Tadasu no Mori (literally “Forest of Correction”) is said to have kept Kyoto safe from evil for many centuries

via: http://www.japanrealm.com/kyotos-shimogamo-light-festival/

JLPT N4  Grammar  -　がり・がる

Are you using it right??

Although they sound similar, the differences between がり and がる exist!! We explore them in this episode of Bunpogo.

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Welcome to Benkyogo!

In our ぶんぽうご Real Japanese Grammar series, Nani and Mani are deep diving into the textbook grammar required for the JLPT, throwing out the stuff you’ll never use, and teaching you how to speak authentically whilst expressing your own personality.  

⭕️ You WILL:

- Understand grammar in real life context- Be told when and where to forget the BS - Get to listen to 2 random people free-talking about Japanese grammar  

❌ You WON’T:

- Sound boring when talking to your Japanese friends - Say anything rude to your Japanese boss - Speak like you’re fresh outta your favourite anime

We don’t claim to be experts, we’re just 2 Japanese speakers (one native, one second language) chatting about the DO’s and DON’T’s of Japanese grammar in the 21st century. Keep up, textbooks!!  

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Check out https://benkyogo.co.uk/for detailed hints, tips and resources to self-study Japanese.

⛩Check out our store at https://www.etsy.com/shop/benkyogo

JLPT N1 Grammar -　ぐるみ

Are you using it right??

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Welcome to Benkyogo!

In our ぶんぽうご Real Japanese Grammar series, Nani and Mani are deep diving into the textbook grammar required for the JLPT, throwing out the stuff you’ll never use, and teaching you how to speak authentically whilst expressing your own personality.  

⭕️ You WILL:

- Understand grammar in real life context- Be told when and where to forget the BS - Get to listen to 2 random people free-talking about Japanese grammar  

❌ You WON’T:

- Sound boring when talking to your Japanese friends - Say anything rude to your Japanese boss - Speak like you’re fresh outta your favourite anime

We don’t claim to be experts, we’re just 2 Japanese speakers (one native, one second language) chatting about the DO’s and DON’T’s of Japanese grammar in the 21st century. Keep up, textbooks!!  

————-

Check out https://benkyogo.co.uk/for detailed hints, tips and resources to self-study Japanese.

⛩Check out our store at https://www.etsy.com/shop/benkyogo

JLPT N3 Grammar -  いったい

Are you using it right??

We jump back into JLPT N3 grammar with いったい - translated as anything from “What on EARTH?!” to “What the f–?!” - but is it really that strong? And does anyone even say it??! Find out in the next 4 minutes…

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Welcome to Benkyogo!

In our ぶんぽうご Real Japanese Grammar series, Nani and Mani are deep diving into the textbook grammar required for the JLPT, throwing out the stuff you’ll never use, and teaching you how to speak authentically whilst expressing your own personality.  

⭕️ You WILL:

- Understand grammar in real life context- Be told when and where to forget the BS - Get to listen to 2 random people free-talking about Japanese grammar  

❌ You WON’T:

- Sound boring when talking to your Japanese friends - Say anything rude to your Japanese boss - Speak like you’re fresh outta your favourite anime

We don’t claim to be experts, we’re just 2 Japanese speakers (one native, one second language) chatting about the DO’s and DON’T’s of Japanese grammar in the 21st century. Keep up, textbooks!!  

————-

Check out https://benkyogo.co.uk/for detailed hints, tips and resources to self-study Japanese.

⛩Check out our store at https://www.etsy.com/shop/benkyogo

JLPT N4 Grammar -  〜でも

Are you using it right??

In this episode we tackle the differences between でしょう, だろう(ね),and だろ and look into gender differences in Japanese speech.

————-

Welcome to Benkyogo!

In our ぶんぽうご Real Japanese Grammar series, Nani and Mani are deep diving into the textbook grammar required for the JLPT, throwing out the stuff you’ll never use, and teaching you how to speak authentically whilst expressing your own personality.  

⭕️ You WILL:

- Understand grammar in real life context- Be told when and where to forget the BS - Get to listen to 2 random people free-talking about Japanese grammar  

❌ You WON’T:

- Sound boring when talking to your Japanese friends - Say anything rude to your Japanese boss - Speak like you’re fresh outta your favourite anime

We don’t claim to be experts, we’re just 2 Japanese speakers (one native, one second language) chatting about the DO’s and DON’T’s of Japanese grammar in the 21st century. Keep up, textbooks!!  

————-

Check out https://benkyogo.co.uk/for detailed hints, tips and resources to self-study Japanese.

⛩Check out our store at https://www.etsy.com/shop/benkyogo

JLPT N1 Grammar -  こそすれ

Are you using it right??

How did the JLPT go for you? If, like Nani, you feel like you failed miserably… we’re still here to help you for next Summer. In this episode we take a look at the JLPT N1 grammar こそすれ and find out more about Nani’s cat.

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Welcome to Benkyogo!

In our ぶんぽうご Real Japanese Grammar series, Nani and Mani are deep diving into the textbook grammar required for the JLPT, throwing out the stuff you’ll never use, and teaching you how to speak authentically whilst expressing your own personality.  

⭕️ You WILL:

- Understand grammar in real life context- Be told when and where to forget the BS - Get to listen to 2 random people free-talking about Japanese grammar  

❌ You WON’T:

- Sound boring when talking to your Japanese friends - Say anything rude to your Japanese boss - Speak like you’re fresh outta your favourite anime

We don’t claim to be experts, we’re just 2 Japanese speakers (one native, one second language) chatting about the DO’s and DON’T’s of Japanese grammar in the 21st century. Keep up, textbooks!!  

————-

Check out https://benkyogo.co.uk/for detailed hints, tips and resources to self-study Japanese.

⛩Check out our store at https://www.etsy.com/shop/benkyogo

JLPT N2 Grammar -  どうせ

Are you using it right??

In this episode we take a look at the JLPT N2 grammar どうせ and find out what angry mums and guilty boyfriends have in common.

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Welcome to Benkyogo!

In our ぶんぽうご Real Japanese Grammar series, Nani and Mani are deep diving into the textbook grammar required for the JLPT, throwing out the stuff you’ll never use, and teaching you how to speak authentically whilst expressing your own personality.  

⭕️ You WILL:

- Understand grammar in real life context- Be told when and where to forget the BS - Get to listen to 2 random people free-talking about Japanese grammar  

❌ You WON’T:

- Sound boring when talking to your Japanese friends - Say anything rude to your Japanese boss - Speak like you’re fresh outta your favourite anime

We don’t claim to be experts, we’re just 2 Japanese speakers (one native, one second language) chatting about the DO’s and DON’T’s of Japanese grammar in the 21st century. Keep up, textbooks!!  

————-

Check out https://benkyogo.co.uk/ for detailed hints, tips and resources to self-study Japanese.

⛩Check out our store at https://www.etsy.com/shop/benkyogo

JLPT N2 Grammar -  あるいは

Are you using it right??

In this episode we explore the 2 meanings of あるいは, but after all the hassle do we even use it??! Find out in 2 minutes how to say it in casual, formal and business situations.

————-

Welcome to Benkyogo!

In our ぶんぽうご Real Japanese Grammar series, Nani and Mani are deep diving into the textbook grammar required for the JLPT, throwing out the stuff you’ll never use, and teaching you how to speak authentically whilst expressing your own personality.  

⭕️ You WILL:

- Understand grammar in real life context- Be told when and where to forget the BS - Get to listen to 2 random people free-talking about Japanese grammar  

❌ You WON’T:

- Sound boring when talking to your Japanese friends - Say anything rude to your Japanese boss - Speak like you’re fresh outta your favourite anime

We don’t claim to be experts, we’re just 2 Japanese speakers (one native, one second language) chatting about the DO’s and DON’T’s of Japanese grammar in the 21st century. Keep up, textbooks!!  

————-

Check out https://benkyogo.co.uk/ for detailed hints, tips and resources to self-study Japanese.

⛩Check out our store at https://www.etsy.com/shop/benkyogo

Welcome to Benkyogo!

Click CC for English subs! 

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Do you always fall back on Katakana when you don’t know the Japanese word? Do you struggle to understand all the ways to say 「やばい」?  "The game called Haa" and “No Katakana” help you practice speaking dynamic Japanese. Recently these card games have taken Japan by storm, but haven’t quite made it over into the Gaijin stratosphere… until now. 

ーーーーーーーー 

　Visithttp://www.benkyogo.co.uk for more hints and tips to study Japanese. 

⛩ 　Visit https://www.etsy.com/shop/benkyogo for language printables.

One snowy morning. / 雪かき、足あと、軒下、白菜。

Monday 9th October 2017. 16:00 Kyoto Japan.

I’ll be making the move to Osaka in a few weeks and one thing I’ll miss most about Kyoto is my old Japanese house and my bedroom I’ve called home for the last year. The golden hour light poured into my room and made me feel so content and happy. I was feeling quite reflective; as one chapters closes another opens (as the saying goes).

Monday 9th October 2017. 12:00 Kyoto Japan.

We then cycled to Kamigamo-jinja (上賀茂神社). It was such a beautiful day today and we were greeted by numerous wedding ceremonies taking place at the shrine which was interesting to see. We wandered around the grounds and up to the view point.

Sunday 8th October 2017. 18:00 Kyoto Japan.

We decided to climb Daimonji to watch the sunset. We both can’t get enough of watching sunsets haha but we definitely made the right decision as tonight’s one was a banger! We got to the top with plenty of time to spare, it was lovely to relax and actually watch the sun go down. 

Sunday 8th October 2017. 13:30 Kyoto Japan.

I’ve decided to start making short videos to accompany my images. Nothing too fancy but I thought it would be a nice addition to my blog. Enjoy!

Sunday 8th October 2017. 13:00 Kyoto Japan.

We watched some traditional Japanese dancing whilst we strolled through the beautiful Arashiyama.

Sunday 8th October 2017. 12:30 Kyoto Japan.

Our cruise ended in Arashiyama. Once everyone had left the boat the guys allowed me and Nomu to stay on and they let us row across Arashiyama. They were all so kind and it was an awesome end to the rover boat experience. 

Sunday 8th October 2017. 11:00 Kyoto Japan.

Today me and Nomu went on the Hozugawa River Cruise. We have wanted to do this for a while and decided to go today as I only have a few more weekends left in Kyoto. We couldn’t have picked a better day the weather was glorious.

Hozugawa River Cruises (保津川下り, Hozugawa Kudari) are sightseeing boat rides down the Hozugawa River from Kameoka to Arashiyama. The cruises utilize traditional style, flat bottomed boats piloted by boatmen who guide the craft with oars and bamboo poles. The boats take about two hours to leisurely make their way down the river and are a relaxing way to see the natural scenery of the largely undeveloped ravine. The river cruises are often combined with a ride on the Sagano Scenic Railway.

The Hozugawa River was originally employed to transport logs that were used to build many of Kyoto and Osaka’s famous temples and castles. During the Edo Period the river was cleared of obstructions so that boats carrying grain, firewood and other cargo could safely navigate it. Trains and trucks eventually made river transport obsolete, and operations ceased after several hundred years of use. However, the boats were brought back and eventually became popular as a sightseeing attraction.

Thursday 5th October 2017. 13:00 Kyoto Japan.

Funaokayama Park 船岡山公園

A small mountain park in the centre of the city providing a peaceful viewing platform looking south towards downtown Kyoto.

Thursday 5th October 2017. 11:30 Kyoto Japan.

Kinkakuji Temple located on the west side of Kyoto. It’s been a while since I’d been here so it was nice to revisit with Jake. It was ridiculously busy but that didn’t deter from the beauty of the temple and it’s grounds. I’m absolutely loving the beginning of autumn here in Kyoto. This will be my first full autumn experience in Japan as I arrived here in November last year. I feel quite lucky that I will be able to experience the full season from start to finish, best time of the year for sure!

Wednesday 4th October 2017. 19:30 Kyoto Japan.

The full moon and the accompanying traditional Japanese music and dancing was a pleasure to watch. When the clouds covered the moon it made for an even more beautiful scene, quite magical.

Thursday 23rd November 2017. 14:30 Mt. Kurama Kyoto.

Part of the trail up the to peak of the mountain was closed due to fallen tress from the recent Typhoon, which was a shame, but no the end of the world. I felt satisfied in my visit to Kurama today, so so beautiful.

Thursday 23rd November 2017. 13:00 Mt. Kurama Kyoto.

The higher I walked towards the top of the mountain the more intense and beautiful the Koyo became. I had definitely decided to visit on the best day, I feel like the Koyo was at its peak here. 

Thursday 23rd November 2017. 12:00 Mt. Kurama Kyoto.

Today was another public holiday, which I didn’t know about again until this morning haha, so I decided to get the train to Kyoto and climb Mt. Kurama. It was only a few days ago when I was thinking about the Koyo in Kyoto so I was grateful for this day off to go and see the Koyo and have some time outside. It was a beautiful day, but the trains were super busy due to it being the public holiday.

Kurama didn’t disappoint, it was a dream!

Monday 6th November 2017. 16:30 Mt.Kongo Osaka.

On our descent from Kongo San we were greeted by beautiful golden hour light combined with the awesome autumn colours of the mountain was perfect. We also came across the most amazing tree which looked like it had started as one but has split during it’s growth, it was huge! 

Monday 6th November 2017. 14:00 Mt.Kongo Osaka.

We reached the summit after about an hour and 30/40 minutes climbing. There is actually nothing more satisfying than climbing a big old mountain. I’ve always loved hiking, ever since I was little, and to be able to it here so regularly is amazing. 

Although it was a beautiful sunny day there was a haze over the city so we couldn’t actually see anything below haha but still rewarding nonetheless. I would love to come back here when it’s covered in snow, that would be something special. They say the best time to come is in February so we’ll see! 

Monday 6th November 2017. 13:00 Mt.Kongo Osaka.

Mount Kongo (金剛山) in Osaka, at 1,125 meters is Osaka’s tallest mountain, with the border between the Osaka and Nara prefectures slicing right through it. Mount Kongō has a rich history as the birthplace of the Shugendo, a religion where one attains enlightenment by understating the relation between humans and nature through mountain dwelling and worship. The mountain also hosted an epic battle around 1330 between imperial loyalists and the Shogunate totalitarian ruler of Japan. On clear weather days the view from the summit include the plains of Settsu, the Rokko Mountains and even as far as Awaji Island.

I love having Mondays off with Ellen because we can actually do stuff together now that we live in the same city which is so nice. We escaped to the mountains on the most beautiful day, we couldn’t have asked for better weather to hike in. We got the train to Kawachi-nagano and then jumped on a bus from here which took us to the bottom of our hiking trail.

Sunday 5th November 2017. 14:30 Osaka Castle Park.

Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園 Osaka-Jō-Kōen) is a public urban park and historical site situated at Osaka-Jō in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. It lies on the south of the Ōkawa (Kyū-Yodo River) and occupies a large area in the centre of the city of Osaka. This park is the second largest park in the city.

This place is so close to my house, 2 stops down on the train or a 25 minute bike ride. Perfect.

We jumped on the train and went for a wander. We were greeted by a huge festival, we had no idea this was taking place, but there was such a great vibe and everything was so loud! We walked up to the castle and sat on the top of the turrets watching the sunset over the city. The koyo looked amazing too. 

Friday 3rd November 2017. 16:30 Minoo Osaka.

I couldn’t reach the waterfall today but one of the hiking trails was still open so I decided to hike up to one of the viewpoints instead. This was definitely a good decision as I was just in time to watch the sunset. It was a short hike but very steep. The view was beautiful and the golden hour light was even better. 

Friday 3rd November 2017. 14:30 Minoo Osaka.

Today was yet another public holiday, which I completely forgot about until late last night, so it came as a nice surprise. I decided to get some fresh air away from the city and head to Minoo Park.

Minoo Park (箕面公園, Minō Kōen, also spelled Mino or Minoh) is a forested valley on the outskirts of Osaka, just north of the urban sprawl. During the fall, it is one of the best places in the Kansai Region to see the autumn colours in a natural setting, as opposed to the attractive fall foliage found at temples and gardens. The colours are usually best in the second half of November.

Similar to Tokyo’s Mount Takao, Minoo Park is the closest spot to the busy metropolis of Osaka to find a spacious natural recreation area. The park can be reached in less than 30 minutes from the downtown Umeda area. Another similarity, Takao and Minoo were both given quasi-national park status in 1967 to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the Meiji Period (1867-1912).

Minoo Park is famous for its waterfall but unfortunately when I arrived and had walked through the village, the rest of the walk leading up to the waterfall was closed off due to damage and fallen trees on the path caused by the typhoon a few weeks ago. It was still beautiful and made for a lovely afternoon out of the city. I also saw my first ever Japanese Giant Hornet but of course I didn’t get close enough to take a picture lol.

Thursday 2nd November 2017. 08:00 Osaka Japan.

It was a beautiful autumn day today so I decided to head out early and go for a stroll around my new neighbourhood. My house is super to Sanadayama park which I didn’t realise had it’s own baseball field, tennis courts, swimming pool and running track! All on my doorstep; this is great. The colours of the Koyo in the park this morning were awesome too; so nice to have this small piece of nature next to my house within the hustle and bustle of the big city.