Not Just ‘Sorry’: Understanding “Sumimasen” and “Gomen Nasai”
07/25/2025
Culture
Tips
Vocabulary
Hello everyone!
Today, I’d like to talk about how Japanese people use the words “sumimasen” and “gomen nasai.” These are two common Japanese expressions often translated as “I’m sorry,” but they can have other meanings depending on the situation.
Have you ever talked with a Japanese friend who’s been living in Japan for a long time?Maybe you’ve thought, “Wow, Japanese people apologize a lot!…
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What would you like to drink today?
07/14/2025
Uncategorized
We interviewed students of NILS Annex about the school's vending machines.
Question: What do you think about Japanese vending machines?
Answer: When I came to Japan from Nepal, I was very surprised. When I first saw them, I wondered why there were so many vending machines. I also had some trouble figuring out how to use them at first, but now I’m used to them.
Question: What do you fi…
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JLPT Test Day & Tanabata Wishes
07/07/2025
Culture
JLPT
Student life
Yesterday, July 6th, was the day of the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test).
This time, the schedule was a little different from before—N1 and N2 levels were held in the morning, while N3 to N5 were in the afternoon.
For those taking the test for the first time, just getting to the test site can be stressful. So, to help ease their worries, a teacher went along with the students to the…
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Tanabata Festival
07/02/2025
Culture
Student life
Here are some thoughts that NILS students shared about the Tanabata Festival.
🌟 Participating in the Tanabata Festival – A Wonderful Experience at NILS
Today, we participated in the Tanabata Festival held at NILS. Tanabata is one of Japan’s traditional festivals, celebrated annually on July 7th. It is based on a romantic legend about two stars, Orihime (the weaving princess) and Hikoboshi (t…
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