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Go! Go! Nihon blog
Author: Go! Go! Nihon Staff
Learn Japanese
Greetings are important in many cultures and languages and Japan is no different. There are plenty of Japanese greetings, each with their own unique set of usage rules. It’s essential to master how to greet in...
Life in Japan
Although not so hidden anymore, Golden Gai is one of the gems of Tokyo set in amongst the skyscrapers and chaos. While it’s got its own brand of chaos, it’s a bit more organised than...
Food&Drink
The Japanese bento box is a big part of the wonderful complexities of Japanese food culture. It’s an affordable and popular meal option for many in Japan that you should definitely try when you’re visiting...
Only in Japan
Education is a fundamental pillar of growth for human beings all around the world. Every country has its own methods in teaching and raising children in order to become a part of their unique culture...
Life in Japan
Do you like grilled meats, cheap drinks, and Japanese pop music from the 60s? That was a rhetorical question – of course you do. While there are plenty of izakaya serving these items in Tokyo,...
Life in Japan
The impressive public transportation system in Japan spans across all four of its major islands. It is a now privatized system comprising of JR Hokkaido, JR East, JR Central, JR West, JR Shikoku, and JR...
Only in Japan
You may be very familiar with what’s inside Japanese houses or you may have never stepped foot into one. Japanese houses are notorious for being small, but many seem to be filled with many household...
Food&Drink
Called men (麺) in Japanese, noodles are a staple of Japanese cuisine. They are often seen as convenient food and the many types of Japanese noodles are enjoyed chilled with dipping sauces, in soups, stir-fried...
Life in Japan
Going to the hospital is never fun, but the added pressure of doing it in a foreign country – especially if there is a language barrier – can make the task that much more intimidating....
Life in Japan
Tokyo is an amazing city but it can all seem a bit much sometimes. One of the most popular ways to escape is with a Kamakura day trip. Just an hour from the city, all...
How to
As a student, you might not have a lot of discretionary money to spend. Sure, you want to go out and experience Japan, but you need to be conservative in spending in certain areas so...
Only in Japan
When I first started studying Japanese seriously, Japanese TV programs helped me tremendously in learning. The few national networks in Japan provide a variety of shows, and cable channels don’t seem as popular in Japan...
How to
The Japanese job hunting and recruiting processes is very structured. Although there are strict rules, it makes it easy to figure out what to wear since there is an expected protocol on interview attire. This...
Food&Drink
Many people in Japan eat tonkatsu, katsudon (カツ丼) or a variation of it before a sports game or a school test. This is because “katsu” is a homophone of the word katsu (勝つ), “to win,”...
Japanese Culture
It’s early morning, and by luck, you’ve come on a day everyone seems to be busy doing anything else. Walking up the steps, you glance to your sides and notice two large fox statues, keys...
Life in Japan
The Otaku Experience in Japan course hosted by Go! Go! Nihon Study Trips was a joyful time full of surprises for students. One of them, Robert, decided to share his experience with us about his...
Japanese Culture
Japan is one of the most culturally rich countries in the world with an interesting history, a ton of non-spoken rules and its own unique costumes, making it easily one of the most fascinating countries...
Life in Japan
One of the most remarkable aspects of Tokyo is the way centuries-old tradition and architecture seem to blend in perfectly with the city’s modern urban landscape. It is one of the few cities on earth...
Learn Japanese
Many Japanese words and phrases are hard to translate into different languages, including English. As an English speaker, you may not have a specific greeting for before and after a meal, or before and after...
Life in Japan
While looking back into one of the best months in his life, Zachary decided to share with us his eventful month on Go! Go! Nihon’s Summer Course in Japan. (Go! Go! Nihon staff): Could you tell me...
Japanese Culture
Whether you’re at school, work, a sports game or going on a date, the word ganbaru (頑張る) and its imperatives ganbare/ganbatte are used so frequently in Japan. But it’s a difficult word to translate into...
How to
Much like in other countries, applying for most jobs in Japan will require a resume, regardless of part-time/full-time or industry. However, Japanese resumes have a fairly strict structure so be sure to adhere to the...
Only in Japan
I’ve travelled to many different countries but nowhere else have I witnessed so many people sleeping in public than in Japan. I don’t mean homeless people sleeping in public (inemuri) areas because they don’t have a...
Japanese Culture
Origami (折り紙), which in Japanese literally means “folding paper”, is thought to have originated in Japan but is a part of many Asian cultures, such as Chinese. Through various forms of folding, a flat sheet...
Japanese Culture
You may have seen or read Memoirs of a Geisha. You may have seen the girls with painted-white faces in Kyoto. You may think you know what a geisha is or you may have no...
Only in Japan
We’ve all seen it — the photos with Japanese people posing with the peace-sign, or the V-for-Victory sign with one or both hands. The raised index and middle fingers, with palm facing outward or inward...
Life in Japan
I bow on the phone now. I’m not the only one.—And I never feel silly about it, because everyone around me here does the same thing. It’s this slight chin dip that comes with every...
Japanese Culture
Shintō and Buddhism are Japan’s two major religions, with Shintō recorded as far back as the 8th century, although its existence has probably been much longer. Buddhism was brought from China in the 6th century,...
How to
If you’re moving to Japan to study Japanese, chances are you’ll be looking to take the JLPT—the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (日本語能力試験). It may sound like I’m just trying to get you to take tests...
Japanese Culture
Bonsai (盆栽) is a beautiful art form in Japan that aims to blend horticultural skills with Japanese aesthetics. Its two kanji—bon (盆) meaning basin or tray and sai (裁) meaning planting—literally translate to “planted in...
Learn Japanese
In the summer of 2012, I followed behind my supervisor as she walked me around to each department in city hall, allowing me to introduce myself as the city’s new assistant language teacher. I spoke...
Only in Japan
The Japanese bow is an important feature of the culture, and there is a lot of meaning in its usage. Japanese culture places heavy emphasis on respect, and bowing is one of the primary ways...
Learn Japanese
The Japanese writing system consists of two types of characters: the syllabic kana – hiragana (平仮名) and katakana (片仮名) – and kanji (漢字), the adopted Chinese characters. Each have different usages, purposes and characteristics and...
Food&Drink
Ask anyone what foods come to mind when they think of Japan, and sushi will almost certainly be the first item on the list. What many people don’t know is that this quintessential Japanese dish...
Japanese Culture
Where the crosswalk goes from red to green and as many as 2,500 people hustle and bustle across the intersection each and every time, at Shibuya Station sits a bronze dog statue. Stoically waiting for...
Life in Japan
If you are moving to Japan for an extended amount of time, chances are you will need to obtain a Zairyū Card. The Japanese word zairyū (在留) literally translates to the English word “residence”, and...
Life in Japan
After a couple of months settling into life on my little island, I caught a bit of rock fever and decided to round up some friends to head into mainland Kagoshima. Our goal: catch a...
How to
The “My Number” system (マイナンバー) was introduced in Japan around the end of 2015 with the aim of providing all residents of Japan with an individual number ID for social security, taxation, and other government...
Japanese Culture
At some point in your life, you’ve probably been sucked into a movie so enchanting it left you speechless. There was something about that movie, like you were standing next to the characters or you...
Life in Japan
The Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU), or nihon ryūgaku shiken (日本留学試験) is used to evaluate the Japanese language skills and basic academic abilities needed for international students to study at the...
Life in Japan
In the middle of a scorching heat wave and sweating from both the unbearable temperature and my overwhelmed nerves, I sat next to my supervisor and twiddled my thumbs as my suit stuck to me....
Life in Japan
The Working Holiday visa in Japan aims to foster global understanding and improve relationships between partnering countries by encouraging young people to spend time living and working overseas. The maximum length of stay varies by...
Food&Drink
Traditional Japanese cuisine is known as washoku (和食). The kanji characters forming the word is comprised of 和 (wa), meaning Japanese, or harmony, and 食 (shoku), meaning food or to eat. Wa is one of...
Japanese Culture
You may have noticed Go! Go! Nihon’s mascot, the cute cat with its paw in the air, waving at visitors from its spot next to the logo (at least to most Westerners it’s waving, but...
How to
You may decide during your course of study that you would like to change language school in Japan. Changing or transferring to a new school is certainly possible, but there are a number factors to...
Learn Japanese
The best way to learn Japanese is to study it at a language school in Japan. You’ll be focused on studying it full-time and you’ll be fully immersed in the language and culture. In terms...
Life in Japan
Note: This article was created pre-pandemic and there are now more processes and information that students need to be aware of. Please refer to our “Ultimate guide to Japan student visas” article for more information...
Life in Japan
Whether you’re planning a short-term or long-term stay in Japan, you’ll want to get your hands on a mobile phone as soon as possible after arriving. Tokyo is a bright and bustling city but it...
Who we are
Go! Go! Nihon Live and Study in Japan!
In 2009, after meeting and studying at a Japanese language school together, Davide and John start working on a project that will make the process of living and studying in Japan much easier. The idea for Go! Go! Nihon is born. The service and website is launched with Italian, Swedish, and English language support. There is an immediate positive reception to the service and the first long-term students start the October session that year.
