Go Go Nihongo

“Niko niko” and “niya niya” are used to describe smiling expressions. However, although they bear a striking resemblance in terms of pronunciation, the underlying meaning is totally different, and I’ll explain why. “Niko niko” is derived...

There is a Japanese nursery rhyme called: “Donguri Korokoro” (The Falling Acorn) In this song, an acorn falls off the tree and rolls into a pond. In the world of onomatopoeia, the continuous rolling movement of...

Are you a fan of Japanese comics, or as we call them, manga? Apart from the characters’ dialogues, you might have noticed lots of quirky sound effects incorporated into the background, like, “burororo”, “donn”, “waku waku”...