Matthew Coslett
After his 6 month stay got extended to 6 years, Matthew decided just to stay. As well as writing about his beloved Kansai, he spends hours in the middle of nowhere looking for wildlife and searching for the parts of the city most people ignore.
Articles
World Cup Words: Talking about Football in Japanese
Following Samurai Blue’s inspiring run in the World Cup and finals about to start, there has never been a better time to master some of the unique Japanese words associated with the tournament as it nears it’s exciting finish!
He Said, She Said: How to Quote Others in Japanese
GaijinPot presents a guide to quoting what others have said — because you can't always be the definitive source.
Visa Basics: Instructor Versus Specialist in Humanities and International Services
GaijinPot investigates two common types of visas for teachers in Japan that cause the most confusion.
Cheat Sheet: Moving up to Intermediate Japanese with a New Verb Ending
GaijinPot offers advice for moving from the ない (not) to the ず (not doing) suffix — and helps you ti answer trick test questions in the process.
Get Yourself Connected: A Quick Guide to Internet Setup in Japanese
At first the words for the internet can seem somewhat easy after all — a lot of them are English. However, once you try and get online, the words become increasingly difficult. GaijinPot investigates.
How the Simplest Kanji Can Often Trick Us
With the JLPT exams just around the corner, GaijinPot takes a look at some of the weird compounds using basic kanji that examiners can’t resist slipping into their tests.
The First 10 Sentences You Should Learn in Japanese
Gaijinpot presents a guide to the first ten sentences for beginner language learners that will make the scaffolding to all your later studies.
April Fools: How to Talk About Big or Little Lies in Japanese
Since April is the month of fibs and mistruths, Gaijinpot presents some vocabulary to discuss them.
Get it on Credit: Shopping Hard with your Charge Card
Here are some details about the information on your Japanese bank card to help you have a better online shopping experience.
The Roots: Obscure Origins of Unusual Katakana
Learners may know of "wasei eigo" (English words coined in Japan), but there is another weird subcategory of katakana terms: those whose meaning has been utterly altered from the original form.
The Ties That Bind: Fate and Love in Japanese
If a partner "has you wrapped around their little finger," it may not be such a bad thing. When it comes to love in Japanese, this a sign of destiny!
What’s in a Name? Love By Any Other Word is Still as Sweet
While the feeling of love and romance is something that is impossible to describe, Japanese has a lot of words that try to capture its essence.
