how to write a short essay in japanese

• School Life

Essay on National Sports Day in English: 10 Lines, Short and Long Essay Ideas

National sports day , celebrated on august 29th, this day highlights the importance of physical fitness, sportsmanship, and teamwork, encouraging individuals to embrace an active lifestyle and appreciate the values embodied by sports..

10 lines on National Sports Day 

• National Sports Day is celebrated on August 29th each year in honor of Major Dhyan Chand, an Indian hockey player.
• The day highlights the importance of sports and physical fitness in our daily lives.
• Major Dhyan Chand, known for his extraordinary skills, played a crucial role in India's success in hockey.
• National Sports Day serves as a tribute to his contributions and achievements in the world of sports.
• The day encourages people of all ages to engage in physical activities and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
• Schools, colleges, and sports organizations organize various events to celebrate sports and inspire participants.
• Activities on National Sports Day include sports demonstrations, friendly matches, and fitness challenges.
• The day also features motivational talks and awards recognizing outstanding athletes and teams.
• National Sports Day fosters a sense of unity, teamwork, and sportsmanship among individuals.
• By celebrating this day, we honor the values of discipline and dedication that sports teach us and encourage a lifelong commitment to fitness and well-being.

Essay on National Sports Day in 300 Words

National Sports Day, celebrated on August 29th every year, is a special occasion dedicated to honoring Major Dhyan Chand, a legendary hockey player known for his exceptional skills. Born on this day in 1905, Dhyan Chand earned the nickname "The Wizard" because of his amazing talent on the hockey field. His contributions to Indian sports include leading the country to win gold medals in the 1928 and 1932 Olympic Games, making him one of India’s greatest athletes.

The main purpose of National Sports Day is to promote the importance of sports and physical activity. It serves as a reminder of how sports can help us stay fit, learn discipline, and work well with others. Playing sports teaches us important life skills such as teamwork, leadership, and perseverance.

On this day, schools, colleges, and sports organizations across the country organize various events and activities. These can include sports demonstrations, friendly matches, and fitness challenges. These activities are designed to encourage everyone, especially young people, to be active and adopt a healthy lifestyle.

National Sports Day also features motivational talks from famous athletes who share their experiences and inspire others to follow their dreams. Awards are given to outstanding athletes to recognize their hard work and achievements.

Essay on National Sports Day in 500 Words

National Sports Day, observed on August 29th each year, is a special day in India dedicated to celebrating sports and honoring the achievements of Major Dhyan Chand, one of the greatest hockey players in history. Born on this day in 1905, Dhyan Chand’s incredible skills and contributions to the sport of hockey make him a legendary figure. His remarkable performances led India to win gold medals in the 1928 and 1932 Olympic Games, earning him the nickname “The Wizard” of hockey.

The purpose of National Sports Day is to highlight the importance of sports and encourage people to stay active and healthy. Sports are not just about playing games; they teach us important life skills such as teamwork, discipline, and perseverance. When we participate in sports, we learn how to work well with others, set goals, and overcome challenges. These lessons are valuable in all areas of life, not just in sports.

On National Sports Day, schools, colleges, and sports organizations across the country organize various events and activities. These can include sports demonstrations, friendly matches, and fitness challenges. These events are designed to get everyone involved and promote physical activity. For example, students might participate in running races, soccer games, or basketball tournaments. There are also activities that focus on fun and fitness, such as yoga sessions and dance performances.

In addition to these activities, National Sports Day often features speeches and motivational talks from famous athletes. These athletes share their stories and experiences, inspiring others to pursue their own goals and dreams. Hearing from people who have achieved great things in sports can motivate us to work harder and strive for success.

Awards are also an important part of National Sports Day. Outstanding athletes are recognized for their hard work and achievements. This helps to celebrate their efforts and encourages others to aim for excellence in their own sports activities.

National Sports Day is not just about honoring Major Dhyan Chand’s legacy; it is also about celebrating the joy of sports and the benefits they bring to our lives. Sports help us stay fit and healthy, make new friends, and develop important skills. They also bring people together, creating a sense of community and teamwork.

By participating in the events of National Sports Day, we are reminded of the values that sports teach us. We learn about the importance of hard work, dedication, and fair play. We also get a chance to enjoy the excitement and fun that sports provide. This day encourages us to be active, to appreciate the benefits of physical fitness, and to embrace the positive values that come with playing sports.

Essential Tips for Essay Writing

• National Sports Day Drawings 2024
• National Sports Day Anchoring Script 2024
• National Sports Day Speech in English and Hindi 2024

Get here latest School , CBSE and Govt Jobs notification and articles in English and Hindi for Sarkari Naukari , Sarkari Result and Exam Preparation . Download the Jagran Josh Sarkari Naukri App .

• India Post GDS Merit List 2024
• India Post GDS Result 2024
• UP Police Constable Admit Card 2024
• UGC NET Exam Analysis 2024
• UPSC Calendar 2025
• India GDS Merit List 2024 PDF
• UP Police Exam Analysis 2024 Live Updates
• Happy Janmashtami Wishes
• Sri Krishna
• Janmashtami Wishes in Hindi
• Education News

Latest Education News

NABARD Grade A Admit Card 2024 Out at nabard.org: Download Assistant Manager Call Letter

Who is Olly Stone? Confirmed as Mark Wood's pace replacement for Lord's Test

CSIR NET Result 2024 Live Updates: Direct Link Soon at csirnet.nta.ac.in, Check Updates

{PDF} UP Police Question Paper 2024: यूपी पुलिस कांस्टेबल के सभी शिफ्टों के प्रश्न पत्र पीडीएफ यहाँ से डाउनलोड करें

Madhya Pradesh MP Board Class 12 Physics Syllabus: MPBSE 12th Physics Syllabus Download Free PDF!

RBSE 10th, 12th Supplementary Result 2024 Date: Check Rajasthan Board Class 10, 12 Results Date, Time at rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in

Today Current Affairs Quiz In Hindi: 29 अगस्त 2024- राष्ट्रीय खेल दिवस 2024

CBSE Class 12 Physics Competency-Based Questions With Answer Key 2024-25: Chapter 2 Current Electricity FREE PDF Download

UPSC Syllabus 2025: यूपीएससी परीक्षा का पूरा सिलेबस, किताबें और एग्जाम पैटर्न यहाँ चेक करें

Indian Overseas Bank Recruitment 2024: Apply Online for 550 Apprenticeship Vacancies

HP NEET UG Counselling 2024: Himachal NEET Provisional Round 1 Seat Allotment Result Today at amruhp.ac.in; Check Details

MJPRU Result 2024 OUT at mjpruiums.in; Download UG and PG Marksheet PDF

Paralympics 2024: List of All Indian Athletes with Sports Names at the Paris Olympic Games

Top 5 Words of the Day for School Morning Assembly: 30 August 2024

CSB Scientist B Recruitment 2024: Notification Out For 122 Posts, Check Eligibility

UP Students to Get Rs 40,000 Fellowship to Travel All Over India: Check Details

List of 10 Countries Where Usage of Telegram is Restricted

Kerala NEET UG 2024: Final Round 1 Allotment Results Today, Download Allotment Order at cee.kerala.gov.in

Maharashtra NEET UG 2024: Round 1 Provisional Merit List Out, Download PDF at cetcell.mahacet.org

Symbiosis MBA Registrations are live via SNAP Test 2024: Check the complete guide to Apply, Fees & Other Details

• Students Testimonials
• Our Awards and Recognitions
• Japanese Teachers
• Small Group Classes
• Private Japanese Tutor
• Online Japanese Course
• Japanese Business Courses
• Beginner Group Class
• Intermediate Group Class
• MOE Japanese O level Tuition
• Corporate Training
• Japanese for Beginners
• Elementary & Intermediate
• Japanese Business
• Adult Japanese Courses
• Online Japanese Course: Boost Your Language Skills
• Jurong Campus
• Japanese Placement Test
• Online Payment and Fees
• Japanese Placement Test _ old version
• Search for:

Mastering The Art Of Japanese Essay Writing: A How-To Guide

Essay writing in Japanese can be both challenging and rewarding. Whether you’re a student striving for academic excellence or an enthusiast looking to express yourself fluently in Japanese, honing your essay-writing skills is crucial. From crafting compelling arguments to mastering the intricacies of grammar and style, there are several strategies you can employ to improve your Japanese essay writing. In this guide, we’ll explore some effective techniques to help you elevate your writing to the next level.

1. Expand your vocabulary

Building a strong vocabulary is fundamental to effective essay writing in any language, including Japanese. Make a habit of learning new words regularly and incorporating them into your writing. Utilise flashcards, language learning apps, and reading extensively to expose yourself to a wide range of vocabulary. Additionally, pay attention to kanji and their various readings, as they can significantly enhance your writing proficiency.

2. Practice writing regularly

Like any skill, Japanese essay writing requires consistent practice to improve. Set aside dedicated time each day to write essays on different topics. Start with simple subjects and gradually increase the complexity as you gain confidence. Don’t shy away from seeking feedback from native speakers or instructors to identify areas for improvement.

3. Focus on grammar and syntax

Paying attention to grammar and syntax is essential for producing coherent and polished essays. Review grammar rules regularly and practise applying them in your writing. Take note of common mistakes and strive to avoid them in your essays. Additionally, analyse well-written Japanese essays to observe how native speakers construct sentences and convey their ideas effectively.

4. Develop strong arguments

Whether you’re writing an opinion piece or an analytical essay, developing strong arguments is crucial. Take the time to brainstorm and organise your thoughts before writing. Clearly outline your main points and provide supporting evidence to strengthen your arguments. Consider using rhetorical devices and persuasive language to engage your readers and make your essay more compelling.

5. Read Japanese literature

Reading Japanese literature is not only enjoyable but also beneficial for improving your essay-writing skills. Expose yourself to a variety of literary works, including novels, essays, and articles, to familiarise yourself with different writing styles and techniques. Pay attention to how authors structure their essays, develop characters, and evoke emotions through language.

6. Edit and revise

Effective editing and revision are essential steps in the essay writing process. After completing a draft, take a break and then revisit your essay with fresh eyes. Look for grammatical errors, awkward phrasing, and inconsistencies in your writing. Consider seeking feedback from peers or mentors to gain valuable insights into areas for improvement. Revise your essay multiple times until you’re satisfied with the final result.

7. Immerse yourself in the language

Immersing yourself in the Japanese language and culture can significantly enhance your essay-writing skills. Watch popular Japanese TV shows , listen to Japanese music, and engage in conversations with native speakers whenever possible. Immerse yourself in authentic Japanese content to absorb idiomatic expressions, colloquialisms, and cultural nuances that will enrich your writing.

In conclusion, improving your Japanese essay writing skills requires dedication, practice, and a willingness to learn. By expanding your vocabulary, practising regularly, focusing on grammar and syntax, developing strong arguments, reading Japanese literature, editing, and revising your work, and immersing yourself in the language, you can make significant strides in your writing proficiency. Remember that mastery takes time and effort, so be patient with yourself and celebrate your progress along the way.

For further guidance and resources on Japanese language learning, consider exploring Japanese Explorer’s comprehensive Japanese classes. With our expert instruction and tailored curriculum, you can learn Japanese with ease and accelerate your journey toward fluency and proficiency in Japanese essay writing.

So, what are you waiting for? Enrol in a Japanese lesson in Singapore with us today!

Does Listening To J-Pop Help You Pick Up Japanese Faster?

Appreciating japanese poetry: haiku & tanka's beauty.

Comments are closed.

Japanese Explorer is a Japanese language school in Singapore that offers quality, affordable, and top-class Japanese language courses which cater to every age, level, or learning preference.

Course Structure

• Intermediate

CONTACT INFO

• Japanese Explorer 137 Cecil Street #07-04, Cecil building Singapore 069537
• Tel: +65 97258311
• WhatsApp: +65 87970995
• [email protected]
• www.japaneseexplorer.com.sg

LATEST NEWS

• How to Set Realistic Japanese Language Learning Goals August 20, 2024
• The Profound Influence of Chinese on the Japanese Language August 14, 2024
• How to Create a Japanese Study Plan That Works for You July 16, 2024
• The Best Japanese Language Podcasts to Listen to In 2024 July 9, 2024

2017_2021 © Copyright, Japanese Explorer. All Rights Reserved. User Sitemap

Stay connected:

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

StoryLearning

Learn A Language Through Stories

How To Write In Japanese – A Beginner’s Guide

Do you want to learn how to write in Japanese , but feel confused or intimidated by the script?

This post will break it all down for you, in a step-by-step guide to reading and writing skills this beautiful language.

I remember when I first started learning Japanese and how daunting the writing system seemed. I even wondered whether I could get away without learning the script altogether and just sticking with romaji (writing Japanese with the roman letters).

I’m glad I didn’t.

If you’re serious about learning Japanese, you have to get to grips with the script sooner or later. If you don’t, you won’t be able to read or write anything useful, and that’s no way to learn a language.

The good news is that it isn’t as hard as you think. And I’ve teamed up with my friend Luca Toma (who’s also a Japanese coach ) to bring you this comprehensive guide to reading and writing Japanese.

By the way, if you want to learn Japanese fast (including how to write in Japanese) and have fun while doing it, my top recommendation is  Japanese Uncovered  which teaches you through StoryLearning®. 

With  Japanese Uncovered  you’ll use my unique StoryLearning® method to learn Japanese naturally through story… not rules. It’s as fun as it is effective.

If you’re ready to get started,  click here for a 7-day FREE trial.

If you have a friend who’s learning how to write in Japanese, you might like to share it with them. Now, let’s get stuck in…

Table of Contents

One Language, Two Systems, Three Scripts

If you are a complete beginner, Japanese writing may appear just like Chinese.

But if you look at it more carefully you'll notice that it doesn’t just contain complex Chinese characters… there are lots of simpler ones too.

Take a look.

それでも、 日本人 の 食生活 も 急速 に 変化 してきています 。 ハンバーグ や カレーライス は 子供に人気 がありますし 、都会 では 、 イタリア 料理、東南 アジア 料理、多国籍料理 などを 出 す エスニック 料理店 がどんどん 増 えています 。

Nevertheless, the eating habits of Japanese people are also rapid ly chang ing . Hamburgers and curry rice are popular with children . In cities , ethnic   restaurants serv ing Italian cuisine , Southeast Asian cuisine and multi-national cuisine keep increas ing more and more .

(Source: “Japan: Then and Now”, 2001, p. 62-63)

As you can see from this sample, within one Japanese text there are actually three different scripts intertwined. We’ve colour coded them to help you tell them apart.

(What’s really interesting is the different types of words – parts of speech – represented by each colour – it tells you a lot about what you use each of the three scripts for.)

Can you see the contrast between complex characters (orange) and simpler ones (blue and green)?

The complex characters are called kanji (漢字 lit. Chinese characters) and were borrowed from Chinese. They are what’s called a ‘logographic system' in which each symbol corresponds to a block of meaning (食 ‘to eat', 南 ‘south', 国 ‘country').

Each kanji also has its own pronunciation, which has to be learnt – you can’t “read” an unknown kanji like you could an unknown word in English.

Luckily, the other two sets of characters are simpler!

Those in blue above are called hiragana and those in green are called katakana . Katakana and hiragana are both examples of ‘syllabic systems', and unlike the kanji , each character corresponds to single sound. For example, そ= so, れ= re; イ= i, タ = ta.

Hiragana and katakana are a godsend for learners because the Japanese pronunciation isn’t a problem. If you see it, you can say it!

So, at this point, you’re probably wondering:

“What’s the point of using three different types of script? How could that have come about?”

In fact, all these scripts have a very specific role to play in a piece of Japanese writing, and you’ll find that they all work together in harmony in representing the Japanese language in a written form.

So let’s check them out in more detail.

First up, the two syllabic systems: hiragana and katakana (known collectively as kana ).

The ‘Kana' – One Symbol, One Sound

Both hiragana and katakana have a fixed number of symbols: 46 characters in each, to be precise.

Each of these corresponds to a combination of the 5 Japanese vowels (a, i, u, e o) and the 9 consonants (k, s, t, n, h, m, y, r, w).

(Source: Wikipedia Commons )

Hiragana  (the blue characters in our sample text) are recognizable for their roundish shape and you’ll find them being used for three functions in Japanese writing:

1. Particles (used to indicate the grammatical function of a word)

は     wa     topic marker

が     ga      subject marker

を     wo      direct object marker

2. To change the meaning of verbs, adverbs or adjectives, which generally have a root written in kanji. (“Inflectional endings”)

急速 に     kyuusoku ni        rapid ly

増 えています       fu ete imasu     are increas ing

3. Native Japanese words not covered by the other two scripts

それでも     soredemo     nevertheless

どんどん     dondon     more and more

Katakana  (the green characters in our sample text) are recognisable for their straight lines and sharp corners. They are generally reserved for:

1. Loanwords from other languages. See what you can spot!

ハンバーグ     hanbaagu     hamburger

カレーライス     karee raisu     curry rice

エスニック     esunikku     ethnic

2. Transcribing foreign names

イタリア     itaria     Italy

アジア     ajia     Asia

They are also used for emphasis (the equivalent of italics or underlining in English), and for scientific terms (plants, animals, minerals, etc.).

So where did hiragana and katakana come from?

In fact, they were both derived from kanji which had a particular pronunciation; Hiragana took from the Chinese cursive script  (安 an →あ a), whereas katakana developed from single components of the regular Chinese script (阿 a →ア a ).

So that covers the origins the two kana scripts in Japanese, and how we use them.

Now let’s get on to the fun stuff… kanji !

The Kanji – One Symbol, One Meaning

Kanji  – the most formidable hurdle for learners of Japanese!

We said earlier that kanji is a logographic system, in which each symbol corresponds to a “block of meaning”.

食     eating

生     life, birth

活     vivid, lively

“Block of meaning” is the best phrase, because one kanji is not necessarily a “word” on its own.

You might have to combine one kanji with another in order to make an actual word, and also to express more complex concepts:

生 + 活   =   生活     lifestyle

食 + 生活   =  食生活     eating habits

If that sounds complicated, remember that you see the same principle in other languages.

Think about the word “telephone” in English – you can break it down into two main components derived from Greek:

“tele” (far)  +  “phone” (sound)  = telephone

Neither of them are words in their own right.

So there are lots and lots of kanji , but in order to make more sense of them we can start by categorising them.

There are several categories of kanji , starting with the “pictographs” (象形文字 shōkei moji), which look like the objects they represent:

(Source: Wikipedia Commons )

In fact, there aren’t too many of these pictographs.

Around 90% of the kanji in fact come from six other categories, in which several basic elements (called “radicals”) are combined to form new concepts.

For example:

人 (“man” as a radical)   +   木 (tree)    =  休 (to rest)

These are known as 形声文字 keisei moji or “radical-phonetic compounds”.

You can think of these characters as being made up of two parts:

• A radical that tells you what category of word it is: animals, plants, metals, etc.)
• A second component that completes the character and give it its pronunciation (a sort of Japanese approximation from Chinese).

So that’s the story behind the kanji , but what are they used for in Japanese writing?

Typically, they are used to represent concrete concepts.

When you look at a piece of Japanese writing, you’ll see kanji being used for nouns, and in the stem of verbs, adjectives and adverbs.

Here are some of them from our sample text at the start of the article:

日本人     Japanese people 多国籍料理     multinational cuisine 東南     Southeast

Now, here’s the big question!

Once you’ve learnt to read or write a kanji , how do you pronounce it?

If you took the character from the original Chinese, it would usually only have one pronunciation.

However, by the time these characters leave China and reach Japan, they usually have two or sometimes even more pronunciations.

How or why does this happen?

Let's look at an example.

To say “mountain”, the Chinese use the pictograph 山 which depicts a mountain with three peaks. The pronunciation of this character in Chinese is shān (in the first tone).

Now, in Japanese the word for “mountain” is yama .

So in this case, the Japanese decided to borrow the character山from Chinese, but to pronounce it differently: yama .

However, this isn’t the end of the story!

The Japanese did decide to borrow the pronunciation from the original Chinese, but only to use it when that character is used in compound words.

So, in this case, when the character 山 is part of a compound word, it is pronounced as san/zan – clearly an approximation to the original Chinese pronunciation.

Here’s the kanji on its own:

山は…      Yama wa …     The mountain….

And here’s the kanji when it appears in compound words:

火山は…     Ka zan wa     The volcano…

富士山は…     Fuji san wa …     Mount Fuji….

To recap, every kanji has at least two pronunciations.

The first one (the so-called訓読み kun'yomi or “meaning reading”) has an original Japanese pronunciation, and is used with one kanji on it’s own.

The second one (called音読み  on'yomi or “sound-based reading”) is used in compound words, and comes from the original Chinese.

Makes sense, right? 😉

In Japan, there’s an official number of kanji that are classified for “daily use” (常用漢字 joy ō kanji ) by the Japanese Ministry of Education – currently 2,136.

(Although remember that the number of actual words that you can form using these characters is much higher.)

So now… if you wanted to actually learn all these kanji , how should you go about it?

To answer this question, Luca’s going to give us an insight into how he did it.  

How I Learnt Kanji

I started to learn kanji more than 10 years ago at a time when you couldn't find all the great resources that are available nowadays. I only had paper kanji dictionary and simple lists from my textbook.

What I did have, however, was the memory of a fantastic teacher.

I studied Chinese for two years in college, and this teacher taught us characters in two helpful ways:

• He would analyse them in terms of their radicals and other components
• He kept us motivated and interested in the process by using fascinating stories based on etymology (the origin of the characters)

Once I’d learnt to recognise the 214 radicals which make up all characters – the building blocks of Chinese characters – it was then much easier to go on and learn the characters and the words themselves.

It’s back to the earlier analogy of dividing the word “telephone” into tele and phone .

But here’s the thing – knowing the characters alone isn’t enough. There are too many, and they’re all very similar to one another.

If you want to get really good at the language, and really know how to read and how to write in Japanese, you need a higher-order strategy.

The number one strategy that I used to reach a near-native ability in reading and writing in Japanese was to learn the kanji within the context of dialogues or other texts.

I never studied them as individual characters or words.

Now, I could give you a few dozen ninja tricks for how to learn Japanese kanji. But the one secret that blows everything else out of the water and guarantees real success in the long-term, is extensive reading and massive exposure.

This is the foundation of the StoryLearning® method , where you immerse yourself in language through story.

In the meantime, there are a lot of resources both online and offline to learn kanji , each of which is based on a particular method or approach (from flashcards to mnemonic and so on).

The decision of which approach to use can be made easier by understanding the way you learn best.

Do you have a photographic memory or prefer working with images? Do you prefer to listen to audio? Or perhaps you prefer to write things by hands?

You can and should try more than one method, in order to figure out which works best for you.

( Note : You should get a copy of this excellent guide by John Fotheringham, which has all the resources you’ll ever need to learn kanji )

FAQs About How To Write In Japanese

What is the correct way to write in Japanese?

Japanese is made of three written systems; thus, the correct way to write in Japanese is to use hiragana, katakana, and kanji together. Beginners can start with hiragana and add katakana and kanji as they learn more.

What is the ABC's in Japanese?

Japanese is made of 46 characters (compared to English’s 26). They are: あ, い, う, え, お, か, き, く, け, こ, さ, し, す, せ, そ, た, ち, つ, て, と, な, に, ぬ, ね, の, は, ひ, ふ, へ, ほ, ま, み, む, め, も, や, ゆ, よ, ら, り, る, れ, ろ, わ, を, ん

How is Japanese text written?

Japanese text is written in a combination of hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Hiragana are phonetic “letters” used to spell words. Katakana are phonetic characters used specifically for foreign or loan words. Kanji are more complex characters that represent an entire word or idea.

How do you type in Japanese text?

You can type in Japanese by installing a Japanese keyboard/IME (which is short for “input method editor,” indicating that it is a program that can change how you input things into the computer) onto your mobile device or computer.

On Windows, this will be located in Settings > Time and Language > Region and Language > Add a Language, for example. 

Once the IME is installed, using it is generally as simple as clicking on it and selecting “Japanese” instead of English.

Is it worth it to learn to write in Japanese?

Learning to write in Japanese is absolutely worth it! Writing is one of the fastest ways to improve your reading comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary. It also helps you to engage with others more easily when speaking is not an option.

Summary Of How To Write In Japanese

So you’ve made it to the end of this guide on how to write in Japanese!

See – I told you it wasn’t that bad! Let’s recap what we’ve covered.

Ordinary written Japanese employs a mixture of three scripts:

• Kanji, or Chinese characters, of which there are officially 2,136 in daily use (more in practice)
• 2 syllabic alphabets called hiragana and katakana, containing 42 symbols each

In special cases, such as children’s books or simplified materials for language learners, you might find everything written using only hiragana or katakana .

But apart from those materials, everything in Japanese is written by employing the three scripts together. And it’s the kanji which represent the cultural and linguistic challenge in the Japanese language.

If you want to become proficient in the language and know how to write in Japanese you have to learn all three!

Although it seems like a daunting task, remember that there are many people before you who have found themselves right at the beginning of their journey in learning how to write in Japanese.

And every journey begins with a single step.

So what are you waiting for?

The best place to start is to enrol in  Japanese Uncovered . The course includes a series of lessons that teach you hiragana, katakana and kanji. It also includes an exciting Japanese story which comes in different formats (romaji, hiragana, kana and kanji) so you can practice reading Japanese, no matter what level you're at right now.

– – –

It’s been a pleasure for me to work on this article with Luca Toma, and I’ve learnt a lot in the process.

Now he didn’t ask me to write this, but if you’re serious about learning Japanese, you should consider hiring Luca as a coach. The reasons are many, and you can find out more on his website: JapaneseCoaching.it

Do you know anyone learning Japanese? Why not send them this article, or click here to send a tweet .

Language Courses

• Language Blog
• Testimonials
• Meet Our Team
• Media & Press

Which language are you learning?

What is your current level in [language]?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level]   [language] tips…

Where shall I send them?

We will protect your data in accordance with our data policy.

Download this article as a FREE PDF ?

What is your current level in Latin?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] Latin tips…

Where shall I send the tips and your PDF?

What is your current level in Norwegian?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] Norwegian tips…

Download Your Free StoryLearning® Kit!

Discover the world famous story-based method that 1,023,037 people have used to learn a language quickly…, not interested.

What can we do  better ? If I could make something to help you right now, w hat would it be?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level]  [language] tips…

What is your current level in Swedish?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] Swedish tips…

What is your current level in Danish?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] Danish tips…

What can we do better? If I could make something to help you right now, w hat would it be?

What is your current level in [language] ?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] [language] tips, PLUS your free StoryLearning Kit…

Download this article as a FREE PDF?

Great! Where shall I send my best online teaching tips and your PDF?

Download this article as a FREE PDF ? 

What is your current level in Arabic?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] Arabic tips…

FREE StoryLearning Kit!

Join my email newsletter and get FREE access to your StoryLearning Kit — discover how to learn languages through the power of story!

Download a FREE Story in Japanese!

Enter your email address below to get a  FREE short story in Japanese and start learning Japanese quickly and naturally with my StoryLearning® method!

What is your current level in Japanese?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the Japanese StoryLearning® Pack …

Where shall I send your download link?

Download Your  FREE   Natural Japanese Grammar Pack

Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural Japanese Grammar Pack and learn to internalise Japanese grammar quickly and naturally through stories.

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the Natural Japanese Grammar Pack …

What is your current level in Portuguese?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the Natural Portuguese Grammar Pack …

What is your current level in German?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the Natural German Grammar Pack …

Train as an Online Language Teacher and Earn from Home

The next cohort of my Certificate of Online Language Teaching will open soon. Join the waiting list, and we’ll notify you as soon as enrolment is open!

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] Portuguese tips…

What is your current level in Turkish?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] Turkish tips…

What is your current level in French?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the French Vocab Power Pack …

What is your current level in Italian?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the Italian Vocab Power Pack …

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the German Vocab Power Pack …

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the Japanese Vocab Power Pack …

Download Your  FREE Japanese Vocab Power Pack

Enter your email address below to get free access to my Japanese Vocab Power Pack and learn essential Japanese words and phrases quickly and naturally. (ALL levels!)

Download Your  FREE German Vocab Power Pack

Enter your email address below to get free access to my German Vocab Power Pack and learn essential German words and phrases quickly and naturally. (ALL levels!)

Download Your  FREE Italian Vocab Power Pack

Enter your email address below to get free access to my Italian Vocab Power Pack and learn essential Italian words and phrases quickly and naturally. (ALL levels!)

Download Your  FREE French Vocab Power Pack

Enter your email address below to get free access to my French Vocab Power Pack and learn essential French words and phrases quickly and naturally. (ALL levels!)

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the Portuguese StoryLearning® Pack …

What is your current level in Russian?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the Natural Russian Grammar Pack …

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the Russian StoryLearning® Pack …

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the Italian StoryLearning® Pack …

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the Natural Italian Grammar Pack …

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the French StoryLearning® Pack …

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the Natural French Grammar Pack …

What is your current level in Spanish?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the Spanish Vocab Power Pack …

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the Natural Spanish Grammar Pack …

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the Spanish StoryLearning® Pack …

Where  shall I send them?

What is your current level in Korean?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] Korean tips…

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] Russian tips…

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] Japanese tips…

What is your current level in Chinese?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] Chinese tips…

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] Spanish tips…

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] Italian tips…

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] French tips…

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] German tips…

Download Your  FREE   Natural Portuguese Grammar Pack

Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural Portuguese Grammar Pack and learn to internalise Portuguese grammar quickly and naturally through stories.

Download Your  FREE   Natural Russian Grammar Pack

Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural Russian Grammar Pack and learn to internalise Russian grammar quickly and naturally through stories.

Download Your  FREE   Natural German Grammar Pack

Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural German Grammar Pack and learn to internalise German grammar quickly and naturally through stories.

Download Your  FREE   Natural French Grammar Pack

Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural French Grammar Pack and learn to internalise French grammar quickly and naturally through stories.

Download Your  FREE   Natural Italian Grammar Pack

Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural Italian Grammar Pack and learn to internalise Italian grammar quickly and naturally through stories.

Download a FREE Story in Portuguese!

Enter your email address below to get a  FREE short story in Brazilian Portuguese and start learning Portuguese quickly and naturally with my StoryLearning® method!

Download a FREE Story in Russian!

Enter your email address below to get a  FREE short story in Russian and start learning Russian quickly and naturally with my StoryLearning® method!

Download a FREE Story in German!

Enter your email address below to get a  FREE short story in German and start learning German quickly and naturally with my StoryLearning® method!

Perfect! You’ve now got access to the German StoryLearning® Pack …

Download a FREE Story in Italian!

Enter your email address below to get a  FREE short story in Italian and start learning Italian quickly and naturally with my StoryLearning® method!

Download a FREE Story in French!

Enter your email address below to get a  FREE short story in French and start learning French quickly and naturally with my StoryLearning® method!

Download a FREE Story in Spanish!

Enter your email address below to get a  FREE short story in Spanish and start learning Spanish quickly and naturally with my StoryLearning® method!

FREE Download:

The rules of language learning.

Enter your email address below to get free access to my Rules of Language Learning and discover 25 “rules” to learn a new language quickly and naturally through stories.

Download Your  FREE Spanish Vocab Power Pack

Enter your email address below to get free access to my Spanish Vocab Power Pack and learn essential Spanish words and phrases quickly and naturally. (ALL levels!)

Download Your  FREE   Natural Spanish Grammar Pack

Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural Spanish Grammar Pack and learn to internalise Spanish grammar quickly and naturally through stories.

Free Step-By-Step Guide:

How to generate a full-time income from home with your English… even with ZERO previous teaching experience.

What is your current level in Thai?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] Thai tips…

What is your current level in Cantonese?

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] Cantonese tips…

Steal My Method?

I’ve written some simple emails explaining the techniques I’ve used to learn 8 languages…

I want to be skipped!

I’m the lead capture, man!

Join 84,574 other language learners getting StoryLearning tips by email…

“After I started to use your ideas, I learn better, for longer, with more passion. Thanks for the life-change!” – Dallas Nesbit

Perfect! You’ve now got access to my most effective [level] [language] tips…

Find The Perfect Language Course For You!

Looking for world-class training material to help you make a breakthrough in your language learning?

Click ‘start now’ and complete this short survey to find the perfect course for you!

Do you like the idea of learning through story?

Do you want…?

• KU Libraries
• Subject & Course Guides
• Resource Guide for Japanese Language Students

Resource Guide for Japanese Language Students: Essays

• Short Stories
• Translated Foreign Literature
• Japanese and English
• Comics with Furigana
• Comics with no Furigana
• Picture Books
• Online Reading Materials
• Apps, Sites, Extensions, and Podcasts
• For Listening Practice: Read Aloud Picture Books
• For Listening Practice: Children's Literature
• For Listening Practice: Young Adults
• Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)
• Japanese Research & Bibliographic Methods for Undergraduates
• Japan Studies This link opens in a new window
• Guidebooks for Academic and Business Writing

About This Page

This page introduces the variety of essays written by popular contemporary authors. Unless noted, all are in Japanese.

The author, さくらももこ, is known for writing a comic titled 『 ちびまる子ちゃん 』. The comic is based on her own childhood experiences and depicts the everyday life of a girl with a nickname of Chibi Maruko-chan. The author has been constantly writing casual and humorous essays, often recollecting her childhood memories. We have both the『 ちびまる子ちゃん 』 comic series and other essays by the author. 

To see a sample text in a new tab, please  click on the cover image or the title .

中島らも(1952-2004) started his career as a copyrigher but changed his path to become a prolific writer, publishing novels, essays, drama scripts and rakugo stories. He became popular with his "twisted sense of humour."  He is also active in the music industry when he formed his own band. He received the 13th Eiji Yoshikawa New Author Prize with his 『今夜、すべてのバーで』 and Mystery Writers of Japan Aaward with 『 ガダラの豚 』.

東海林（しょうじ）さだお

東海林さだお(1937-) is a well-known cartoonist, but he is also famous for his essays on food. His writing style is light and humorous and tends to pay particular attention toward regular food, such as bananas, miso soup, and eggd in udon noodles, rather than talk about gourmet meals. (added 5/2/2014)

Collection of Essays: 天声人語 = Vox Populi, Vox Deli (Bilingual)

A collection of essays which appear on the front page of Asahi Shinbun . Each essay is approx. 600 words. KU has collections published around 2000. Seach KU Online catalog with call number AC145 .T46 for more details. 

To see a sample text, please click on the cover image or the title .

Other Essays

Online Essay

• 村上さんのところ "Mr. Murakami's Place" -- Haruki Murakami's Advice Column Part of Haruki Murakami's official site. He answers questions sent to this site. He will also take questions in English. Questions will be accepted until Jan. 31, 2015.

Search from KU Collection

If you are looking for essays in Japanese available at KU, use this search box. If you know the author, search by last name, then first name, such as "Sakura, Momoko." Make sure to select "Author" in the search field option.:

• << Previous: Level 4
• Next: Short Stories >>
• Last Updated: Feb 1, 2024 11:08 AM
• URL: https://guides.lib.ku.edu/c.php?g=95189

• Privacy Policy

Transition Words and Phrases for Japanese Essays  

  June 9, 2020

By   Alexis Papa

Are you having a hard time connecting between your ideas in your Japanese essay? In this article, we have listed useful transition words and phrases that you can use to help you let your ideas flow and have an organized essay.

Japanese Phrases for Giving Examples and Emphasis

For example,

がいこく、たとえばちゅうごくへいったことがありますか。 Gaikoku, tatoeba Chuugoku e itta koto ga arimasu ka?

Have you been abroad, for instance China?

たぶんちゅうごくへいったことがあります。 Tabun Chuugoku e itta koto ga arimasu.

I have probably been to China.

Japanese Essay Phrases: General Explaining

しけんにごうかくするのために、まじめにべんきょうしなきゃ。 Shiken ni goukaku suru no tame ni, majime ni benkyou shinakya.

In order to pass the exam, I must study.

あしたあめがふるそう。だから、かさをもってきて。 Ashita ame ga furu sou. Dakara, kasa wo motte kite.

It seems that it will rain tomorrow. So, bring an umbrella.

Showing Sequence

まず、あたらしいさくぶんのがいせつをしようとおもう。 Mazu, atarashii sakubun no gaisetsu wo shiyou to omou.

First, I am going to do an outline of my new essay.

つぎに、さくぶんをかきはじめます。 Tsugi ni, sakubun wo kaki hajimemasu.

Then, I will begin writing my essay.

Adding Supporting Statements

かれはブレーキをかけ、そしてくるまはとまった。 Kare wa bureki wo kake, soshite kuruma wa tomatta.

He put on the brakes and then the car stopped.

いえはかなりにみえたし、しかもねだんがてごろだった。 Ie wa kanari ni mieta shi, shikamo nedan ga tegoro datta.

The house looked good; moreover,the (selling) price was right.

Demonstrating Contrast 

にほんごはむずかしいですが、おもしろいです。 Nihongo wa muzukashii desu ga, omoshiroi desu.

Although Japanese language is difficult, it is enjoyable.

にほんごはむずかしいです。でも、おもしろいです。 Nihongo wa muzukashii desu. Demo, omoshiroi desu.

Japanese language is difficult. Nevertheless, it is enjoyable.

にほんごはむずかしいです。しかし、おもしろいです。 Nihondo wa muzukashii desu. Shikashi, omoshiroi desu.

Japanese language is difficult. However, it is enjoyable.

にほんごはむずかしいですけれど、おもしろいです。 Nihongo wa muzakashii desu keredo, omoshiroi desu.

Japanese Essay Phrases for Summarizing

われわれはこのはなしはじつわだというけつろんにたっした。 Wareware wa kono hanashi wa jitsuwa da to iu ketsuron ni tasshita.

We have come to a conclusion that this is a true story.

Now that you have learned these Japanese transitional words and phrases, we hope that your Japanese essay writing has become easier. Leave a comment and write examples of sentences using these Japanese essay phrases!

Alexis Papa

Alexis is a Japanese language and culture enthusiast from the Philippines. She is a Japanese Studies graduate, and has worked as an ESL and Japanese instructor at a local language school. She enjoys her free time reading books and watching series.

Your Signature

Subscribe to our newsletter now!

LEARN JAPANESE WITH MY FREE LEARNING PACKAGE

• 300 Useful Japanese Adjectives E-book
• 100 Days of Japanese Words and Expressions E-book

Sign up below and get instant access to the free package!

• Top page -->>
• Japan Guide & Information -->>

• Learning -->>

How to improve your writing skills in Japanese

UPDATE | October 1, 2022

The ability to write Japanese, which is necessary for living in Japan. Here are four recommended ways to do just that.

• Copying example sentences from Japanese textbooks and reference books
• Write a 3-line diary in Japanese
• Decide on a theme and write a short essay.
• Post to SNS. write a comment. send a message.

In order to go on to higher education or find a job in Japan, you need to be able to write in Japanese. What kind of training do you do to improve your writing skills in Japanese? What should I do to improve my writing ability?

In this column, I will introduce four ways to improve your writing skills in Japanese!

1. Copy the example sentences from Japanese textbooks and reference books

Do you have any Japanese textbooks or reference books? The book can be used not only for reading, but also for improving your writing skills. It's easy to do. Just write an example sentence. You can write the example sentences in a notebook, or you can write them using computer software.

This method is very easy, but it can be a little boring. However, the example sentences in recent textbooks are created by Japanese teachers considering whether they will really use them in their daily lives. Therefore, if you write down the example sentences and memorize them as they are, they will be useful in your daily life.

If you write example sentences properly, you will be able to memorize grammar and words at the same time. If you think writing example sentences is too easy, start from the last page of your textbook. Many people haven't read the last page (maybe for the first time!), so it's a great practice.

2. Write a 3-line diary in Japanese

The next method is to write a diary in Japanese. Don't you think you have to write long sentences in your diary? But short sentences are fine. Write a lot of short sentences, until you have three lines. It can be a little tough at first.

When writing a diary, you don't have to write "I'm amazing". Rather than that, let's honestly write "bad self". "I couldn't study today," "I couldn't do the laundry even though the weather was nice," or "I slept until noon."

After I write about myself, I write about what happened today and what I noticed. "I took a walk and the wind felt good," "It seems that the neighborhood bakery is closed today," and "It's nice weather." If you write every day, you will get used to "writing".

3. Decide on a theme and try to write a mini composition.

A third way is to write an essay. Think writing is difficult? Actually, it's the same as a diary, and you should keep writing down what you're thinking. This composition is to improve your writing skills, so you don't have to show it to anyone. So feel free to get started.

It may be difficult to decide on a theme for writing, so I prepared a few themes. From the themes below, choose one that you think you can write, and try to write it in 200 to 400 characters. Even if it's not the theme below, you can write what you want to write.

"self-introduction" "Things I want to do in Japan" "My favorite 〇〇" "How to study Japanese" "How to spend your day off" "Friend 〇〇" "Let me introduce you to my family." "Recommended shop" "How to cook national dishes" "What I want to study more"

4. Post to SNS. write a comment. send a message.

Have you ever sent a message in Japanese on SNS (LINE, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)? You can improve your Japanese writing skills by using Japanese on SNS and messaging apps. However, the thing to be careful about with SNS is that there are people who read it.

Send messages with the other person in mind so that the person reading the message doesn't feel bad. The same is true when posting on SNS or writing comments.

And Japanese on SNS and messaging apps often uses "spoken language" rather than "written language". It's a different style of word than the Japanese used for higher education or job hunting, so be careful when using it properly. SNS is fun, so I want to make good use of it to improve my Japanese writing skills.

This time, I introduced four ways to improve your writing skills in Japanese. Please feel free to challenge yourself in whatever way you like. See you in the next column!

I teach Japanese at Japanese language schools and universities in Kyushu. I love games and manga. I also work as a coordinator and web writer to create a local Japanese language class for those who are studying Japanese.

September 20, 2022

【International Student Interview】 Meiji University (MEIJI UNIVERSITY)

June 15, 2022

【International Student Interview】Kanagawa University

August 19, 2021

February 01, 2022

[For Japanese language schools] Why don't you teach Japanese through manga at "Trial Manga Library"?

May 27, 2022

What is a famous school-oriented cram school?

Recommended articles.

April 1, 2024

3 reasons why you should start a "school search" right now

“Scholarship” guide for international students

Three points to find a “school that suits you”

“How to Gather Japanese School Information” Guide for International Students

Useful tips.

Free Shipping from $225 | Shipping Updates

Discover trending products from Japan.

Shopping Cart

Continue Shopping

Welcome to OMG Japan!

How to Write Japanese Essays

Product Description

A new and revised edition of this book is now available here: How to Write Japanese Essays - 2nd Edition

If you are planning to study at a Japanese University or work at a Japanese company, your Japanese writing skills will need to be at an academic level. This book is a good guide for writing essays/papers in Japanese. It offers help with essay structure, from the first paragraph right through to the summary. It also teaches correct punctuation and quotation use, in addition to the construction of explanations. You will also learn suitable vocabulary/expressions to use in essays/papers; these are often very different from casual writing and spoken Japanese. It will also help you to improve your spoken Japanese for formal situations. The book includes a lot of practice essays and sections for you to test yourself with. This book is aimed at upper-intermediate to advanced learners. 122 pages language: Japanese

Customer Reviews

Related products.

Tobira II: Beginning Japanese Workbook 1

EJU Reading Comprehension - Points & Practice

The News in Japanese 50 - Listening for Upper Intermediate and Advanced students

Kit Kat Milky Ice Cream Flavor

Conan's Vocabulary Adventure: Learn 1000 Challenging Words by Age 10

Elementary Japanese: PANORAMA - Fast-Track to Mastery in Just 12 Grammar Points

Compass Japanese Intermediate Resource Book

Pretz Osatsu Sweet Potato

Pringles Triple Sour Cream and Onion

Black Thunder

Fundodai Clear Soy Sauce with a Golden Leaf [limited edition]

Starbucks Stainless TOGO Logo Tumbler Peachful Paradise 355ml - Japan Summer Edition 2023

Quick links.

• Important Shipping Updates
• Blog - Pop Culture
• Blog - Learn Japanese
• Terms of Service
• Refund policy

Become an Affiliate

Keep in touch.

Unconventional language hacking tips from Benny the Irish polyglot; travelling the world to learn languages to fluency and beyond!

Looking for something? Use the search field below.

Home » Articles » How to Write in Japanese — A Beginner’s Guide to Japanese Writing

Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. ?

written by Caitlin Sacasas

Language: Japanese

Reading time: 13 minutes

Published: Apr 2, 2021

Updated: Oct 18, 2021

How to Write in Japanese — A Beginner’s Guide to Japanese Writing

Does the Japanese writing system intimidate you?

For most people, this seems like the hardest part of learning Japanese. How to write in Japanese is a bit more complex than some other languages. But there are ways to make it easier so you can master it!

Here at Fluent in 3 Months , we encourage actually speaking over intensive studying, reading, and listening. But writing is an active form of learning too, and crucial for Japanese. Japanese culture is deeply ingrained in its writing systems. If you can’t read or write it, you’ll struggle as you go along in your studies.

Some of the best Japanese textbooks expect you to master these writing systems… fast . For instance, the popular college textbook Genki , published by the Japan Times, expects you to master the basics in as little as a week. After that, they start to phase out the romanized versions of the word.

It’s also easy to mispronounce words when they’re romanized into English instead of the original writing system. If you have any experience learning how to write in Korean , then you know that romanization can vary and the way it reads isn’t often how it’s spoken.

Despite having three writing systems, there are benefits to it. Kanji, the “most difficult,” actually makes memorizing vocabulary easier!

So, learning to write in Japanese will go a long way in your language studies and help you to speak Japanese fast .

Why Does Japanese Have Three Writing Systems? A Brief Explainer

Japanese has three writing systems: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. The first two are collectively called kana and are the basics of writing in Japanese.

Writing Kana

If you think about English, we have two writing systems — print and cursive. Both print and cursive write out the same letters, but they look “sharp” and “curvy.” The same is true for kana. Hiragana is “curvy” and katakana is “sharp,” but they both represent the same Japanese alphabet (which is actually called a syllabary). They both represent sounds, or syllables, rather than single letters (except for vowels and “n”, hiragana ん or katakana ン). Hiragana and katakana serve two different purposes.

Hiragana is the most common, and the first taught to Japanese children. If this is all you learn, you would be understood (although you’d come across child-like). Hiragana is used for grammar functions, like changing conjugation or marking the subject of a sentence. Because of this, hiragana helps break up a sentence when combined with kanji. It makes it easier to tell where a word begins and ends, especially since Japanese doesn’t use spaces. It’s also used for furigana, which are small hiragana written next to kanji to help with the reading. You see furigana often in manga , Japanese comics, for younger audiences who haven’t yet learned to read all the kanji. (Or learners like us!)

Katakana serves to mark foreign words. When words from other languages are imported into Japanese, they’re often written in Japanese as close as possible to the original word. (Like how you can romanize Japanese into English, called romaji). For example, パン ( pan ) comes from Spanish, and means “bread.” Or from English, “smartphone” is スマートフォン ( suma-tofon ) or shortened, slang form スマホ ( sumaho ). Katakana can also be used to stylistically write a Japanese name, to write your own foreign name in Japanese, or to add emphasis to a word when writing.

Writing Kanji

Then there’s kanji. Kanji was imported from Chinese, and each character means a word, instead of a syllable or letter. 犬, read inu , means “dog.” And 食, read ta or shoku , means “food” or “to eat.” They combine with hiragana or other kanji to complete their meaning and define how you pronounce them.

So if you wanted to say “I’m eating,” you would say 食べます ( tabemasu ), where -bemasu completes the verb and puts it in grammatical tense using hiragana. If you wanted to say “Japanese food,” it would be 日本食 ( nipponshoku ), where it’s connected to other kanji.

If you didn’t have these three forms, it would make reading Japanese very difficult. The sentences would run together and it would be confusing. Like in this famous Japanese tongue twister: にわにはにわにわとりがいる, or romanized niwa ni wa niwa niwatori ga iru . But in kanji, it looks like 庭には二羽鶏がいる. The meaning? “There are chickens in the garden.” Thanks to the different writing systems, we know that the first niwa means garden, the second ni wa are the grammatical particles, the third niwa is to say there are at least two, and niwatori is “chickens.”

Japanese Pronunciation

Japanese has fewer sounds than English, and except for “r,” most of them are in the English language. So you should find most of the sounds easy to pick up!

Japanese has the same 5 vowels, but only 16 consonants. For the most part, all syllables consist of only a vowel, or a consonant plus a vowel. But there is the single “n,” and “sh,” “ts,” and “ch” sounds, as well as consonant + -ya/-yu/-yo sounds. I’ll explain this more in a minute.

Although Japanese has the same 5 vowel sounds, they only have one sound . Unlike English, there is no “long A” and “short A” sound. This makes it easy when reading kana because the sound never changes . So, once you learn how to write kana, you will always know how to pronounce it.

Here’s how the 5 vowels sound in Japanese:

• あ / ア: “ah” as in “latte”
• い / イ: “ee” as in “bee”
• う / ウ: “oo” as in “tooth”
• え / エ: “eh” as in “echo”
• お / オ: “oh” as in “open”

Even when combined with consonants, the sound of the vowel stays the same. Look at these examples:

• か / カ: “kah” as in “copy”
• ち / チ: “chi” as in “cheap”
• む / ム: “mu” as in “move”
• せ / セ: “se” as in “set”
• の / ノ: “no” as in “note”

Take a look at the entire syllabary chart:

Based on learning how to pronounce the vowels, can you pronounce the rest of the syllables? The hardest ones will be the R-row of sounds, “tsu,” “fu,” and “n.”

For “r” it sounds between an “r” and an “l” sound in English. Almost like the Spanish, actually. First, try saying “la, la, la.” Your tongue should push off of the back of your teeth to make this sound. Now say “rah, rah, rah.” Notice how your tongue pulls back to touch your back teeth. Now, say “dah, dah, dah.” That placement of your tongue to make the “d” sound is actually where you make the Japanese “r” sound. You gently push off of this spot on the roof of your mouth as you pull back your tongue like an English “r.”

“Tsu” blends together “t” and “s” in a way we don’t quite have in English. You push off the “t” sound, and should almost sound like the “s” is drawn out. The sound “fu” is so soft, and like a breath of air coming out. Think like a sigh, “phew.” It doesn’t sound like “who,” but a soft “f.” As for our lone consonant, “n” can sound like “n” or “m,” depending on the word.

Special Japanese Character Readings and How to Write Them

There are a few Japanese characters that combine with others to create more sounds. You’ll often see dakuten , which are double accent marks above the character on the right side ( ﾞ), and handakuten , which is a small circle on the right side ( ﾟ).

Here’s how dakuten affect the characters:

And handakuten are only used with the H-row characters, changing it from “h” to “p.” So か ( ka ) becomes が ( ga ), and ひ ( hi ) becomes either び ( bi ) or ぴ ( pi ).

A sokuon adds a small っ between two characters to double the consonant that follows it and make a “stop” in the word. In the saying いらっしゃいませ ( irasshaimase , “Welcome!”), the “rahs-shai” has a slight glottal pause where the “tsu” emphasizes the double “s.”

One of the special readings that tend to be mispronounced are the yoon characters. These characters add a small “y” row character to the other rows to blend the sounds together. These look like ちゃ ( cha ), きょ ( kyo ), and しゅ ( shu ). They’re added to the “i” column of kana characters.

An example of a common mispronunciation is “Tokyo.” It’s often said “Toh-key-yo,” but it’s actually only two syllables: “Toh-kyo.” The k and y are blended; there is no “ee” sound in the middle.

How to Read, Write, and Pronounce Kanji Characters

Here’s where things get tricky. Kanji, since it represents a whole word or idea, and combines with hiragana… It almost always has more than one way to read and pronounce it. And when it comes to writing them, they have a lot more to them.

Let’s start by breaking down the kanji a bit, shall we?

Most kanji consist of radicals, the basic elements or building blocks. For instance, 日 (“sun” or “day”) is a radical. So is 言 (“words” or “to say”) and 心 (“heart”). So when we see the kanji 曜, we see that “day” has been squished in this complex kanji. This kanji means “day of the week.” It’s in every weekday’s name: 月曜日 ( getsuyoubi , “Monday”), 火曜日 ( kayoubi , “Tuesday”), 水曜日 ( suiyoubi , “Wednesday”), etc.

When the kanji for “words” is mixed into another kanji, it usually has something to do with conversation or language. 日本語 ( nihongo ) is the word for “Japanese” and the final kanji 語 includes 言. And as for 心, it’s often in kanji related to expressing emotions and feelings, like 怒る ( okoru , “angry”) and 思う ( omou , “to think”).

In this way, some kanji make a lot of sense when we break them down like this. A good example is 妹 ( imouto ), the kanji for “little sister.” It’s made up of two radicals: 女, “woman,” and 未, “not yet.” She’s “not yet a woman,” because she’s your kid sister.

So why learn radicals? Because radicals make it easier to memorize, read, and write the kanji. By learning radicals, you can break the kanji down using mnemonics (like “not yet a woman” to remember imouto ). If you know each “part,” you’ll remember how to write it. 妹 has 7 strokes to it, but only 2 radicals. So instead of memorizing tons of tiny lines, memorize the parts.

As for pronouncing them, this is largely a memorization game. But here’s a pro-tip. Each kanji has “common” readings — often only one or two. Memorize how to read the kanji with common words that use them, and you’ll know how to read that kanji more often than not.

Japanese Writing: Stroke Order

So, I mentioned stroke order with kanji. But what is that? Stroke order is the proper sequence you use to write Japanese characters.

The rule of stroke order is you go from top to bottom, left to right.

This can still be confusing with some complex kanji, but again, radicals play a part here. You would break down each radical top left-most stroke to bottom right stroke, then move on to the next radical. A helpful resource is Jisho.org , which shows you how to properly write all the characters. Check out how to write the kanji for “kanji” as a perfect example of breaking down radicals.

When it comes to kana, stroke order still matters. Even though they’re simpler, proper stroke order makes your characters easier to read. And some characters rely on stroke order to tell them apart. Take シ and ツ:

[Shi and Tsu example]

If you didn’t use proper stroke order, these two katakana characters would look the same!

How to Memorize Japanese Kanji and Kana

When it comes to Japanese writing, practice makes perfect. Practice writing your sentences down in Japanese, every day. Practice filling in the kana syllabary chart for hiragana and katakana, until there are no blank boxes and you’ve got them all right.

Create mnemonics for both kanji and kana. Heisig’s method is one of the best ways to memorize how to write kanji with mnemonics. Using spaced repetition helps too, like Anki. Then you’re regularly seeing each character, and you can input your mnemonics into the note of the card so you have it as a reminder.

Another great way to practice is to write out words you already know. If you know mizu means “water,” then learn the kanji 水 and write it with the kanji every time from here on out. If you know the phrase おはようございます means “good morning,” practice writing in in kana every morning. That phrase alone gives you practice with 9 characters and two with dakuten! And try looking up loan words to practice katakana.

Tools to Help You with Japanese Writing

There are some fantastic resources out there to help you practice writing in Japanese. Here are a few to help you learn it fast:

• JapanesePod101 : Yes, JapanesePod101 is a podcast. But they often feature YouTube videos and have helpful PDFs that teach you kanji and kana! Plus, you’ll pick up all kinds of helpful cultural insights and grammar tips.
• LingQ : LingQ is chock full of reading material in Japanese, giving you plenty of exposure to kana, new kanji, and words. It uses spaced repetition to help you review.
• Skritter : Skritter is one of the best apps for Japanese writing. You can practice writing kanji on the app, and review them periodically so you don’t forget. It’s an incredible resource to keep up with your Japanese writing practice on the go.
• Scripts : From the creator of Drops, this app was designed specifically for learning languages with a different script from your own.

How to Type in Japanese

It’s actually quite simple to type in Japanese! On a PC, you can go to “Language Settings” and click “Add a preferred language.” Download Japanese — 日本語 — and make sure to move it below English. (Otherwise, it will change your laptop’s language to Japanese… Which can be an effective study tool , though!)

To start typing in Japanese, you would press the Windows key + space. Your keyboard will now be set to Japanese! You can type the romanized script, and it will show you the suggestions for kanji and kana. To easily change back and forth between Japanese and English, use the alt key + “~” key.

For Mac, you can go to “System Preferences”, then “Keyboard” and then click the “+” button to add and set Japanese. To toggle between languages, use the command key and space bar.

For mobile devices, it’s very similar. You’ll go to your settings, then language and input settings. Add the Japanese keyboard, and then you’ll be able to toggle back and forth when your typing from the keyboard!

Japanese Writing Isn’t Scary!

Japanese writing isn’t that bad. It does take practice, but it’s fun to write! It’s a beautiful script. So, don’t believe the old ideology that “three different writing systems will take thousands of hours to learn!” A different writing system shouldn’t scare you off. Each writing system has a purpose and makes sense once you start learning. They build on each other, so learning it gets easier as you go. Realistically, you could read a Japanese newspaper after only about two months of consistent studying and practice with kanji!

Caitlin Sacasas

Content Writer, Fluent in 3 Months

Caitlin is a copywriter, content strategist, and language learner. Besides languages, her passions are fitness, books, and Star Wars. Connect with her: Twitter | LinkedIn

Speaks: English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish

Have a 15-minute conversation in your new language after 90 days

Learn Japanese

Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese

Effective writing practice

The main advantage of writing things out is you have a lot more time and resources to compose your thoughts as opposed to the rapid exchange of interactive conversations. In addition, writing things by hand gives you muscle memory as an additional memory aid.

The most important thing to remember with your own writing as well as all other aspects of language acquisition is to quickly get corrections in order to avoid falling into bad habits. In addition, it’s vitally important that you actually implement the corrections yourself and not just throw aside a piece of paper with corrections on it.

In the past, it’s been fairly difficult to find Japanese speakers to correct your writing. Fortunately, there is now a social networking site built exclusively for this purpose with an excellent community: Lang-8 .

I won’t go into much detail of how to use the site since they have their own video for the purpose right on the front page.

Writing topics

In general, I would consider writing to be the last portion of the four parts of language acquisition: listening, speaking, reading, writing. That’s because writing itself can be considered to be an art that goes much beyond the practical necessities of communicating in a foreign language. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t jump in to writing fairly early in the learning process. The important thing is to set realistic goals and distinguish between simple writing and composition.

Therefore, I would suggest writing about topics that are conversation-like. For example, contacting a friend in order to ask how he/she is doing is not only great writing practice but also becomes an opportunity to perfect your speaking skills as well. As a general guideline, at least in the beginning, I would write about things that could likely come up in a conversation. Combine that with actually talking about it with your conversation partner for a powerful learning combination.

Below are just a sample of possible writing topics. The Complete Guide to Japanese also has writing suggestions at the end of each chapter.

• What I did last summer.
• What I do on most days.
• Why I want to learn Japanese.
• What I want to do if/when I go to Japan.
• Interesting people I know and why they’re interesting.

Short essay: Thoughts on learning to speak and write in a foreign language… naturally

When learning a foreign language, I think we all tend to go through stages. First, we may have a mild (or major) interest in the culture of a foreign country, and begin to pick up a few words here or there in that country’s native language. In the case of Japanese, it might be a few phrases from subtitled Anime where it’s easy to pick words that frequently appear. I still vividly remember learning one of my first Japanese expressions from a good friend in high school: “ Hajimemashite, douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu “.

The next stage involves more formal learning by taking one or more classes or devoting some of your spare time to properly learn the basics of the language, especially grammar, pronunciation, and alphabet(s). For many people, memorizing isn’t that challenging (given the time and effort), but the tricky part here is to start learning the ins and outs of that language’s grammar, including certain tendencies that are different from one’s native language, like how in Japanese subjects are often omitted.

After a few years of extensive study, most people can probably manage to figure out the meaning of text in that language, assuming they have access to a dictionary. Learning to understand spoken language can be much tricker due to differences individual speech (in Japanese there are significant differences across genders and ages) and also due to regional accents/dialects. But, even for listening, I think practice really does make perfect, at least in the sense that you “understand enough” to either enjoy the content in that language, or learn something from it. For reading and listening, which I’ll call passive tasks, there is typically so much context to go by that you can just guess things as you go–essentially every sentence becomes a mini puzzle. If you are living your day-to-day life in that language, any misunderstandings you have about the meaning of a certain expression will probably get ironed out by time, as you undertake a gradual process of trial and error.

Now we come to the real challenge: the  active  tasks of writing and speaking in a foreign language. It depends on the person, but for me I feel speaking is generally the harder of these two. One reason is that you typically have to respond in real time, and the other is the need to be concerned about pronunciation, not only of individual words but also of phrases, since in Japanese the intonation of words can influence words later in the sentence. You also have to worry about things like  aizuchi (words used to show you are listening, like “ sou desu ka “) and words that show you are thinking (like “ etto… ” which is a little similar to the English “umm…”). You also have to inflect your speech to express your emotions. Finally, you need a conversation partner in order to make any progress. This condition alone means that self-taught students who don’t live in a country which speaks that language will have a very hard time of getting to an advanced level in their speech.

There are some advantages to learning to speak as compared to learning to write. For example, when speaking there is a quick feedback cycle between expressing something and getting a response. Although it’s usually pretty hard to find someone to correct your mistakes during a conversation (except maybe a private tutor who is paid for that), there is often an opportunity to reuse an expression you just heard, which allows you to cement it in your memory for more easy recall later.

Learning to write, on the other hand, lacks many of the difficult aspects of learning to speak, like pronunciation and a need to respond in real time. For those doing self-study, especially those living outside of Japan, it should be easier to pick up writing (and by writing, I am mostly referring to inputting with a keyboard, though writing by hand is also included) because there is nearly an infinite set of resources available in the form of websites and in many books which can be pretty easily acquired from online retailers. One can also write all day long, in the form of a blog or essay, without needing anyone available at that moment (unlike speaking which usually requires a partner). So, in a certain sense, you can study writing as much as your free time allows.

However, herein lies one of the challenges of learning to write natively. Just as with speech, it is pretty difficult to find someone to correct your mistakes on somewhere like a daily blog. The problem comes when you know just enough grammar and vocabulary to be dangerous, meaning that you can just start writing nearly anything that comes to mind, using only a dictionary and knowledge of grammar rules. However, if you are not careful you might end with extremely unnatural prose that sounds like something that came out of a computer translator. Ok, maybe not that horrific, but you get the point.

Getting to the final stage, where you can write like a native, such that none of your language has the scent of your native language, is quite a challenge, and I feel many people are never able to achieve this goal. I myself still have a long way to come, though I tell myself this is because I have placed an emphasis on passive Japanese (i.e. reading and listening) over active for many of my years of study.

Completely natural writing (as well as speech) requires not just learning a complete set of grammar rules to build sentences with, but also a large set of exceptions , without necessarily any logic behind them. To put it another way–how often have you read the text written by a non-native speaker of your native tongue and said to yourself “this just doesn’t feel right”. It isn’t technically grammatically incorrect, and there is no official rule that has been broken. Some of this can be explained by the linguistic phenomenon called “collocation”  which describes how certain groups of words are used more commonly together than others.

To help get your writing to sound more natural, I suggest you try and create a tight feedback loop which mimics a conversation. This means that you should favor writing emails (either to a friend or coworker) over writing a blog. When writing emails, try to force yourself to reuse words and expressions used by the person you are communicating with (hopefully a native speaker). Also, if you say something unnatural it’s more likely to be pointed out as opposed to a blog where mistakes can sit for years on a webpage without anyone pointing them out. Text chat provides an even shorter feedback loop (nearly immediate), though you should keep in mind the expressions you learn from chatting with someone may not be applicable to an email or other more formal type of writing (think of the abbreviation “l8r” used in English chat, which would be strange to use in a business email).

If you really want to keep a blog in a foreign language, I recommend reading other blogs written by native speakers immediately before and after you make a post, and be sure to do a thorough proofread of your text before posting it, looking for unnatural or incorrect parts. When I have written a blog in the past in Japanese, I frequently googled combinations of words to verify if they were common before using them. This helped me write much more natural sentences, but it had the disadvantage of being quite tedious and taking out some of the fun out of blog writing.

Another option when you are reading is to take notes whenever you come across an expression that seems useful, and force yourself to use it in the next day or so in your own writing. This can be an effective way of increasing your vocabulary, though it takes a good amount of persistence and willpower to not get lazy and quit after a few days.  If you have the time you can write a few example sentences on the spot, though that can interrupt your reading practice.

One other way to help raise your writing and speech to native level is to find one or more role models–native speakers who you can respect and pick up phrases from. I think to a certain extent this automatically happens when speaking, especially when we make friends and talk to them on a frequent basis, but for writing I feel it requires a bit more conscious effort to find and leverage such linguistic role models.

Once in a while, ask a native speaker to give you detailed criticism of your writing so you can have a sanity check to see how close to native level you are. Doing this for everything you write would be way too tedious (for both you and the other person), though there are some tools out there like Lang 8 which can help make this process more efficient (disclaimer: I have not actually used this site but think it is worth experimenting with). Writing in a foreign language for weeks, months, or longer, without having someone double check your work carries the risk of developing certain bad habits that will be hard to break later.

Another thing I am considering getting into is writing fiction short stories in Japanese. I feel this is one of the hardest domains because much of the internet doesn’t contain full texts of proper ‘literature’, so the technique of google for natural sentences isn’t nearly as useful. Also, it is harder to find someone to correct your language since you’ll need a person that is pretty well-read. Finally, the lexicon of words used in literature is much higher than in normal everyday conversation, emails, or chat. The best thing you can do is just read as much as you can in that language, ideally from published authors, and try to remember as much as you can as you read.

At the end of the day, learning to write and speak naturally in a foreign language is essentially about learning to imitate others in an efficient way, and match up thoughts and feelings with the appropriate words. I feel the number one enemy is not the large number of words nor the foreign concepts you need to master, but complacency . The danger is when we realize we’ve reached the level where native speakers actually understand what we are saying (or at least seem to), and we slack off, telling ourselves that we’ve made it. Learning to speak and write such that we can communicate basic ideas is very different from doing so with native-like expressions, and making sure we are aware of the massive gulf between these two things is one of the steps to true fluency.

This reminds me of a book I once read about Zen meditation many years ago, “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind” . The central theme of this book was that there is something special about people when they start to learn something new: they look at everything with an unbiased, fresh mind, devoid of expectations and thoughts of “I should be pretty good at this since I have this much experience”. Though the book was focused on meditation, I think applying the concept of  Beginners  Mind to our language studies may have a surprisingly large impact, especially for those that have been studying a few years or longer.

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

7 thoughts on “ Short essay: Thoughts on learning to speak and write in a foreign language… naturally ”

HiNative and Lang-8 were designed just for that purpose: to have natives correct your writing. HiNative has a spoken aspect too, and while it is shorter, that makes it easier for everyone. Trying to learn from longer clips is exhausting.

Thanks for letting me know about HiNative, it looks interesting! Maybe I’ll check it out sometime.

Your assessment of higher level language learning is very true. Mimicking native patterns and habits is key to improving your ability. Writing and speaking are also very different, in all languages. In most cases your writing is not going to exactly replicate the way you would speak it, and sometimes writing like you would speak comes out quite strange. As with learning the language in the first place, I think practice, as you suggest, is key. It’s really nice that there are websites to help with your writing, because it can be hard even to get friends to correct your writing, especially if they don’t want to be harsh on you.

Thanks for the comment, glad you agree with that I said (:

Totally agree with what you said. When I read your entry, nuances like 分かる being preferred over 知る came to mind. I have used Lang-8 for years, and I can vouch that it is a very good tool for studying Japanese, if one is hardworking. Since others correct one’s entries, one should correct other people’s entries for a balanced exchange, so it does become time-consuming. However, it is really good because one gets to see a variety of expressions recommended by a variety of people. While this is good for N3-ish learners and above, lower level learners might find it confusing to have so many different options to choose from and may require a non-native to explain the difference to them. But all in all, I definitely recommend Lang-8 🙂

Thanks for the response. Good to know you have gotten so much use out of Lang-8.

Actually I’ve created my own program to help everyone practice writing in Japanese, maybe you’d get some use out of that as well?

If you are interested, check this out:

http://selftaughtjapanese.com/japanese-writing-lab-improve-your-writing-skills/

Hello locksleyu 🙂

Thank you for your recommendation. I have just slaved over a script for a Japanese speech contest, so I’ll take a break from writing for a bit ^^;; (bit.ly/JapSpeech) if you’re interested 🙂

I’ll join the writing lab when I feel up to it 😀

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Currently you have JavaScript disabled. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Welcome to Kakimashou

Practice writing Japanese on your screen. Let's write!

Learning to write in Japanese takes a lot of practice, but this website will take care of a lot of the legwork for you. You can stop wasting paper and looking up stroke-order diagrams and just focus on learning.

Begin Tutorial

Send Feedback

Support this Website

Get the Reddit app

Welcome to r/LearnJapanese, *the* hub on Reddit for learners of the Japanese Language.

How are students taught to structure essays in Japan?

In school in America I was taught to structure essays with:

An opening paragraph introducing the topic that ends with a thesis statement

Body paragraphs each starting with a strong assertion that supports the thesis, and further sentences expanding on it, backed by evidence.

A final paragraph restating the thesis and expanding on why the body proved the thesis.

For longer essays/writing projects the structure is similar, just with more and expanded sub-levels.

I am curious what kind of essay writing structure is taught in Japan? My ninth grade English teacher who was actually fluent in Japanese and had taught English in Japan alluded to a different essay structure used in Japan but never explained it in detail.

By continuing, you agree to our User Agreement and acknowledge that you understand the Privacy Policy .

Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app

You’ve set up two-factor authentication for this account.

Enter a 6-digit backup code

Create your username and password.

Reddit is anonymous, so your username is what you’ll go by here. Choose wisely—because once you get a name, you can’t change it.

Reset your password

Enter your email address or username and we’ll send you a link to reset your password

Check your inbox

An email with a link to reset your password was sent to the email address associated with your account

Choose a Reddit account to continue

Start Learning Japanese in the next 30 Seconds with a Free Lifetime Account

Learn Japanese - JapanesePod101.com

Skip to content

• Board index Japanese Language - Learn Japanese Learn All About Japanese

SHORT Japanese essay

Moderators: Moderator Team , Admin Team

Post by yamiisan93_509416 » December 12th, 2015 10:24 pm

Re: SHORT Japanese essay

Post by community.japanese » December 21st, 2015 2:35 pm

Return to “Learn All About Japanese”

• General Information
•     Learn Japanese Forum Help and Posting Guidelines
•     Tech Updates
• Japanese Language - Learn Japanese
•     Learn All About Japanese
•     Japanese Resources & Reviews
•     JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) - 日本語能力試験
•     Practice Japanese - 日本語を練習しましょう
• Japanese Culture
•     General Japanese Culture
•     Japanese Anime & Manga
•     Japanese History & Tradition
•     Japanese Food & Entertainment
• Travel Japan - Life in Japan
•     Visiting Japan
•     Working & Studying in Japan
• Everything Else Japan Related
•     JapanesePod101 Listener's Lounge
• Feedback & Support
•     Feature Requests
•     Japanese Lesson Suggestions
•     Technical Support
•     Moderator Corner

5 Ways to improve your Kanji practice

*Kanji characters Ink on paper, a journey Memories made.* Memorising large amounts of kanji can be challenging, but there are... Read more →

Re-Learning Japanese: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Personal Growth

If you're looking to re-learn the Japanese language, you're in good company. Whether you studied Japanese in the past and... Read more →

Japanese Writing Practice (Beginner)

Essential vocabulary in writing! Let's test your writing skills! Can you write in Japanese with confidence? It's very important to recognize the characters for reading, but it's a lot more important to be able to produce them quickly! Try the videos and see if your writing is at that level or not!

Getting Started

Learn Kana in 2 Weeks

漢字 (Pre-Intermediate Kanji: N4)

漢字 (Intemediate Kanji: N3)

漢字 (Beginner/Elementary Kanji: N5)

文法 (Pre-Intermediate Grammar: N4)

文法 (Intermediate Grammar: N3)

the Time (N5:Beginner)

the Numbers (Beginners:N5)

the Grammarian (Pre-Intermediate)

the Grammarian (Intermediate)

the Dates (Beginners:N5)

ikinari Japanese (Podcast)

Vocabulary Pro

Vocabulary Builder (Pre-Intermediate)

Vocabulary Builder (Basic)

Super Japanese

Stories in Japanese (Intermediate)

Sentence Builder 2 (advanced)

Sentence Builder (Upper-Intermediate)

Sam's Diary Seasons

Sam's Diary Quiz (Intermediate)

Sam's Diary Casual Seasons

Sam's Diary Casual (Japanese Casual Form Practice)

Sam's Diary (Intermediate)

Sam's Diary (English/Quiz) (Intermediate)

Sam's Diary (English) (Intermediate)

Sam's Diary (Casual/English) (Upper-Intermediate)

Random Japanese Questions (Basic)

Quick Japanese

Power Vocabulary (Pre-Intermediate/N4 Level)

Power Vocabulary (Basic:N5 Level)

Power Verb Conjugation

Power Listening Casual (Advanced)

Power Listening (Advanced)

Power Conversations (Basic:N5 Level)

Pat's tweets (Intermediate)

Particles Pro

One-Point Japanese (Beginner)

Mel's Notes (Advanced)

Karaoke with Ash (Elementary:N5/N4)

Kanji Perfect Master

Japanese こそあど Master (Beginner)

Japanese Verb Conjugation Patterns

Japanese Proverbs (Advanced)

Japanese Perfect Master All Seasons (English) (Complete N5 Level: Beginner/Elementary)

Japanese Perfect Master All Seasons (Complete N5 Level: Beginner/Elementary)

Japanese Perfect Master (English)

Japanese Perfect Master

Japanese Particles Master

Japanese Idioms (Advanced)

Japanese Daily Expressions (Japanese 101)

Japanese 4-word Idioms (Advanced)

JLPT N5 Vocabulary (Beginner/Elementary)

JLPT N4 Vocabulary (Pre-Intermediate)

Hiragana and Katakana (Beginner)

Classic Short Stories in Japanese (Listening/Reading Practice)

Ash's Diary (Beginner)

Learn and Write 5 Essential Japanese Phrases...

Start learning how to write new Japanese words and phrases with us! This time, it's...

Keep track of your progress

Save your favourite lessons and receive updates on new content with a free account.

• TOPICS  
• VIDEOS  

• ARCHIVES  
• Arts & Culture
• Education & Study Abroad
• Science & Technology
• Social Issues
• U.S.-Japan Relations

• Event Videos
• Interview Videos
• Study Abroad Videos

650 Words. Limitless Topics. Your Chance to Stand Out from the Rest.

By Yuki Kondo-Shah, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Consulate Fukuoka

The essay is the single most important part of your college application, because it's the one part that you can truly control at this moment. The grades on your transcript reflect the last three years of hard work in various courses. Your standardized test scores are a snapshot of your test taking ability on one weekend morning. Teacher recommendation letters are their perspectives about you compared to your classmates.

The essay, on the other hand, will reflect how much effort you put into it right now. You should start the draft early, make edits and rewrite it multiple times, and share it with friends and mentors that you trust. While there may be other students who have great grades, test scores, resumes, and letters, there should be only one personal statement that sounds like you wrote it, and that’s the key to a successful application essay. It's perfectly fine to write it first in Japanese and then translate it into English!

In my experience evaluating Japanese student essays in admissions applications, too many students simply answer the essay question being asked. That seems counterintuitive, I know, but the point of the essay questions is to function as a prompt, a starting off point, from which you can explore your background, history, intellectual interests, and future plans. The goal is to have the admissions officer come away after reading your essay knowing you better as an individual, why you are motivated, and why you would be a great addition to the classroom and campus life at their school.

My specific advice to Japanese students would be to NOT be humble, but to think BIG. This is not a time to be shy, as you are competing with American students who have been educated to express their dreams and articulate their plans in their applications. Ask yourself what is motivating you to study in America, and what you think an education there would allow you to do that you cannot achieve if you were to stay in Japan. If you want to read some sample essays, the New York Times does a series every year on essays that move their editors .

Let's look at a short essay question from my alma mater, Dartmouth College, on this year's application: "In the aftermath of World War II, Dartmouth President John Sloane Dickey, Class of 1929, proclaimed, ‘The world's troubles are your troubles…and there is nothing wrong with the world that better human beings cannot fix.’ Which of the world's ‘troubles’ inspires you to act? How might your course of study at Dartmouth prepare to you to address it?”

There are many inspirational young people setting great examples these days by tackling challenges like climate change or bullying. In writing your 650 words, think about the impact you want to have on the world. What makes you stand out from the rest?

Read the other articles in the series:

• American Universities Want YOU!
• Extracurricular Activities: What You Do Outside School Matters
• Six Tips for Getting Strong Recommendation Letters
• Dos and Don'ts for Writing Teacher Recommendation Letters

Click here for more information on studying in the U.S. and EducationUSA programs throughout Japan.

• Study Abroad

Check Out 5 Patents Developed at U.S. Universities

How u.s. philanthropy benefits the world, how king’s words brought america closer to its best, 5 symbols of ukrainian independence.

[…] ・650語のエッセイで差をつけよう！ […]

LEAVE A COMMENT

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

9 Japanese Writing Exercises for Creative Language Practice

Writing is one of the most important skills you can learn in Japanese.

It involves creating your own sentences with all the Japanese words and grammar you’ve learned so far.

So how can you practice your writing skills in a way that’s fun, stimulating and rewarding ?

The best answer I’ve found so far is doing unique Japanese writing exercises, especially if you do so in a journal specifically for that purpose.

Read on for my nine favorite Japanese writing practice activities !

1. The New Character Challenge

2. the daily journal entry challenge, 3. the character count challenge, 4. the show and tell challenge, 5. the letter challenge, 6. the review challenge, 7. the recipe challenge, 8. the diary challenge, 9. the memory challenge, why use a journal for japanese writing exercises, how to practice japanese handwriting, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Chances are that you have a reasonably concrete study schedule set in place by now. (If not, start here !) That means you should be learning new characters—or at least seeing them pop up in your study materials—quite frequently.

What better way is there to reinforce your character studies than to practice using them?

Try keeping a record of this week’s (or this month’s) new characters. These could be hiragana, katakana or kanji, depending on your current level.

Then, use each new character at least once , in context, in your Japanese notebook or journal. The more you use them, the better!

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Try FluentU for FREE!

Write a journal entry every day for a week .

This could be about anything. Something you did that day, something you learned in Japanese class, something you want to do in the future, a conversation you had with a friend… the possibilities are endless!

Even if things are pretty routine and dull during the week, keep track of what you do, think, feel, see or even dream.

Then, knuckle down and write seven entries in seven days. Try writing at the same time every day to get into the habit of doing it.

If you’re feeling up to an extra challenge, try to keep this going for an additional week, for a whole month or indefinitely.

Set yourself a character minimum for your journal entry for that day.

Decide how many characters you’re going to write. This will vary depending on your current Japanese skill level and your quantity of available time.

Start with 100 (yes! It’s supposed to be a challenge). If you plan on writing in mostly hiragana and katakana , increase your character count a little. One kanji character is sometimes equal to two or even three kana letters.

Then, increase your character minimum the next time to 200, then 250, then 300… You get the picture. You’ll get to know your own limits as you go.

This challenge is extremely difficult for some—particularly anyone who would say they’re shy or a perfectionist. You’ve got to show your journal (or at least an entry or two) to your Japanese friends for proofreading and checking.

Try not to be shy! Find a native or fluent Japanese speaker who would be willing to read your writing. Their feedback will help you figure out and improve on any mistakes you’ve made.

Not only will your reader point you in the right direction with things you’re struggling with, but they’ll most likely be very impressed with your effort and praise you on your strengths, too!

If you don’t have any Japanese friends or acquaintances, you can check out some online platforms where you’ll likely find some people who would be more than happy to check for you.

You can also use italki to find a Japanese tutor and ask them to go through your writing and offer constructive criticism .

Maybe you’re all on board to try the above challenges, but there’s one little problem—you have no clue what to write!

If that’s the case, this challenge (and the next ones) will help give you more guidance and spark your creativity.

In the letter challenge, the idea is to try writing a heartfelt letter in Japanese to one of your friends (or family members, if applicable). This could be a great way to practice using Japanese honorifics .

You can also practice writing formal letters (perhaps to practice for applying to Japanese-speaking jobs) and using keigo , the most polite form of Japanese.

Or, you can simply write a casual letter to a friend who can speak Japanese. It’ll be motivating knowing that they’ll be able to read it when you’re done.

Think about a recent book , manga , movie  or anime you’ve watched recently, then write about what you thought of it .

If you choose to write about something from your home country, bear in mind your review might be one of just a few in Japanese—perhaps even the very first!

Do you write a personal blog? Reviews are great blogging content. You might end up with a huge Japanese following!

Need more things to review? Treat yourself to a one-time   Kawaii Box , or sign up for a monthly subscription. You’ll get ten adorable Japanese items in each box, ranging from yummy little snacks to toys and pencil cases, which gives you ample things to write about.

This Japanese writing exercise will give you the chance to practice descriptive adjectives . You should aim to use a good number of these in your writing—try setting a personal goal before you start.

It’s always nice when your Japanese studies can link you with delicious food .

So, choose your favorite dish—it’s totally fine to pick one native to your own country. Now, in your Japanese notebook, describe the flavors and ingredients of the dish . Talk about any customs surrounding it or seasonal consumption, if applicable.

Write out a recipe for how to prepare your dish in Japanese. It can be as complicated or as simple as you like, depending on the dish and your language level.

This is a great way to practice using imperatives and the ～てください / ～でください form.

This is a good challenge to combine with the daily writing challenge in #2. Write a simple diary entry of your day or an event you recently went to. 

The diary challenge is especially good if you’re an intermediate level learner and you’re doing something exciting that week that you can write about, such as going on vacation.

However, there’s no problem with choosing a fairly normal event (going to school, work, etc.). Those are things you probably talk about often, anyway, which means you’ll get good practice with useful vocabulary and common grammar points .

In fact, this is a great way to get grammar practice or review in: You can practice tenses, adjectives, prepositions and anything else you learned recently.

Up for a chance to test yourself?

Open two blank pages of your notebook, preferably side by side. On the left page, write a journal entry by yourself, with no assistance —no using a dictionary and no asking for help. If you’re writing kanji, don’t check the shape or stroke order!

When you’ve finished, check it yourself or with a friend. Then, on the right-hand page, rewrite it neatly with any corrections. Essentially, the left page is your “draft” piece, and the right page is your “final” piece.

In this format, it will be easier to see where there’s room for improvement. Beyond meaning and usage, pay special attention to any mistakes you’ve made in the shape or size of the characters.

This exercise will get you used to writing from memory and will also improve your writing confidence . If you do this practice more than once (which you should!), you’ll eventually be able to see a clear line of your progress.

First of all, the best way to improve your writing is by writing. A lot.

Keeping a journal gives you a designated place to store your writing . You don’t have to hunt for spare paper or take up precious space in your actual learning notebook.

Any notebook can be a writing journal, but a high quality one with lots of pages will work especially well. I recommend buying something you’d be proud to show off to people, so you can get native speaker feedback on your work.

Having a specific notebook can also help you get into the habit of doing Japanese writing exercises every day . Practicing your writing often will improve your writing speed, as well as your grammar and  vocabulary , too.

What’s more, a writing journal is a wonderful tool for tracking language learning progress . By keeping a notebook and writing in it consistently, you’ll be able to actually see improvement in your writing skills as time goes on.

Eventually, your journal will also become a resource for you to reference . Have you forgotten some old kanji? Do you need to brush up on a certain grammar concept? No worries. You just have to flip back and have a look at previous entries.

So, once you have your ideal notebook, you should:

• Decide how much time you’re going to dedicate to journal-writing. Start with 30 minutes a week, and expand on it later.
• Decide on a topic, or a certain type of writing. Use any or all of the ideas above for guidance!
• Keep it simple at the beginning. Use grammar and vocabulary you know well—perhaps fill the first page with a self-introduction. Build up your confidence.
• Keep at it! Practice using hiragana and katakana, then work yourself up to kanji. Start covering more complex topics as well.

Whatever you do, just keep writing !

Writing in a physical journal, as suggested, is a great way to improve your Japanese handwriting.

It can especially help you learn kanji and stroke order , if you’re at that level, but you can also use kanji apps to get more guided practice in.

You can do further Japanese writing exercises right on your device (using your finger, mouse or digital pen) with the guided lessons on Kakimashou . You can also use a physical resource such as this writing practice book , which includes how-to information and grid sheets for you to practice hiragana, katakana and kanji.

Even if you don’t want to use something so specific, just writing in your notebook often will help you refine your Japanese handwriting abilities. You can check over previous entries for places you can improve, or have your native reviewer give you some feedback and tips.

Either way, you’ll have a deeper understanding of the characters and you’ll remember them better when you need them in other situations.

So what are you waiting for?

Try out the above nine challenges to really bring your Japanese writing practice to its best possible level—but remember that you can make them your own as well. Allow yourself to be inspired.

Have fun, and good luck!

If you love learning Japanese with authentic materials, then I should also tell you more about FluentU .

FluentU naturally and gradually eases you into learning Japanese language and culture. You'll learn real Japanese as it's spoken in real life.

FluentU has a broad range of contemporary videos as you'll see below:

FluentU makes these native Japanese videos approachable through interactive transcripts. Tap on any word to look it up instantly.

All definitions have multiple examples, and they're written for Japanese learners like you. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.

And FluentU has a learn mode which turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples.

The best part? FluentU keeps track of your vocabulary, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You'll have a 100% personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Related posts:

Enter your e-mail address to get your free pdf.

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe