japanese websites

They work with over 1,600 restaurants and your search can be quickly narrowed down by using filters including Areas, Cuisine, Dietary Restrictions, Price Range, Michelin Star holders, and more.

On the Experiences side, activities are classified into Food Tours, Cooking Classes, Dining Experiences and Tastings. A nice social touch is when you make a reservation or booking via their platform byFood donates 10 school meals to children in need for each guest booking.

Bus, Ferry, Train Timetable Sites

Japan Car Hire

38.) car hire via booking.com.

If you want to rent a car in Japan but don't speak or read Japanese, there's an easy way to get this sorted - by using the Booking.com website. Although best known for their hotel platform, the site also offers simple car rental in Japan. Simply put, it lets you compare deals and get the best offers from the biggest car hire companies.

A few words about phone apps

I haven't included any phone apps in this list as I will be publishing an article dedicated to the best and most useful apps when travelling in Japan. And this list is pretty long as it is.

But if you'd like to know more now, in my book How To Travel In Japan Without Speaking Japanese , I list 8 Japan travel apps I recommend taking a look at, and 11 Japanese free translation apps for both Android and iPhones.

Well, that's quite a list!

Be sure to bookmark this article so you have quick access to all of these, or...

If you have any go-to resources for your Japan trip planning, be sure to tell me and share your recommendations with others by leaving a comment below...

Learn Japanese.

Thousands of lessons. no credit card needed., short audio & video lessons for fast and easy learning.

Want to start speaking Japanese from your first lesson? You will! Our lessons take you by the hand and guide you through real Japanese conversations. Our teachers slow down and explain every word and phrase. Just imagine... you’ll finally understand every Japanese word you hear. Learning for travel or love? Want to focus on reading, writing, grammar or culture? You get lessons based on your goals and needs.

Study Tools for Rapid Learning

Worried you won’t remember the words? You get the word lists , slideshows and flashcards that re-quiz you on words so you never forget them. Worried you won’t “understand” native conversations? You get slowed down audio and line-by-line breakdowns so you pick up every word. What about pronunciation? You can practice and compare yourself with natives with voice-recording tools. And that’s just a small taste of what you’re about to unlock!

Personalized Guidance from Your Own Teacher

Yes! You can even learn 1-on-1 with your own Japanese teacher. Want to introduce yourself in perfect Japanese? Or speak up to 3 minutes of conversation within the first week? Your personal teacher will provide you with personal feedback , corrections and answers to any questions you may have via private messenger. Your teacher will also give you a personalized program to follow. (Available with the Premium PLUS subscription)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

• Other Languages

Gateway for anything about Japan

Web Japan provides information about Japan including facts, fun and new trends, traditional and pop culture, science and technology, food, travel, and life style.

Mt. Fuji, Japan's Sacred Mountain

Ryokan in Tokyo - A Unique Japanese Experience in the Capital of Japan

Learning the Fun of Science Through Manga

Style in Japan

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Trends in Japan

Short, engaging dispatches on the latest and hottest trends in Japanese fashion, design, technology, lifestyle, pop culture, food, and travel.

Japan Video Topics

Japan Video Topics offers a comprehensive view of Japanese culture, nature, science and technology and tourism etc. You can enjoy streaming content.

Chopsticks in Japan

Food Tech for the Environment

Takamatsu Bonsai – Centuries Old Pines

niponica is a web magazine that introduces modern Japan to people all over the world.

Kids Web Japan

Kids Web Japan provides fun content that helps children learn about Japan. The site is widely used in elementary and middle school classrooms around the world.

Japan Fact Sheet

Concise introductions of Japan,from economy to sports and culture.

Map of Japan

Click on the Map to search articles of each prefecture.

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The journey is the reward

15 Best Websites to Learn Japanese in 2023

Looking for the best websites to learn Japanese? We’ve gathered a list of the 15 best Japanese learning websites to level up your Japanese skills. Some are more comprehensive , such as LingoDeer, Duolingo, Tofugu, etc., while others are more specific , such as Weblio, OJAD, etc. With these 15 websites, learning Japanese online by yourself is totally possible. If you prefer using a cell phone, we have also selected many excellent Japanese apps to help you reach your goal faster.

With all the great resources out there, I’m sure you can pick up Japanese without going to Japan or paying for pricy language schools. Now without further ado, let’s get started!

Table of Contents

Target group: all learners

LingoDeer is a comprehensive website where you can learn Japanese (and several other languages) while having fun. It helps you improve Japanese grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and listening skills with bite-sized lessons curated by professional teachers. Actually, you are now reading this article on LingoDeer’s blog, which is dedicated to bringing you all the great stuff on language learning and different cultures. If you prefer using mobile, the LingoDeer app is also well-received for learning the Japanese language. Take a look!

Link: https://www.lingodeer.com/

Target group: newbie to intermediate

Duolingo is one of the most famous language-learning websites. The best part is that you can learn the Japanese language on its website and app, and the data is interoperable. Similar to LingoDeer, Duolingo can help you learn Japanese with game-like lessons. The mascot, Duo, a little owl, will accompany you during your learning journey! And also, all the content Duolingo offer is free, which is super suitable for beginners with limited budgets.

Link: https://www.duolingo.com/

Nihongo eな (いいな) is a portal site for learning Japanese. It doesn’t offer any content itself but systematic and organized study resources. In other words, this website can be your guiding sign when you enter the door of the Japanese language world. The catalog comprises basic skills—reading, writing, listening, speaking, vocabulary, and grammar. For each category, a bunch of free recourses is available. 

Link: https://nihongo-e-na.com/jpn/

Tofugu is a really systematic and comprehensive Japanese learning website. You can learn Japanese from zero to advanced there. The best part of Tofugu is its grammar teaching, which is composed of many detailed articles written in English. Please try it if you still need help with problematic Japanese grammar, such as verb conjugation or honorific prefix. Its spin-off, WaniKani , is dedicated to teaching kanji, but not for free.

Link: https://www.tofugu.com

Verbs Nihongo

Target group: intermediate to advanced

As the name implies, it’s a tool website for Japanese verbs . Many Japanese learners find verb conjugation in Japanese is mind-twisting. If it bothers you as well, this website can help you out. It’s more like a dictionary of verb conjugation , by which you can look up the 17 conjugations of every verb.

Link: https://verbs.nihongonosensei.net/

Online Japanese Accent Dictionary (OJAD)

Although Japanese is thought to have almost the simplest pronunciation in the world, it’s still hard to speak Japanese like native speakers. To reach such a goal, you need to pay more attention to the Japanese accent and pitch. According to its Introduction, OJAD is an online Japanese accent database for learners and teachers of Japanese. A guideline of Japanese pronunciation that I composed before also draws on much of OJAD’s resources. 

Link: https://www.gavo.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ojad/eng/pages/home

NIHONGO SENSEI

This is a website for learning Japanese from zero to intermediate level. Unlike Tofugu, which mainly explains Japanese knowledge through articles, this website is more practice-oriented, and many exercises are available there. A spaced repetition system is integrated into this site and ensures all of the items you learn are moved from fragile short-term memory into more secure long-term memory.

Link: https://www.nihongosensei.net/

Online Japanese Tests

This website is simple in design and rich in content. You can do lots of exercises according to different types there, such as grammar, vocabulary, kanji, listening, and reading. It doesn’t require you to register or any preliminary process, which means you may practice immediately as long as you open it. This website can be an excellent tool to reinforce what you have learned from textbooks or elsewhere.

Link: https://test.u-biq.org/

Weblio dictionary

Dictionaries are necessary when we are trying to learn new languages. Weblio dictionary is highly recommended for looking up Japanese terms, by which you can search not only for ordinary words but also idioms and slang. If you are an advanced learner, it is best to understand Japanese in Japanese, just like native speakers. Otherwise, you may need to switch it to a Japanese-English dictionary—click the button “英和・和英辞典” on the top of the page.

Link: https://www.weblio.jp/

Target group: advanced learners

Wajikan is a free website for introducing Japanese traditional culture and customs. You can also expect to learn many Japanese language facts there, especially etymology-related knowledge. I enjoy reading ancient Japanese mythology and urban legends there. However, unfortunately, this website requires a relatively high level of Japanese, as there is no English translation, and neither is furigana. It could be said that most of the readers are native speakers.

Link: https://wajikan.com/

Sometimes we need some motivation to keep learning a new language! It’s not a big deal, especially when we get frustrated sometimes in our learning journey. Well, the website Matcha is a great website for fun! It provides interesting information on travel in Japan, such as the introduction of scenic spots, cultural events, and hotel details. Trust me, browsing beautiful sceneries in Japan can dramatically boost your enthusiasm for learning Japanese. Although I have yet to use it, it’s highly recommended by my friends.

Link: https://matcha-jp.com/en

edewakaru is a simple website that combines Japanese knowledge with interesting manga ! You can memorize a lot of vocabulary and grammar through vivid pictures and plots there. Everything is hard in the beginning, and so is the language. Please give it a try if you are struggling with basic Japanese vocabulary or grammar!

Link: https://www.edewakaru.com/

NHK means Japan Broadcasting Corporation. It’s Japanese national television, just like BBC in the UK and NBC in the US. But of course, you can learn the Japanese language through it. However, it may be hard for beginners to watch or listen to programs made for native speakers. As the study progresses, you will be able to understand the programs better, by which your Japanese language skills will improve quickly. 

Link: https://www.nhk.or.jp/

The Japanese language can be many learners’ work language—at least, it is for me. When it comes to work, writing Japanese emails or letters is essential. It may be very troublesome due to the extremely complicated honorific system in the Japanese language. Letter110 is a free website for writing Japanese emails (letters). It offers text examples for different uses, such as New Year’s Greetings, Graduation Greetings, and Housewarming Messages.

Link: https://www.letter110.net/

Target group: newbie

Marugoto is a Japanese-learning website supported by the famous Japan Foundation, which also hosts the JLPT exam. The contents offered are divided into different levels, from zero to A2. At each level, you can learn conversation, kanji, and grammar. The main idea of this website is to teach daily life Japanese rather than exams. 

Link: https://marugotoweb.jp/ja/index.php

Published by Jerry Lin

Hey there, I'm Jerry. I completed my undergraduate studies in China in 2020, and I'm working hard to get my Master's degree at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, Japan. I speak Chinese, English, Japanese, and have recently been learning Portuguese. It could be said that learning languages have lit up my life, enormously enriched my academic background, and enhanced career prospects for me. Don't hesitate, let's enjoy learning languages together! View all posts by Jerry Lin

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Japanesepod101 has to be near the top of this list

nice to visit this site.

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Japanese Grammar

Grammar hubs.

These hubs connect grammar concepts to give you a deeper understanding of how Japanese works. Learn the ins and outs of Japanese word types, conjugations and forms, and how culture affects communication.

VERB CONJUGATION

Japanese verbs have different conjugation patterns depending on what type they are — godan, ichidan, or irregular. Learn all about verb types and conjugation on this page.

TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE VERBS

Transitive verbs describe actions that happen to something else. Intransitive verbs describe actions that happen by themselves.

BUILDING SENTENCES AND CLAUSES

Understanding clauses will help you to break down and understand complicated sentences in Japanese.

PLURAL AND QUANTITY

The ways we express plurality and quantity are different in Japanese and English. In Japanese, we use quantifiers, plural suffixes, and repetition words.

PERSONAL PRONOUNS

Personal pronouns are used to refer to people from various perspectives: the first person (I, we), the second person (you), and the third person (she, he, they).

NUMBERS AND COUNTERS

Japanese has two ways to count. Numbers are followed by different counters, or 助数詞（じょすうし）, depending on the thing being counted.

Nouns are words that label the world around us and are used to identify things.

な-ADJECTIVES

な-adjectives are one type of adjective in Japanese. Their main function is to describe nouns, but many can function as nouns themselves.

こそあど言葉 (KO-SO-A-DO WORDS)

こそあど言葉 (ko-so-a-do words) are a series of Japanese words that can be used to refer to things, people and locations. The word you choose to use mostly depends on the distance between you and whatever you're talking about.

い-ADJECTIVES

い-adjectives are one type of adjective in Japanese. Their main function is to describe nouns, and they can take different ending to change their meaning.

DATE AND TIME

To give the date, you use 〜年 (year), 〜月 (month), 〜日 (day), and 〜曜日 (day of the week). To tell time, you use 〜時 (hour), 〜分 (minute), and 〜秒 (second).

Grammar Points

These help you grasp how to use a particular grammar point, word, particle, or form.

• Adjective Form
• Clause Link
• Conditional
• Demonstrative
• Transitivity
• Uncertainty

Adjective さ (Objective Nouns)

Adding 〜さ to an adjective turns it into a noun, and gives it the nuance that the noun is objective and measurable.

Adjective そう

〜そう can be added to adjectives to mark them as speculative, such as おいしそう = "looks delicious".

Adjective み (Subjective Nouns)

Adding 〜み to an adjective turns it into a noun with a subjective quality, like the "warmth" of a person or the "weight" of a decision.

Building Sentences and Clauses

Command form.

Verbs in the command form express strong orders or demands. The form changes depending on the verb type, so learn more, 読め (read it)！

Conjunctive Particle ので

Just like the English conjunction "so," ので is a conjunctive particle that explains a reason or cause. It also contains a polite feel, a…

Conjunctive Particle のに

のに is a conjunctive particle that expresses a sense of surprise or frustration when something goes against the set expectation.

Conjunctive Particles が・けど

Conjunctive particles が and けど are often used in a similar way to the English word "but." Additionally, they can be used to link contex…

Date and Time

To give the date, you use 〜年 (year), 〜月 (month), 〜日 (day), and 〜曜日 (day of the week). To tell time, you use 〜時 (hour), 〜分 (minute), and…

First-Person Pronouns

First-person pronouns are words that a speaker or a writer uses when they refer to themselves, like "I" or "we" in English.

Honorific Prefix: 御〜 (お〜・ご〜)

御 (read as お, ご or おん) is an "honorific prefix" that is generally placed before nouns. It adds politeness and shows respect to the pers…

Numbers and Counters

か indicates that something is unknown. It's used to form questions, indefinite pronouns, and lists of alternatives.

Particle から

から is a particle that marks the "source," such as a starting point, an origin, or a reason.

Particle が (Subject)

が marks the subject of a sentence. In other words, whatever comes before が is the person or thing that's doing whatever comes next.

で specifies where or how an activity or event takes place.

と is used to connect two or more words together as companions

Particle と (Conditional)

と can be used to show a "strong causal relationship." In other words, it shows a condition and a result that always follows.

に is like a pin on a map. It shows where you are, where you are headed, or where you were before.

ね is a sentence ending particle that marks information as shared by the speaker and listener.

Particle の (Nominalizer)

の is a nominalizer. It turns non-nouns — things like verbs, adjectives, or clauses — into nouns.

Particle の (Noun Modifier)

の is like a label maker. It turns a noun into a label that modifies another noun.

は marks the topic of a clause, sentence, or paragraph. It creates focus as well as a nuance of contrast with other potential topics.

へ is like an arrow that points the way to a destination or a direction.

Particle まで

まで is a particle that indicates the end point in space, time, and numbers.

The particle も is similar to the English words "too" and "also." It is placed after a word to show that the word is part of a set.

や is used to list multiple items (usually two or three) as examples. It implies that there are more items on the list that you haven't …

よ is a sentence-ending particle that gives an informative feel.

Particle よね

よね is a sentence-ending particle that is commonly used for confirmation.

Particle より For "Than…" In Comparison

In a comparative sentence, より is equivalent to the English word "than..."

Particle より: A Formal Version of 〜から (From)

より is a formal version of the particle から (from).

わ is a sentence-ending particle that reflects your perception or sentiment based on personal observation and/or experience.

を tells us what the direct object of a sentence is. In other words, it marks the thing that gets affected by the verb.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns are used to refer to people from various perspectives: the first person (I, we), the second person (you), and the thi…

Plural Suffixes

Plural suffixes attach to the end of nouns to indicate that they are plural.

Plural and Quantity

The ways we express plurality and quantity are different in Japanese and English. In Japanese, we use quantifiers, plural suffixes, and…

Question Words

Questions words are words like 何 (what), いつ (when), and なぜ (why). They are used for asking questions.

Second-Person Pronouns

Second-person pronouns are words like "you" that a speaker uses to refer to their audience.

The stem form is a type of Japanese verb form also known as V-stem form, and 〜ます form—this last name comes from the fact that it can be…

Third-Person Pronouns

Third-person pronouns are words like "he" and "she." They are used for people who are neither "I" nor "you."

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Verb conjugation.

Japanese verbs have different conjugation patterns depending on what type they are — godan, ichidan, or irregular. Learn all about verb…

Verb Plain Present る Form

The plain form of a Japanese verb (aka the dictionary form or the る form) is used to talk about both the present and future.

Adding 〜そう to a verb is the equivalent of "looks like (someone or something) is going to do something" in English.

〜かもしれない follows a sentence and expresses "uncertainty."

By adding 〜ことがある to a word in the plain, non-past form, you can talk about what you do on occasion.

〜させる (Causative)

When a verb ends in 〜させる, it tells us that someone is forced to do the action, or allowed to do the action, depending on context. For t…

し is often used to add emphasis to a list of parallel or sequential fields, much as "and what's more" or "not only...but also..." in En…

〜じゃない・〜ではない

Adding 〜じゃない or 〜ではない to the end of a noun or a な-adjective makes it negative, similar to the way "not" functions in English. Between t…

〜た (Past, Plain)

The suffix 〜た puts a plain form verb into the past tense. It tells us that the verb is completed or happened before the present moment.…

〜たい (Desire)

〜たい is a verb suffix that adds a meaning of desire. Use it to say "I want to do [this verb]."

〜たがる is used to say that someone is "showing signs of wanting to do" something. Use it to say what other people want to do.

When 〜たことがある follows the past tense, it expresses what you've experienced in the past.

〜たら is a conditional form. Depending on the context, it can express time sequence like "when/after" and conditions like "if."

〜たりする is used to list actions and states. It indicates the list is incomplete, meaning that there are more things speakers could list.

Used with a verb that expresses intentions, 〜てある describes a current state that's the result of a past action done by somebody, usually…

〜ていく and 〜てくる can express a gradual process that takes place over time. While 〜ていく focuses on the starting point of the process, 〜てくる f…

〜ていた is the past tense version of 〜ている. This form puts emphasis on the duration of a past action.

Depending on the verb that 〜ている is used with, it can describe an ongoing action, or a current state that's the result of a past action.…

〜ておく follows a verb and generally adds the nuance that you do the action in advance for future convenience.

〜てほしい expresses that you want someone to do something or something to happen.

〜てみる follows the stem form of a verb and expresses an exploratory nuance, as in "to try doing something" to find out more about it.

〜てもいい is a phrase that expresses permission, concession, or approval.

〜という is a phrase with a wide array of functions, but it always denotes that what it's marking is based on hearsay or something that's s…

The Japanese word とき means "time," and can function like "when" in English to create a time clause, such as "when I was a child."

〜な For ''Don't...!''

When な is added to the plain form of a verb, it marks a strong negative imperative. It's like very strongly saying "Don't…!" in English…

〜ない (Negative, Plain)

When 〜ない appears on the end of a verb, it means it is in the negative plain form. In other words, it has a similar function to "not".

〜なかった (Negative, Past)

〜なかった is the past tense negative plain form of verbs. It adds the meaning of "did not do [verb]" to a sentence.

〜ながら (Contrast)

ながら for contrasting clauses is used to describe two contradictory situations, and is often translated as "although."

〜ながら (Simultaneous Actions)

ながら is used to indicate that two actions take place simultaneously. It is similar to "while" in English.

〜なさい (Polite, Command)

〜なさい is a suffix that is used to make polite commands or directions. While polite, it still implies a sense of authority.

〜にくい is a verb suffix that means "difficult to do (the verb)."

〜ば (Conditional)

The suffix 〜ば puts verbs into the conditional form. In other words, it adds an "if" meaning to a sentence.

When a verb ends in 〜ます, it shows that you are speaking politely.

〜やすい is a verb suffix that means "easy to do (the verb)."

〜よう (Volitional)

〜よう is a verb suffix that expresses volition, proposition, or invitation, akin to "let's" or "shall we?" in English.

〜られる (Passive)

The passive suffix 〜られる tells us that a verb is done to someone. It takes the emphasis off of who does the action, and places it on who…

〜れる (Potential)

〜れる appears on the end of a verb show ability or possibility, similarly to "can" or "be able to" in English.

中（じゅう） follows a location or time-specific word to mean "everything within the area" or "all throughout the period of time," respective…

中（ちゅう）follows another word to mean "in the middle of," as in 食事中 (in the middle of eating) or to mean "during," as in 会議中 (during the m…

あまり〜ない indicates that the degree or extent of something is not high or great, as in "not very" or "not much."

い-Adjective かった (Past Tense Form)

〜かった allows you to make い-adjectives past tense, in a similar way to "was" in English.

い-Adjective がる

い-adjectives can take the suffix 〜がる to describe how other people seem to feel, based on how they look or behave. This lets you state w…

い-Adjective く Form

This page teaches you how to put an adjective into the くform and provides basics of its three usages.

い-Adjective くない (Negative Form)

Adding 〜くない to the end of an い-adjective makes it negative, kind of like how "not" functions in English.

い-Adjective ければ

Adding 〜ければ to the end of an い-adjective makes it conditional, similar to using "if" or "when" in English.

い-Adjectives

い-adjectives are one type of adjective in Japanese. Their main function is to describe nouns, and they can take different ending to cha…

い-Adjectiveく (Adverb Form)

The く form can be used to turn い-adjectives into adverbs, in a similar way to "-ly" in English.

い-Adjectiveく (Linking)

The く form of い-adjectives allows you to combine words and clauses together.

い-Adjectiveく (Noun)

A few い-adjectives that relate to time or location can be used like nouns in their く form.

The Japanese verbs いる and ある mean things like “to be” or “to exist” and can often be used in a similar way to “there is” and “there are…

うち is a word that means “inside,” as opposed to “outside.” When it’s used with other grammar elements, like 〜のうち or 〜のうちに, it indicates…

ください indicates a direct request while paying respect to the speaker. By adding it to a verb in its て form, you can request that someone…

くらい (or ぐらい) signifies approximation. It follows another word or phrase and indicates that something is around a certain amount or leve…

くれる・あげる・もらう

あげる and くれる are Japanese words for "to give," and もらう means "to receive/get." When speaking from the giver's perspective, you use あげる. …

こいつ・そいつ・あいつ・どいつ

こいつ, そいつ, あいつ, and どいつ are a set of こそあど言葉 (ko-so-a-do words). These words are used to refer to people, but they're very informal, and …

こう・そう・ああ・どう

こう, そう, ああ, and どう are a set of こそあど言葉 (ko-so-a-do words). They come before an adjective or a verb to specify the way the adjective or …

ここ・そこ・あそこ・どこ

ここ, そこ, あそこ, and どこ are a set of こそあど言葉 (ko-so-a-do words). They are equivalent to "here," "there," and "over there" in English. どこ is …

こそあど言葉 (Ko-So-A-Do Words)

こそあど言葉 (ko-so-a-do words) are a series of Japanese words that can be used to refer to things, people and locations. The word you choose…

こちら・そちら・あちら・どちら

こちら, そちら, あちら, and どちら, along with their contractions こっち, そっち, あっち, and どっち, are a set of こそあど言葉 (ko-so-a-do words). They refer primar…

こと basically means "thing." It's a versatile word for intangible, abstract things — ideas, events, experiences, and many others. こと can…

こなた・そなた・あなた・どなた

こなた, そなた, あなた and どなた are a set of こそあど言葉 (ko-so-a-do words). The first three all mean "you," though only あなた is still in use today, an…

この・その・あの・どの

この, その, あの, and どの are a set of こそあど言葉 (ko-so-a-do words). They are placed before nouns to give information about their location in rel…

これ・それ・あれ・どれ

これ, それ, あれ, and どれ are a set of こそあど言葉 (ko-so-a-do words). They are equivalent to "this one," "that one," and "that one over there" in …

こんな・そんな・あんな・どんな

こんな, そんな, あんな, and どんな are a set of こそあど言葉 (ko-so-a-do words). They all get placed before a noun to indicate what that noun is like.

Used for both compliments and contradictions, さすが always adds the nuance that something is inevitable.

すぎる follows other verbs and adjectives and signifies that there's too much of something.

する basically means "to do," but it is incredibly versatile and goes beyond its English equivalent.

だ marks nouns and な-adjectives as present tense and positive, but it can also add an emphatic nuance in some contexts.

だけ means "only" and indicates the limitation or extent of something.

だった is a plain form past tense marker, typically used with nouns and な-adjectives.

Often translated as "probably," "I assume," or "I believe," だろう is used to speculate based on your interpretation of something.

つもり expresses the speaker's predetermined intention.

The て form links actions, events, and states. The relationship between linked words can be different depending on the context.

でした is a polite past tense marker, typically used with nouns and な-adjectives.

でしょう is used to speculate based on your interpretation of something, though you lack proof. It's often translated as "perhaps," "I assu…

です is used to mark words as polite if they cannot conjugate to show politeness themselves.

な-Adjectives

な-adjectives are one type of adjective in Japanese. Their main function is to describe nouns, but many can function as nouns themselves…

なら is a conditional particle. It means something like "if" in English.

なる is equivalent to the English verb "to become."

まだ means "still" and まだ〜ない means "not…yet."

もう (A Little More...)

もう suggests "a little more" than the current quantity or condition.

もう (Already / Not Anymore)

もう is the equivalent of "already" or "(not) any more" in English.

んだ and its variants such as んです add an explanatory feel to a sentence. It’s often used to provide information in order to fill the gap …

中（なか）is a word for "inside." It can also mark items for comparison, as in "among" these things, or indicate the circumstances "in which…

前 and 後 mean "in front" and "behind" respectively when referring to space, and "before" and "after" when talking about time.

自分 is a Japanese pronoun that means "self."

行く and 来る are Japanese words for "to go" and "to come." 行く indicates that the speaker's on the departure side of the movement, while 来る…

Btrax Design Company > Freshtrax > Top 10 Most Pop...

Japanese Trends

Top 10 Most Popular Websites in Japan

btrax staff

As of May 2019, we have updated this list. You can find it here! ——————————————————–

Online Culture Differences Americans are used to thinking about popularity in terms of English language brand giants like Google and eBay, but abroad many of those big names are sideshows.

To illuminate that, a few weeks ago we ranked the Top Ten Most Popular Websites in China . This week we turn our attention to Japan and what sites Alexa lists as the online hotspots there.

Similar to China, search engines and infotainment web portal sites are the biggest players, while only one online shopping site broke the Top 10. However,  Japanese social network leader Mixi  should be at the top if Japanese users behaved as Chinese users, but instead Mixi lags at #8. This further highlights the ways Chinese and Japanese culture, entrepreneurship, and online business are different – a caution sign to anyone lumping them together in their branding or marketing plans.

Japan’s Top 10 Traffic Ranking

1. Yahoo.co.jp Yahoo is much stronger in Japan then Google – the global percentage of Internet users who visit yahoo.co.jp is about 5 % daily . Much of this stems from the popularity of Yahoo’s sub-brand sites such as Yahoo! Auction (Japan’s #1 auction site), Yahoo! Travel, and Yahoo! Weather.

2. Google.co.jp Google’s multilingual search engine has not risen substantially in popularity over the years, despite several attempts to raise its profile in Japan. Yahoo’s quicker market entry and focus on partnership building helped Yahoo! Japan establish a decisive foundation. However, Google Map’s street view launch in 2009 did much to boost their appeal in Japan.

3. fc2.com A free and easy to use website creation and blog hosting company. Hovering somewhere between Big Daddy and Blogger FC2 has stealthy crept upward in the rankings beating out companies that have much better brand recognition to break the top 3.

4. Youtube.com YouTube is an area Google has had success in, managing to dislodge the native video website NicoNico Douga , which suffered due to copyright issues that YouTube was faster to contain and solve. The percent of global Internet users who visit youtube.com daily is about 23% and 8% of those are Japanese Youtube site visits.

5. Rakuten.co.jp Rakuten is like Amazon and eBay rolled into one – the juggernaut is Japan’s focal point for ecommerce and has made its founder Hiroshi Mikitani one of the top ten Internet billionaires. The portal now boasts 30,000 stores and over 7 million registered users. Rakuten also has strong sub-brands such as Rakuten Travel and Rakuten Finance.

6. Ameblo.jp A Japanese free blog site that has been quick to innovate as new trends have cropped up. In December 2o09 it launched Ameba Now , a micro-blogging platform to compete with Twitter Japan, and just launched in March 2010 its Flash-based avatar app for Facebook called Ameba Pico .

7. Livedoor.com It is said over  three million Japanese use livedoor blog site.Percent of global Internet users who visit livedoor.com is close to 1.2% daily . This search engine and information portal became famous primarily due to ex-CEO Takafumi Horie .

8. Mixi.jp Japan’s native and most popular social networking site has easily maintained its lead over Facebook (ranked #31), despite Facebook’s technical prowess. Facebook is a prime example of a company that waited too long to jump into the Japanese market and has struggled nightly against Mixi’s position.

However, Facebook’s influence is finally being seen at Mixi, which made the rare move of altering its business model by opening up their community to outside app developers, albeit in a limited way. In 2009 Mixi introduced social gaming, which have helped it stay on top as the #1 social networking site in Japan.

9. Google.com When you search Google.com in Japanese using only Chinese-derived characters, you hardly find any Japanese sites in the results. Given that expats only make up a fraction of Japan’s population, this means Japanese are conducting searches in English at a high rate, something also reflected in China.  The percent of global Internet users who visit google.com is about 30-42% daily.

10.  Wikipedia.org The Japanese are some of the most loyal users and avid editors of Wikipedia with over 40% accessing the site every week .

Interested in expanding your business to Japan? At btrax, we can offer market research and validation, UX localization, and growth marketing services to help companies with their Japanese market expansion goals. Contact us if you have any questions or would like to start working with us. We look forward to hearing from you!

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The 10 most wonderful places to visit in Japan

Mar 28, 2024 • 6 min read

From buzzing cities to serene forest walks, these are our favorite places to visit in Japan © Taiyou Nomachi / Getty Images

Japan offers up a real feast for travelers, with mountainside onsen (hot spring) villages, beach-lined islands and buzzing megacities all on the menu.

You could arguably spend a lifetime sampling the country’s delights, but some towns and sights are staples – core ingredients to any great Japan trip. Here’s our pick of the 10 best places to visit in Japan .

Best for contemporary culture

Tokyo is a city forever reaching into the future, pushing the boundaries of what's possible on densely populated, earthquake-prone land, and building ever taller, sleeker structures.

It's Japan's top spot for contemporary art and architecture, pop culture, shopping, drinking and entertainment (and a tie with Kyoto for dining). But more than any other sight, it's the city itself that enchants visitors.

It's a sprawling, organic thing, stretching as far as the eye can see. Constantly changing with a diverse collection of neighborhoods , no two experiences of Tokyo are ever the same.

Planning tip: Tickets for sumo, kabuki and Giants baseball games usually go on sale one to two months in advance. The Imperial Palace and Ghibli Museum are other popular attractions that require prior planning.

Best for traditional experiences

Kyoto , Japan's imperial capital for a thousand years, is home to more than a thousand temples. Among them are the monumental, like Kinkaku-ji (an exquisite pavilion sheathed entirely in gold leaf), and the meditative, like Ryōan-ji , with its stark Zen rock garden.

And temples are only the beginning. There's the culture of tea, which you can appreciate at one of the city's many elegant teahouses; the art of the geisha, those iconic performers of traditional music and dance; and also a rich food culture, including kaiseki (Japanese haute cuisine).

3. Naoshima

Best for architecture

Naoshima is one of Japan's great success stories: once a rural island on the verge of becoming a ghost town, it's now a world-class center for contemporary art.

Many of Japan's most lauded architects have contributed structures, including museums, a boutique hotel and even a bathhouse – all designed to enhance the island's natural beauty and complement its existing settlements.

The resulting blend of avant-garde and rural Japan is captivating. It has also inspired some Japanese to pursue a slower life outside the big cities, relocating to Naoshima to open cafes and inns.

Planning tip: Try to plan your visit during one of the three exhibitions of the  Setouchi Triennale festival, which happens during the spring, summer and fall every three years – the most recent was in 2022. Naoshima hosts various art, drama, music and dance events that make this festival really special.

Best for views and pilgrimages

Even from a distance,  Mt Fuji will take your breath away. Close up, the perfectly symmetrical cone of Japan's highest peak is nothing short of incredible. Dawn from the summit? Pure magic.

Fuji-san is among Japan's most revered and timeless attractions. Hundreds of thousands of people climb it every year, continuing a centuries-old tradition of pilgrimages up the sacred volcano.

Those who'd rather search for picture-perfect views from the less-daunting peaks nearby will be following in the steps of Japan's most famous painters and poets.

Planning tip: The best time to climb Mt Fuji is during its official season, from July 1 through mid-September, which avoids the rainy season and snowfall. Always check for typhoon warnings before hiking in Japan.

5. Hiroshima

Best for introspection

Hiroshima today is a forward-thinking city with attractive, leafy boulevards. It's not until you visit the Peace Memorial Museum that the true extent of human tragedy wreaked by the atomic bomb becomes vividly clear.

A visit here is a heartbreaking, important history lesson. The  park around the museum , much of which was designed by Japan's great modernist architect Tange Kenzō, offers many opportunities for reflection.

But the city's spirit of determination – as well as its food – will ensure that you'll have good memories to take with you when you leave.

6. Yakushima

Best for forest bathing

Yakushima, a small island off the coast of southern Kyūshū , is often described as magical and enchanting – otherworldly even. It's a place where words fail and clichés step in.

Home to some of Japan's last primeval forests, you'll find the yakusugi , an ancient cedar native to the island whose giant roots seem to form alien tentacles.

Hiking trails underneath them cover craggy terrain, often fuzzy with moss. The landscape here is believed to have inspired the iconic Studio Ghibli animated film,  Princess Mononoke .

Detour: When you're not hiking, stop by the  Yakusugi Museum to learn more about the importance of yakusugi  to the islanders of Yakushima. An English audio guide is available.

7. Koya-san

Best for exploring temples

Riding the funicular up to the sacred Buddhist monastic complex of Kōya-san feels, appropriately, like ascending to another world.

There are over a hundred temples here, the highlight of which is Oku-no-in , where paths weave their way among towering cryptomeria trees and time-worn stone stupas covered in moss and lichen.

Other temples offer a different experience: the chance to spend the night, dine on traditional vegetarian Buddhist cuisine and wake up early for morning meditation with the resident monks.

Planning tip: Though Japanese temples and shrines do not have established dress codes, visitors are expected to stay relatively quiet in these sacred spaces.

8. Okinawa and the Southwest Islands

Best for beaches

Okinawa and the Southwest Islands offer a totally different experience from the rest of Japan. This semi-tropical archipelago forms an arch between Kyūshū and Taiwan .

Until the islands were annexed by Japan in the 19th century, they formed their own kingdom – the Ryūkyū Empire – and the cultural differences are apparent in everything from the architecture to the food.

This is where you'll find Japan's best beaches, like those on the Yaeyama Islands  and the Kerama Islands, with sugar-white sand fringed with palms and turquoise waters. Bask in the sun, or snorkel and scuba dive.

Best for street food and nightlife

Tokyo doesn't nab all the superlatives when it comes to urban experiences. Osaka , Japan's third-largest city, is tops for street food: don't miss its signature dish, takoyaki (grilled octopus dumplings).

It also has the most dramatic of nightscapes: a dazzling display of LED lights, animated signage and flashing video screens along the canalside strip Dōtombori .

The city, Japan's oldest merchant center, has a pace, spirit and zest for life all of its own; its unofficial slogan is kuidaore (eat until you drop).

Planning tip: In addition to nightly accommodation fees, Osaka hotels will typically charge an accommodation tax that varies depending on the standard nightly rate.

10. Kamikōchi

Best for mountain hikes

One of Japan's most stunning natural vistas, Kamikōchi is a highland river valley enveloped by the soaring peaks of the Northern Japan Alps .

Easy day hikes are possible along the Azusa-gawa, following the pristine river through tranquil forests of willow, larch and elm.

The birthplace of Japanese alpinism, Kamikōchi is also the gateway for more challenging treks up some of the country's tallest mountains, such as Yari-ga-take (3180m/10,433ft). Private cars are banned from Kamikōchi, which lessens the impact of the crowds.

This article was first published April 2021 and updated 1 day ago

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Analysis: Japan’s Scandal-Ridden Politics Threaten to Claim Another PM

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Japan’s Scandal-Ridden Politics Threaten to Claim Another PM

A political party funding crisis could bring down fumio kishida..

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is battling to keep his grip on power after a massive funding scandal crashed already-weak public support for him and his long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) just months before a September party leadership race.

Fallout from the scandal has raised the risk of Kishida becoming Tokyo’s latest revolving-door premier, even as Japan confronts an assertive China, economic fragility, and the possibility of a return to power by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Kishida, a soft-spoken former foreign minister with a lackluster image, is already Japan’s second prime minister since Shinzo Abe resigned in 2020 after a unique, nearly eight-year second term that made him the country’s longest-serving premier. Abe, who had remained influential as the leader of the LDP’s biggest faction, the Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyukai, was shot to death   by a lone assailant while campaigning in July 2022.

More broadly, the scandal highlights not only the inability of the LDP—in power for most of the past seven decades—to reform and rejuvenate itself, but also a fragmented opposition’s failure to capitalize on the ruling party’s chaos. The political confusion and lack of viable alternatives to the LDP threaten to postpone tough policy decisions and leave others in the hands of cautious civil servants.

“The predictable stability that characterized Japanese politics since 2012 [when Abe led the LDP back to power after three years in opposition] is in all likelihood over,” wrote political analyst Tobias Harris, the author of a book about Abe. “That stability, it turns out, rested on the effective demobilization of roughly half the electorate, deepening into a widespread sense of malaise in Japanese democracy. And this is where the malaise has led.”

Major LDP factions, including Abe’s, are alleged to have violated the political funds law by failing to report hundreds of millions of yen (equivalent to millions of dollars) raised from selling tickets to fundraising events while allocating the missing cash to dozens of lawmakers as unreported kickbacks for exceeding ticket-sale quotas.

Funding scandals are common in Japanese politics, but this one is unusually widespread. Ten individuals (including three elected lawmakers in the LDP) face criminal charges and some found guilty but prosecutors have not charged any faction’s senior executives, who have denied knowledge of the legal violations. Kishida, however, replaced four cabinet ministers from the Abe faction in December, and this week, a party heavyweight implicated in the scandal said he would not run again in the next general election.

These factions—subgroups led by party bosses—have been an integral part of the LDP’s internal dynamics since its founding in 1955 from the merger of two conservative parties. While electoral reforms in the 1990s weakened their role, they have remained influential.

The scandal—which emerged in late 2023 after a law professor found discrepancies in faction funding reports and filed a criminal complaint with prosecutors—is just the latest to hit Kishida, whose support had already been eroded by LDP’s links  to the controversial Unification Church , which is considered a cult by critics such as Abe’s assassin; a rocky rollout of a national identity card system; and voter distaste for expected tax hikes to fund plans for higher defense spending.

Efforts by Kishida (who has not been personally implicated in the scandal) to repair his ratings—including by replacing the four cabinet ministers from the Abe faction, dissolving his own party faction and nudging several other blocks to follow suit, and promising to tighten political funding rules best known for their many loopholes—have done little thus far to stem the decline.

Kishida’s surprise decision to personally testify before a parliamentary ethics panel in order to pressure Abe faction executives to do the same cleared the way for  passage of the budget for the 2024 fiscal year (which starts in Japan in April), it but failed to ease concerns over the origins of the years-old kickback scheme and how the money was spent.

“When did this start, and what were the funds used for? It has not become clear at all,” said Katsuya Okada, the secretary-general of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), at a briefing for foreign media on March 12.

A Kyodo News agency survey published in early March showed that support for Kishida’s cabinet had hit a fresh low of 20.1 percent, while that for his party was at 24.5 percent, its lowest since returning to power in December 2012 but still above the CDP’s 10.1 percent.

Scandals over bribery and illicit donations have plagued the LDP for decades.

A shares-for-favors scandal toppled then-Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita in 1989, and another financial scandal helped briefly oust the LDP in 1993 for the first time since its founding in 1955, triggering reforms to the electoral system.

The reforms—which included tighter rules for political funds and the introduction of single-member electoral districts for the parliament’s lower house in place of multimember constituencies—weakened the influence of faction bosses, who for decades had backed rival candidates in the multimember districts, collected and dispersed campaign funds, and used their numerical clout to launch runs for the premiership.

Nonetheless, factions have continued to play big roles in raising funds, allocating party and cabinet posts and determining who wins party leadership races—and hence, determining who wins the premiership, as long as the LDP is in power.

Abe’s right-hand aide, former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, was elected as president of the LDP after Abe resigned in 2020, citing ill health. Suga came to power as prime minister with the backing of most factions, including Abe’s, although he belongs to no faction himself. Suga, however, stepped down a year later after his ratings plunged over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the ensuing party leadership vote, Kishida defeated the popular Taro Kono, a U.S.-educated reformist maverick disliked by more traditional lawmakers, in a second-round runoff with the support of the Abe block.

Abe’s death, however, created a vacuum , as no clear successor emerged to head his faction. The scandal has also tainted the prospects of potential Kishida rivals within the LDP, such as former Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura and former party policy chief Koichi Hagiuda.

With the scandal still swirling, it’s unclear how now-disbanded factions will regroup, though few expect them to disappear entirely despite LDP pledges to eradicate their role in fundraising and personnel decisions and improve overall party governance.

“For all the criticism of factions, no one has come up with a proposal for how to restructure, or a model of governing in the face of this unraveling,” said Columbia University professor emeritus Gerry Curtis. “The system has been atrophying for two decades … but there are no powerful bosses to run the show. There is a lack of energy, a lack of imagination, a lack of leaders.”

The prime minister, who is scheduled to make a state visit to Washington, D.C., starting April 10, has denied rumors that he is considering calling a snap election for April 28, the same day that three national by-elections are scheduled, and political experts say such an early poll appears unlikely given the LDP’s low support rates and a tight schedule. No lower house vote is required be held until October 2025.

Speculation persists that Kishida might call a lower house election before the current parliamentary session ends in June in hopes of winning enough seats to ensure that he is reelected as the leader of the LDP in September. A long-shot scenario has Kishida making a surprise visit to North Korea to resolve a long-running stalemate over Japanese citizens kidnapped by Pyongyang’s agents decades ago.

Japan’s four main opposition parties have cooperated in attacking the LDP over the scandal, but they face hurdles to uniting behind allied election candidates due to policy differences and personal rivalries—although some have suggested that they join hands under the banner of political reform, setting aside other differences for now.

Continued fragmentation means that chances seem slight that the LDP and its junior coalition partner, the Komeito party, would lose their lower house majority and fall from power.

Still, a poor election performance could force Kishida to resign to take responsibility.

Overt efforts inside the LDP to dump Kishida have so far not surfaced but political analysts said the prime minister could face a party revolt if the LDP fares badly in the three national by-elections in April.

The prime minister also faces a tough decision on how to keep his promise to punish members involved in the scandal, since he himself until recently headed a faction whose former treasurer has been found guilty of violating the political funds law.

For his part, Kishida may be hoping that recent wage hikes and the central bank’s March 19 end to eight years of negative interest rates can cheer voters, and that public outrage over the scandal fades, allowing him to hang on to win another three-year term as LDP president.

“The LDP could make minor adjustments, promise some things … and the public gets bored and wants to focus on other things, so it blows over and things go on as usual,” said Curtis, the Columbia University professor.

But if his ratings remain at rock-bottom, the Japanese leader could be forced to bow out ahead of the party poll. Japanese media is already focusing on Kishida’s possible successors.

Speculation has simmered that that male-dominated LDP might try to change its image by choosing its first female leader. Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa—a Harvard University-educated, three-time former justice minister—has been floated as a potential candidate in that case, although some question whether the 71-year-old lawmaker would galvanize voters simply by virtue of her gender. Some media have also floated the possibility that Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike , a former LDP member and Japan’s first female defense minister, could seek a seat in parliament, positioning herself to return to the party and seek its presidency.

Trade Minister Ken Saito, another Harvard-educated lawmaker, could be a dark horse candidate.

Other names floated include those of former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, a four-time failed candidate for LDP leader who is popular with voters but less so inside his own party; Kono, who is currently the minister for digital transformation; former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, a telegenic son of popular former premier Junichiro Koizumi; hawkish Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, who bid unsuccessfully in 2021 to become Japan’s first female premier; former Internal Affairs Minister Seiko Noda, another female lawmaker who came in last in the 2021 party leadership vote; and LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi, a faction leader who fares badly in voter surveys.

Amid the political uncertainty, policy decisions—such as when to start raising taxes to fund a planned major hike in security-related spending, to nearly 2 percent of gross domestic product by 2027—are being delayed. An even deeper danger, however, may be a further deepening of public disaffection with politics in general.

“There are difficult decisions to be made, and nobody wants to make them,” said Jesper Koll, an expert director at Monex Money Group Japan. “As a result, there is bureaucratic incrementalism in all sorts of policies. There is bureaucratic creep rather than [a] visionary leap forward.”

Linda Sieg is a journalist in Tokyo. She covered Japanese politics, the economy, and social issues at Reuters in Tokyo for more than three decades, most recently as chief political correspondent.

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Vessels Belonging to Owner of Baltimore Ship Had Been Cited for Labor Violations

The vessels had underpaid crews and kept workers onboard for months beyond their contracts, according to an Australian regulator.

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By Michael Forsythe ,  Peter Eavis and Jenny Gross

• March 26, 2024

Ships belonging to the company whose container vessel crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday have been cited in recent years for labor violations, which include underpaying ship crews and holding crew members onboard for months past their contracts, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

In 2021, the authority detained the Western Callao, another ship formerly owned by the company, the Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Ltd., after it found that the management was in arrears paying 13 crew members and had kept them on the ship for more than 12 months, well beyond their nine-month contracts. In 2020, an inspection of the same ship in Australia found that eight sailors had been aboard it for more than 11 months.

Another ship owned by Grace Ocean, the Furness Southern Cross, had 10 seafarers aboard for more than 14 months. The infractions were “serious and shameful” violations of an international convention on maritime labor, Michael Drake, the executive director of operations for the authority, said at the time, in October 2021.

“This type of behavior is unethical and in complete contravention to the Maritime Labor Convention,” Mr. Drake said. “The international conventions that protect seafarers’ rights are very clear.”

Any factors about the crew of the Dali, the Grace-owned container ship that crashed into the Key Bridge, including fatigue, will likely be among the many items the National Transportation Safety Board examines as it looks for the cause or causes of the crash.

Grace Ocean owns 55 ships, according to Equasis , a public database of ship information. While global companies such as Maersk charter the vessels, the owners and the ship managers are generally responsible for managing the crew and maintaining the ships. The management company for the Dali, Synergy Marine, was not the company managing the two vessels cited by Australia.

The extremely opaque nature of global ship-owning makes finding the ultimate owners and holding them accountable for any violations difficult. According to Singapore company records, Grace Ocean is owned by the British Virgin Islands-based Grace Ocean Investment Limited. Lloyds List, which first reported Grace Ocean’s infractions in 2021, reported that Grace Ocean Investment is based in Hong Kong. But the company matching the name and address in Lloyd’s database dissolved in 2015, according to Hong Kong company records.

The Singapore company has four directors — two Filipino citizens, a Singaporean and a Japanese person — with all listing addresses in Singapore, records show.

Alexandra Wrage, the president and founder of Trace, a group focused on anti-bribery, compliance and good governance, said that ship ownership structures were designed to maximize opacity and minimize accountability.

“There are some good actors in this space, but shipping is the Wild West from a compliance and accountability perspective,” Ms. Wrage said. “And when compliance and accountability aren’t priorities, issues like environmental standards, labor practices and health and safety often aren’t either.”

The Dali had 22 crew members from India onboard, according to a statement from Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine. None were injured.

An inspection of the Dali last year at a port in Chile found that the vessel had a deficiency related to “propulsion and auxiliary machinery.” The inspection, conducted on June 27 at the port of San Antonio, specified that the problem concerned gauges and thermometers.

The Dali has had 27 inspections since 2015, according to Equasis. The only other deficiency, a damaged hull “impairing seaworthiness,” was found in 2016, at the port of Antwerp, in Belgium. The vessel hit a berth at the port that year. A spokesman representing Grace Ocean and Synergy did not immediately have a comment on the labor violations or on the deficiency reported last year.

Michael Forsythe a reporter on the investigations team at The Times, based in New York. He has written extensively about, and from, China. More about Michael Forsythe

Peter Eavis reports on business, financial markets, the economy and companies across different sectors. More about Peter Eavis

Jenny Gross is a reporter for The Times in London covering breaking news and other topics. More about Jenny Gross

PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL SPIRITS 20th Anniversary

『プロ野球スピリッツ2024-2025』 ティザートレーラー

2024年 プロスピ誕生から 20周年

「プロ野球スピリッツ」シリーズは、 リアルさを追い求めてきたプロ野球ゲームです。

2004年3月25日に1作目となる家庭用ゲーム 『プロ野球スピリッツ2004』を発売。 『プロ野球スピリッツ2015』ではプロ野球選手を360度から撮影し、立体的に再現する3Dスキャン技術を導入。 さらに、スタジアムの精密な形状を計測するレーザースキャン技術も採用し、圧倒的表現力でリアルに迫る野球を楽しめます。

今作は次世代の野球エンジン「eBaseball™ Engine」 を搭載。 野球エンジンはスタジアム内のあらゆる動きと サウンドを演出する。 球場で見るような打球の軌道、選手たちの 必死な動作、歓喜を爆発させる大観衆、 ライブ感あふれる滑らかな実況解説。 「eBaseball™ Engine」は野球ゲームを 新たな次元へと引き上げる。

次世代のビジュアルを支えているのは「Unreal® Engine」。 圧倒的な表現力でスタジアムや 選手たちの存在感を際立たせる。

手触りまで伝わる 質感

手触りまで伝わるような髪や肌の質感。 戦う者の瞳に宿った光。 ディテールへのこだわりが命を吹き込む。

ボールの物理挙動を見直し、打球のスピードやかかる重力、空気抵抗など、 スタジアムで見る打球を目指して一新。 投球時に見るキャッチャーの動作も一新し、フレーミングまで感じるような所作に。

圧倒されるような 熱狂

レーザースキャン計測で精密に再現されたスタジアム。 そこで、ボルテージをコントロールするシステムによって表現豊かになった 観客やベンチの選手が試合の熱量を演出！

打ちあがるイニングや位置まで、 スタジアムごとに再現された花火演出。 美しく、華やかに熱戦を彩る。

インパルス・レスポンス（IR） ※ を計測し、再現した スタジアムの豊かな響き。 そして立体音響で表現された、臨場感あふれる リアルサウンドの数々。 まるで自分がスタジアム内にいるかのような没入感を 体験できる。

※インパルス・レスポンス（IR）・・・空間の音響特性を キャプチャーしたデータ

ZOZOマリンスタジアム

プロ野球スピリッツ2024-2025