Japan, Explained a Little Deeper.

Language, culture, travel — and the little things Japan doesn’t always explain.

Stories, Lessons & Tips from Japan

Learn the Japanese you actually hear, understand the culture behind everyday life, and discover Tokyo through the places I know.

Japanese Language • Culture • Tokyo • Travel

Motokyo 9/23/26 Motokyo 9/23/26

How to Start Learning Japanese: A Simple Beginner Roadmap

Want to learn Japanese but not sure where to begin? Here’s a simple step-by-step roadmap to help you start with hiragana, build the basics, and begin using real Japanese.

Motokyo 12/30/21 Motokyo 12/30/21

What Is This in Japanese? これは何ですか

How do you ask “What is this?” in Japanese? Learn これは何ですか and practice answering with the simple A は B です sentence pattern.

Motokyo 12/5/21 Motokyo 12/5/21

How to Ask Questions in Japanese: ですか？

Ready to ask your first question in Japanese? Learn how adding か to A は B です turns a simple statement into a question.

Motokyo 6/19/21 Motokyo 6/19/21

Basic Japanese Sentence Structure: A は B です

Learn how to build your first Japanese sentence using A は B です. We’ll break down は and です with simple examples you can start using right away.

Motokyo 6/12/21 Motokyo 6/12/21

Learn Hiragana & Katakana: Start Reading Japanese

New to Japanese? Start here. Learn hiragana first, practice writing it by hand, then move on to katakana with this simple beginner guide.