Miki

I started teaching Japanese in Brisbane two years ago. Since then, I have been teaching Japanese to various students aged 5-55+ years old, from beginner to advanced level. And I realised Japanese is such a complicated language!! Let me explain why I think learning Japanese is complicated. Characters -Hiragana（ひらがな）,Katakana（カタカナ）,Kanji（漢字） First, Japanese characters. Some of you who are learning Japanese have already experienced that remembering characters is not easy. We have 46 characters...

What is Japan StrEAT Party? Brisbane hosts many Japanese events throughout the year. Recently, I went to the Japan StrEAT Party, a Japanese street food and drink festival on 18th April 2026 at RNA Showgrounds in Brisbane. No entry fee for this event, and as a Japanese, I was amazed by the variety of Japanese street food. Also, I was glad the waiting line was not long. (I used to be more patient when I was in Japan...) Do you think the food was authentic?? We ordered several Japanese street...

Google Translate and generative AI translators are convenient. However, these tools cannot provide opportunities for authentic engagement with locals. Recently, one of my students from Australia, who had been studying Japanese with me before traveling to Japan, shared an interesting insight. “When I spoke Japanese, the local Japanese people were more friendly and accepting. Some of the Japanese, especially elderly people, were not confident in speaking English, but when I spoke Japanese, we...