタル化資料送信サービス（個人送信）により、絶版等で入手困...

Character voice is often overlooked in media translation, but it's such an important skill that impacts the audience's experience.

I previously wrote a very, very long article all about study resources and tips for beginners looking to learn Japanese. But there’s not really anything like this for intermediate learners. Intermedia...

Beta update: Added a section to word and kanji entries with links to relevant resources (blog posts, videos, grammar guides, etc) elsewhere on the internet. Examples: https://four.jisho.org/search/%E3...

Parts, our IFS mapping tool, is now open to practitioners

ALT: Riker and Troi's Shake It So Dance Party

And it’s time for the fifth Japanese slang review of 2026 (see all prior posts here)! In these posts I deep dive into the world of Japanese terms you probably won’t see in a textbook, l…

And it’s time for the fourth Japanese slang review of 2026 (see all prior posts here)! In these posts I deep dive into the world of Japanese terms you probably won’t see in a textbook, …

This month's Interviews with Localizers is with manga and game translator Leo McDonagh about his experience in the translation industry.

YouTube video by Scripting Japan

YouTube video by JIRIKO

It's often said that there are no swear words in Japanese. But while profanities may be rare, taboos - and banned words - abound.

Welcome to the Women's History Month edition of my Localization Lore series, where I highlight some of the women who have worked in the Japanese to English

Medelhavsmuseet och Östasiatiska riskerar att stängas för gott. En hyreshöjning på 57% tar knäcken på kulturen.

Reading Japanese restaurant menus can be tricky, as you'll find many kanji you don't encounter elsewhere. Here's a guide to make it easier.

John Neal is a manga and video game translator and editor who worked at Platinum games for 6 years and now freelances.

YouTube video by Scripting Japan

I've made a 121 page study guide that outlines most of the lessons in the Genki I textbook. I use my own example sentences to illustrate grammar, and ...

Carrick Lomas - video game translator is a talented and passionate localizer from the UK who juggles freelance work and game publishing.

I like to think of these words (which are literally polite ways to say "your company" and "my company") as "replacement pronouns." Once you learn to differentiate them, this concept makes using them a...

Whether you're learning Japanese for reading manga, watching anime, visiting Japan, here are Japanese study techniques to achieve your goals.

The “official” list of the top Japanese buzzword of the year was announced in November, with the winner 「働いて働いて働いて働いて働いてまいります」 chosen on December 1st. This list is honestly not the most…

The plagiarism machine seems to be worming its way into everything. Here's a list of Japanese Study apps That DON'T Use AI!

YouTube video by Scripting Japan

From ponds (池) to the sea (海), and swimming (泳) to crying (泣), many of Japan’s kanji are connected with water, and include the 氵radical, signifying water droplets.

Supplementary Glossary of Japanese to English Terms and Definitions for Media Translators

東京のJR山手線が大正時代に都心を一周する環状運転になってから、11月1日で100年を迎える。東京、上野、新宿といったターミナル駅をつなぎ、私鉄やバス路線とも接続して首都の発展を支えてきた。34.5 ...