Have you just realized that your textbook’s chapter on food doesn’t go very far beyond sushi, ramen, and omurice? Mine didn’t teach me a whole lot about Japanese food, what’s in it, Japanese words for ingredients, and ~most importantly~ where to even start looking. ? ⠀ So, for those of you who are getting tired of the same old ファミレス (family restaurant), beef bowls, and safe choices — we created おいしい！ for you guys. ⠀ Comment below if you know any good spots OR we’d loooove to hear your recommendations for the best oyakodon in Tokyo! ???? ⠀ We want to introduce you to the dishes, what’s in them (for those with dietary restrictions or allergies), and WHERE to actually enjoy them as recommended by Tokyo locals! ⠀ ?Follow us for weekly drops of the dishes you HAVE TO TRY at least once in Tokyo (whether you’re here on a short trip or for that long haul) ⠀ P.S Our other series will be looking at the language you need to place an order, ask for a little extra (or a little less of something), and all kinds of neat little native phrases. . . . . . #practicejapanese #orangjepang #日本語を勉強します #japanesevocabulary #lovejapanese #日本語の勉強 #japanesestudy #lovejapanesefood #tokyolunch #japanesefoods #oyakodon #japfood #japaneselesson #japonês #japaneselanguage #日本語勉強 #japanoninsta #karaage #tokyorestaurant #japaneseculture #nippon #japantravel #日本語 #jepones #japanculture #lifeinjapan #nihongo #japangram #japonais

Making this post was honestly intense. The team and I interviewed over a dozen Japanese girls and what we kept coming back around to was the cringe things that had been done to them (or, in one case — their cringey teenage kokuhaku mistakes) ? ⠀ But that’s cool. Win or learn, right? ? ⠀ The one BIG TAKEAWAY from this that I want to point out and you’ve probably already heard is — not everyone is going to feel the same way. And that’s okay. ⠀ You’ve felt it. You’ve cried it out. Maybe you’ve binged a couple sad movies for a week and powered through a tub of neopolitan ice cream (I did) ? ⠀ SIDE NOTE: The film Kokuhaku based on the best seller by Kanae Minato is AMAZING but it has absolutely nothing to do with what we’re talking about here. It’s a big recommend if you’re into dark thrillers but if you want something on kokuhaku, check out Suki tte Iina yo! Or the movie/anime One Week Friends. ⠀ Mutual respect is key. Understanding that the reason one person is into you might be the dealbreaker for another. ⠀ Japanese culture is remarkably unique and so are the factors which influence relationships here. Dating towards marriage is a thing (it’s called こんかつ / konkatsu). That’s dating with the explicit intention of tying the knot. We’ll be looking at that and all the little things that comprise Japanese romance in this series so ⭐ COMMENT your questions or DM us what you want to know! ⭐ ⠀ We’re not a matchmaking service but we can hopefully give you the tools to navigate a love life in Tokyo, meet new people, and (sometimes) handle damage control! ⠀ ?Follow us @weareJapanSwitch for more tips on the kind of love you’ll have in Tokyo, great eats (and date spots), daily Japanese vocab you’ll need, and the billion dollar industry that is anime body pillows (this may be a slight exaggeration). ⠀ #tokyolove #crazyjapan #japanesephrase #practicejapanese #日本語を勉強します #japanesevocabulary #japaneseclass #lovejapanese #japanesestudy #日本語の勉強 #japanesewords #japaneselesson #にほんご #japaneselanguage #japonês #japonaise #learnjapanese #foreignlanguage #日本語勉強 #tokyogram #japangram #japanculture #japanlover #日本語 #japanlife #japaneseculture #tokyo2020 #japanlovers #kanji ⠀

Everybody keeps telling you to start with this textbook or focus on that app. There’s so much out there and, with every new method, you eventually start with a degree of doubt. ⠀ It feels less like you’re about to make progress and more like you're going in circles. ? ⠀ That’s pretty much how I felt for the longest time. Years even. Then I met Yurika-Sensei. She lived and worked abroad, mastered a second language, and is an encyclopedia of cheeky tips & study hacks for language learning. ⠀ So, I thought it was about time we put them out there. For anybody who wants to take real control of their Japanese ability and stop cruising on ‘uhhhh daijoubu desu.’ ⠀ SIDE NOTE: We’ve also got a whole heap of FREE articles written on building the right study habits at: ⠀ ⭐ japanswitch.com/blog ⠀ Every week, I’m going to be relaying some of my favorite tips from Yurika-Sensei so keep your eyes on us if you’re looking for the tricks to learn like a native from a native. ⠀ Follow us for real Japanese tips and (a whole bunch) more about Japanese vocab, culture and food right in your feed! ✌️ . . . . . #japaneseclass #japaneselanguageschool #japanesestudy #japanesevocabulary #learnjapaneseonline #lovejapanese #practicejapanese #日本語の勉強 #にほんごべんきょう #日本語能力試験 #hiragana #japaneselanguage #japanisch #katakana #learnjapanese #learningjapanese #studyjapanese #にほんご #ひらがな #日本語勉強 #foreignlanguage #languagelover #japaneselesson #japaneseculture #japonais #nihongo #日本語 #japones #japonais #jepones

There are a few extra things you should remember about that cheeky snooze you’re having on the job or out in public in Japan. ? ⠀ While sleeping in public is a-okay, doing so in a manner that impacts your surroundings is what we in the business call a no-no. ? ⠀ In other words, if you sound like a dragon in your sleep, then inemuri is going to earn you some looks (and I do not mean the kind where people hold their cheeks and say aww) ? ⠀ Girls, some train lines have a reputation. I’m not trying to scare you. While Japan is one of the safest places in the world, we’ve all heard the stories about pervs on certain train lines. Keep your wits about you and be careful about where you catch that shuteye. ⠀ Personally, I can’t do it. Never could. I always wake up miles past my stop. ⠀ ⭐ Comment below your tale of inemuri! How far past your stop did you make it? ⭐ ⠀ ALSO — If you accidentally fall into that deep sleep and snore like a beast, it’s nothing a quick ‘sumimasen’ and little bow of the head won’t fix (provided it isn’t a regular occurrence). ⠀ That’s another big part of the culture that I see every day but didn’t actually realize was HUGELY important to the views and beliefs ingrained in to the culture. A little bow of the head isn’t arbitrary. What it is, in this situation, is acknowledging your impact on your surroundings and taking responsibility for that. ⠀ For more about Japanese culture, food, love, life, curry rice, tanuki, and the girl who tried to win an election by wearing Abe masks as a bra, follow @weareJapanSwitch. ✌️ ⠀ 頑張ってね！Good luck! ? . . . . . #japanesephrase #japanesegrammar #日本語勉強中 #にほんごべんきょう #japanesecharacter #japaneselanguageschool #japanexperience #lovejapanese #japanesevocabulary #japanesestudy #japaneselanguage #hiragana #日本語勉強 #japonês #learningjapanese #japanesewords #japaneselesson #tokyogram #japanawaits #amazingjapan #日本語 #nihongo #japaneseculture #japanlife #nippon #japanculture #jepang #jepones #japantravel #japanlover ⠀

Remember that your TONE changes how this will be interpreted but hopefully our politeness meter will help you gauge a bit! ⠀ In English, we have — oh well, it’s fine, I don’t mind/care, and I couldn’t care less (and more). But the WAY you say them changes the intensity, right? ⠀ If I say ‘hello’ normally, it just means hello. If I say it with my eyebrows raised… Something is up. I dare you to walk around work or school right now and say おはよう with raised eyebrows. Let’s call it the # ohayochallenge. ⠀ Comment below how your colleague or クラスメイト responded ? ⠀ BONUS PHRASE: きにしないで! (ki ni shinai de) — Don’t worry! ? ⠀ Next time somebody is apologizing to you and you're not really fussed, you can drop a きにしないで on them and they’ll ? at your natural flow. ⠀ You just don’t see enough of that in a lot of textbooks if I’m honest… But that’s what we’re here to help help with. ⠀ We’re not saying you should abandon textbooks, but you should SUPPLEMENT them with RESOURCES and EXPERIENCES that will help you nail real Japanese. ⠀ And that’s us. ? ⠀ Follow @weareJapanSwitch for the real Japanese phrases you need in daily life if you want to invite someone for a cheeky drink, say it’s all good, or ask a colleague a favor. ⠀ AND we’re also going to be covering topics like love, Japanese culture, food, study tips and more. But we don’t want to just show you what we think you need. We want to actually hear WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY — comment below or drop us a message and let us know! We’ll be sure to credit you for the question when we answer it! ⠀ ?がんばってね！Good luck! . . . . . #japanesephrase #japanesegrammar #にほんごべんきょう #practicejapanese #japaneselanguageschool #japanesevocabulary #learnjapaneseonline #日本語勉強中 #日本語能力試験 #japanesestudy #tokyogram #japaneselanguage #hiragana #katakana #japonês #にほんご #learningjapanese #japanisch #japaneselesson #日本語勉強 #nihongo #日本語 #japanlife #japangram #jepones #jepang #lifeinjapan #japonais #japaneseculture #traveljapan

Are you relying on restaurants with English menus like I was when I first got here? I pretty much didn’t enter any restaurant without one unless I was with a Japanese friend because I was so terrified of kanji in the menu ? ⠀ One of the things that I remember is being absolutely clueless about Japanese food and ingredient words. I can’t eat crayfish for example and had no idea how to say 'please don’t poison me with this amazing looking dish' which made me extra careful in those early days and I feel like I missed out by avoiding restaurants in areas that I was passing through. ⠀ How did you learn Japanese food vocab? ⭐ Comment below and let me know! ⠀ I learned by gradually spending more and more time in restaurants, watching Terrace House, and the good old-fashioned: ⠀ me: what do you feel like? them: I don’t know. what do you feel like? me: I don’t know. whatevs. them: how about nabe? me: huh? them: it’s ? ⠀ Having that conversation again and again is one thing I can recommend because that’s one of the keys to getting your [Japanese] sea legs and really picking up speed and pronunciation. ⠀ Have the same conversations again and again until you internalize it. Then you’ll feel the words more than just recite what you read in a textbook. ⠀ ALSO — We’ve got a whole lot of fresh content planned for you starting from next week! Follow us for more cheeky memes, comics, and mini-Japanese lessons right in your feed! ✌️ ⠀

[PART 2] Learning Japanese words and grammar – Gotta do it. But, sometimes it’s like reading about how to dance. Sometimes it kind of feels like a rehearsal for a rehearsal. If you really want to nail your pronunciation and all the core phrases in Izakaya Nites (and sooooo many more), you have to put in the time to hear all the variations of いいからand だいじょうぶだよ in person out and about in Tokyo ??‍♂️ ⠀ A strange question that I was once asked in an izakaya was ‘What’s your favoorite Japanese word or phrase?’ and, at the time, I had no idea. I think it might be something silly like うまっ! (yum!) which I think I say at pretty much every meal or whenever I have 抹茶アイス (matcha ice cream). It's kind of interesting question and I'm curious if you guys have a favorite word in Japanese. ⠀ ⭐Comment below and let me know! ⠀ We’ve got a heap of content on the way and we’re going to be looking at the phrases you wish were in that textbook and answering some of our most popular questions at the Japan Switch Shinjuku school. ⠀ Follow @weareJapanSwitch to get more comics, cheeky tips, and have your questions about Japanese culture, love, and food answered every week! ? ⠀ #japaneseteacher #japaneseschool #lovejapanese #japanesegrammar #learnjapaneseonline #studyingjapanese #日本語を勉強します #jlptn3 #jlptn4 #jlptn5 #japaneselesson #japanesestudy #studyjapanese #japaneselangauge #日本語勉強 #jlpt #nihongo #にほんご #japanisch #giapponese #bahasajepang #nippon #japaneseculture #japanlife #japanculture #jepones #jepang #kanji #lovejapan #日本語

[PART 1] I’m sure it no surprise that all manga is written in Japanese and later translated into English (and there’s still a lot that never see a translation). When I first got here, starry eyed like Sailor Moon, I was high on the idea of how great it would be for me to learn Japanese from all those great titles – all the ones I’d heard about but didn’t have access to without paying 5x as much for shipping ? ⠀ … Fast forward a year or two. It didn’t quite turn out that way. ? ⠀ I still read a little from time to time, but (pre-pandemic) I actually ended up spending more time in izakayas (Torikizoku or Kin no Kura ftw) with friends than with manga – and this is where I learned a bunch about HOW to actually speak. I’m not talking about learning all the words and the grammar, I mean how to say it like you mean it. This is where I internalized how it's supposed to feel when I say some words which was a big turning point for me in learning Japanese. ⠀ ✋ Out of curiosity, what’s your go-to-izakaya? Toriki had this tempura chicken a little while back that I’ve been craaaaaving for a minute now. What’s the izakaya dish you love the most in Tokyo? Comment below and let me know! ⠀ I'm going to talk a little more about izakayas in [PART 2]. Head over to our profile to see the rest of Izakaya Nites ?? ⠀ Follow @weareJapanSwitch to get more comics, cheeky tips, and have your questions about Japanese culture, love, and food answered every week! ❤️✌️ ⠀ #japaneseteacher #japaneseschool #lovejapanese #japanesegrammar #learnjapaneseonline #studyingjapanese #日本語を勉強します #jlptn3 #jlptn4 #jlptn5 #japaneselesson #japanesestudy #studyjapanese #japaneselangauge #日本語勉強 #jlpt #nihongo #にほんご #japanisch #giapponese #bahasajepang #nippon #japaneseculture #japanlife #japanculture #jepones #jepang #kanji #lovejapan #日本語

Anybody feeling like it's time to break the cycle? Follow or hit us up for a very free demo lesson ✌️ . . . . . #japaneseteacher #japaneseschool #lovejapanese #japanesegrammar #learnjapaneseonline #studyingjapanese #日本語を勉強します #jlptn3 #jlptn4 #jlptn5 #japaneselesson #japanesestudy #studyjapanese #japaneselangauge #日本語勉強 #jlpt #nihongo #にほんご #japanisch #giapponese #bahasajepang #nippon #japaneseculture #japanlife #japanculture #jepones #jepang #kanji #lovejapan #日本語

It's crazy hot out here in Tokyo so we're all in the mood for a little something sweet to help us take the edge off! Tell us which of these unique Japanese desserts you're in the mood for? Screenshot, tick your choices, post + tag us for a repost! Follow @wearejapanswitch for more fresh content weekly! Stay safe ?✌️ . . . . . #japaneseteacher #japaneseschool #lovejapanese #japanesegrammar #learnjapaneseonline #studyingjapanese #日本語を勉強します #japanesedessert #jlptn4 #jlptn5 #japaneselesson #japanesestudy #studyjapanese #japaneselangauge #日本語勉強 #jlpt #nihongo #にほんご #japanisch #giapponese #bahasajepang #nippon #japaneseculture #japanlife #japanculture #jepones #jepang #kanji #lovejapan #日本語