An interview with my teens on why language learning matters

How subtitles both help and hold you back

How the little things we can’t afford shape how we feel

Balancing creative dreams and real-life responsibilities

A reflection on forgiveness and letting go

A reflection on daring to believe in yourself

A reflection on belonging, identity, and finding home in another country

A reflection on identity, expectations, and rediscovering your authentic self

Life in the Japanese Countryside

What I’ve learned after two decades of living and speaking Japanese every day

韮 (nira) means "garlic chives". It's a common herb used in gyōza, chijimi, stir fries and other dishes. This kanji isn't in the 常用漢字 (jōyō kanji) list, (the official kanji taught in school and used in newspapers, books, government documents etc) so it has the reading にら shown in hiragana below it. I love symmetrical or very angular looking kanji like this.

How to read the front of a pack of butter...Generally, if you're concerned about salt intake, look out for 食塩不使用 (shoku-en fu-shi-yō) for unsalted or 減塩 (gen-en) for low salt. One of the things that surprised me when I first arrived in Japan was how small the packets of butter are. (They're not cheap either!)This is the brand I use, but there are plenty of others. #kanji #lifeinjapan #japanlife #readingjapanese #reallifejapanese #nihongo

Life in the Japanese Countryside

Understanding the real block behind my procrastination

Exploring the Logic of Japanese Writing

One of my favourite types of tofu is ごま豆腐 (Goma-dōfu) which is sesame tofu. Well on this pack in the top right corner there's a Kanji (pronounced kudzu, くず) which means 'Kudzu starch'. Kudzu is a type of climbing vine in the pea family. This starch is used for cooking and in traditional medicine and is what gives sesame tofu its soft, pudding-like texture.The interesting thing is that the Kanji character is actually 葛 and the one used on this packet is a variant for certain fonts. That's why I couldn't find 葛󠄀 on my phone keyboard. Look out for 葛󠄀入り or 葛入り when you get sesame tofu. Apparently some cheaper versions use potato starch instead. #japanesefoods #sesametofu #kanji #jlptn1 #日本語 #ごま豆腐 #languagelearning #japaneselanguage

A friendly guide to starting Japanese without fear

Surprising ways impatience, stubbornness, and laziness can boost your language learning

The everyday words and phrases you’ll actually use

Life in the Japanese Countryside

Inside the evolving toolbox that’s kept humanity alive

Practical language learning tips for busy people

Life in the Japanese Countryside

The fun of sharing secrets with a tiny, trusted audience

Life in the Japanese Countryside