I'm really glad I got to write this piece. After interviewing a very cool and special person at the Nagoya Rainbow Pride for a different article I'm working on, they invited me to the press conference. It was my first time attending a press conference explicitly as a journalist 😌

Today's homework for one of my private lessons was to write about an anime they watched or are currently watching. My student chose Inuyasha! It's one of the anime that really brought me into Japanese history and the need to watch it in Japanese. They did a really good job - they have only been

Your face is small! 顔が小さいですね。 kao ga chiisai desu ne. 顔 kao - face (right part 頁means head) 小さい chiisai - small (looks like a small 人 person with their arms close to their body) That's what people here in Japan keep telling me after I got my hair cut some time ago. At first, I was like ??? wth?

Hydrangea 紫陽花(あじさい) ajisai season has started! 紫 violet 陽 sun 花 flower

Flying carps and oak leaf rice cakes 5 video course for beginners (free of cost): www.japanesewithmanu.com/newsletter #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson #learnjapanese #japaneseforbeginners #japaneseculture

A shrine 神社(じんじゃ jinja) in a department store in Tokyo.

Mysterious fruit!

Kitty is 'checking out' the samurai decoration for 子供の日 (kodomo no hi) Children's day. (More like destroying) #japan #japaneseculture #japaneselanguage #goldenweek #cat

Today is Showa day in Japan, the start of the Golden Week! Learn everything about this day and where it came from! Sign up for my newsletter and get free study materials! www.japanesewithmanu.com/newsletter #japaneselanguage #japan #japaneseculture #goldenweek #japaneselesson

Preparing for 子供(こども)の日(ひ) Children's day. But something is not quite right... Do you spot the mistake? #japan #japaneseculture #japaneselanguage #learnjapanese

Which hiragana do you think are not used in Japanese numbers plates? And why? Kitty knows the answer but won't tell you. 猫が教えてあげないって Neko ga oshiete agenai tte #japan #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson

つつじ (tsutsuji) azalea time in Japan. They are currently blooming here in Fukui. There's even a つつじ祭り azalea festival (matsuri) in Sabae city, not too far away from here. This video is from today's night walk. Their scent is not strong but quite pleasant.

I admit, I am one of those people who need a teacher and regular classes to learn. I bought a bunch of books about drawing because the contents looked like it would help. I opened some of them and drew a few things from even fewer. The problem I have is that I need an appointment. A rhythm. Doing

It's Friday morning in Japan! That means it's drawing lesson time for me. 金曜日の朝はお絵描きレッスンの時間です。 Kinyoubi no asa wa oegaki ressun no jikan desu.

Teaching Japanese brings me so much joy! Today, I had a lesson where we read the first few pages of my book "Reading Japanese for Beginners." The student had some experience with studying Japanese from a long time ago, so they struggled a little with the first few sentences. But reading through

Today's art class. 今日のお絵描き授業 kyou no o-egaki jugyou We added the lower body 下半身(かはんしん ka-han-shin) to the upper body/torso 上半身じょうはんしん jou-han-shin). #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson #kanji #artlesson

These are the books I have published in German. One of them, 'Reading Japanese for Beginners,' is already available in English. Currently, I am working on 'Japanese for Beginners,' which focuses on hiragana and katakana, together with some useful vocabulary and a first introduction into grammar.

Kyoto aquarium has a relationship chart for their penguins - and it's hilarious! Apparently, they update it every year - this is the 2026 version: www.kyoto-aquarium.com/special/soka...

A car on the way to Kyoto. It says 満喫中(まんきつちゅう) currently enjoying. I guess they are enjoying the drive. Above, it says 本免許(ほんめんきょ) real driving license compared to 仮免許(かりめんきょ) temporary driving license, as in the one you get when preparing to get your driving license. Meaning: this was once a

Today's drawing lesson: upper body 上半身(じょうはんしん) jou-han-shin 上 up/above 半 half 身 body We only did Doraemon hands, no time for talking about drawing hands yet XD #japaneselanguage #kanji #japaneselesson

Give me my daily proteins! Even if the original meal didn't have enough. Just add a serving of nattou! In Japanese, there's たんぱく質 tanpaku-shitsu and プロテイン purotein, the former referring to "natural protein in food," whereas the latter is protein from supplements. #japan #natto #japaneselanguage

Walking under the cherry blossoms at night is always (or still) very impressive. いつも感激(かんげき)します。 Itsumo kangeki shimasu. I am always deeply moved/thrilled. #hanami #japan #japaneselanguage

Do you remember how you felt when you wrote your first hiragana and katakana? Also, when you realized that you could read your first Japanese words? Tell me! I'll start in the first reply :) #japaneselanguage #hiragana #katakana

Seen in Kyoto 可愛いワンちゃん Kawaii wan-chan Cute doggo ワン wan dog bark ワンワン wan wan bow-wow ちゃん chan suffix to make something sound cute, usually after names 犬 inu dog: 大 big (人 person that stretches their arms to look bigger) plus a stick #japan #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson #shibainu #kanji

Another drawing lesson. This time facial expressions. Happiness 喜(よろこ)び or キ Anger 怒(いか)り or ド Sadness 哀(かな)しみ or アイ Joy 楽(たの)しみ or ラク The katakana version is the Chinese pronunciation of the kanji 喜怒哀楽 キドアイラク The four human emotions #japaneselanguage #artlesson #japaneselesson

Me today at Atsuta shrine, Nagoya. At the katakana museum there, they had several swords available for trying out/lifting. This sword was 8 kilos - 17.6 lbs!

Enjoying Sakura Mochi ice cream in front of Nagoya castle. 名古屋城の前で桜餅アイスクリームを食べています。

On the way to Nagoya 名古屋 名 name = famous 古 old 屋 stores/restaurants There are several explanations as to how this name was established. One of them is that there was an old settlement with the name 長屋 nagaya that then was changed to Nagoya. Nagoya is famous for its castle and Atsuta shrine

Had an online drawing lesson today. The left part is my try. The right part is the teacher explaining what you have to pay attention to. Notes from the teacher: The forehead line is nice, and the pupils are beautiful. Also, I got homework 😁 #artlesson #japaneselanguage

My main job is teaching Japanese, but today, I have taught German in Japanese (I also teach English in Japanese) But what I enjoy most is teaching Japanese. I have been doing it for over 15 years now 💪 Learning Japanese has brought me so much joy and made me the person I am today. It helps me make

What's the name of this animal in front of shrines that acts as a guard? There are usually two of them, one on the right and one on the left, referring to 阿吽(あうん a un) the beginning and the end of the universe in Buddhism. #japan #japaneseculture #japaneselanguage

My cherry (not cherry blossom) tree is about to bloom! さくらんぼは後(あと)ちょっと咲(さ)きますね. Sakuranbo wa ato chotto sakimasu ne. Sakuranbo - Japanese cherry ato chotto - just a little more (until) sakimasu - to bloom #japan #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson #spring

More than 50 subscribers on my YouTube channel! It might not sound much compared to the big ones out there, but the last video convinced 6! people to subscribe! Guess my explanations are not too bad 💪 youtube.com/@japanese-wi... #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson

Today's breakfast. Doesn't look that fancy, but I love gyoza 餃子 they are originally from China, but the Japanese ones have a thinner wrapping. It's also worth looking at the kanji! 餃 this kanji already means gyouza, its parts/radicals are 飠(food, to eat) and 交 mixing 子 kanji for child, but can be

Now I am unstoppable! Guess what this is 😁

When you realize the due date 賞味期限 (shou-mi-ki-gen, actually "best before date") of the バウムクーヘン baumukuuhen is today... Then you quickly make some accompanying cherry blossom tea and eat it right after breakfast XD Also, I absolutely love (Japanese) baumkuchen. They even have a バウムクーヘン day here!

The garden with its villa

It looks like the cherry blossom travel season is already up on us! Both today AND tomorrow, some of my students come to visit me here in Fukui, and we do the Fukui city tour with the traditional Japanese garden, the mote-mote shrine, the castle ruins, and the dinosaur spotting! With Fukui's famous

Do you know Lake Biwa 琵琶湖(びわこ biwa-ko in Shiga prefecture? 湖こko=lake 氵liquids 古old 月 moon Biwa is a Japanese pear-shaped lute. The lake looks like one. Biwako is famous for its blue, and so are the souvenirs you can get there. Would you dare and eat one of those? #japan #japaneselanguage #kanji

Plum 梅(うめ ume 木 tree plus 毎 every) blossoms in Kyoto Plumtrees bloom earlier than cherry blossom trees, and the blossoms are simpler, representing the traditional Japanese lifestyle more accurately compared to the frilly sakura 桜 (tree 木 woman 女 katakana tsu ツ) #japan #kanji #japaneselanguage

Today is Hinamatsuri, ひな祭り the Hina-Doll-Festival, actually its last day. It's also called girls festival as it is celebrated with families that have daughters, wishing for their health and happiness. Another name is Momo no sekku 桃の節句 the peach seasonal festival. I am currently traveling

Share a TV show that raised you.

The cherry blossom season is upon us (even though it takes some more time for most of the cherry blossom trees to bloom). Cherry blossom snacks and decorations can be found all around, just like this sakura dorayaki 桜どら焼 #japan #sakura #dorayaki

Every week, I am checking my students‘ homework and answer their questions. Today, one of my students drew a quizzically looking Luffy as they had a questions about verbs.

Also, happy cat day 猫の日 neko no hi! 2月22日 three times ni (Japanese for "two") sounds like cat meowing nyaanyaanyaa 月 kanji for moon/month　日 kanji for sun/day Here are some pics of my cat 🐈‍⬛

One of fav places in Kyoto. A small café next to Yasaka Shrine. Look for Nikenchaya 二軒茶屋

I love you in Japanese 😍🥰 #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson #studyjapanese #valentine

If you prefer watching the latest episode on youtube, here's the link: youtu.be/PKA8hcPHE9o

Here's the link to the podcast episode: japanese-with-manu.podigee.io/7-meishin-su...

New Podcast Episode - Superstitions in Japan - 迷信 meishin Superstitions are part of every culture, also in Japan. In this episode I talk about some of the most widespread superstitions of the Land of the Rising Sun. Many of them are completely different compared to what you grew up with.