my daily routine essay in japanese

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Japanese Vocabulary for Chores and Daily Routines  

  August 18, 2020

By   Paolo Palabrica

Expressing various daily routines in Japanese can be mostly straightforward. However, though the sentence structure itself may be simple, cultural differences from other countries can make direct translation difficult or confusing for some of these terms.

One basic example is the generic term for “cleaning” . This is usually spoken in colloquial Japanese as “kirei ni suru” (綺麗にする).

When translated directly to English, this would always be closer to the phrase “make (it) beautiful, pure or spotless”. True, we definitely sometimes use the term to refer to “cleaning”, but not as commonly as the Japanese people use the term “kirei ni suru” in everyday life. 

As we can see below, there are two more additional terms for “cleaning”, but these are far more direct, with the terminology directly referring to the exact same thing in English.

Also, keep in mind that these are only the most commonly used terms, as you can get more specific by using more verbs and further adding different action terminologies.

Keep in mind, that the words that have the optional “suru” (NOT “wo suru” ) with them are actually nouns. This means that they are only treated as verbs when “suru” is added.

Reversely, you can structure the sentence using these terms directly when referring to the action of its meaning. For example, “nihongo no benkyou” (日本語の勉強, “The study of Japanese/Japanese studies ”)

Paolo Palabrica

Paolo is a software engineer in the Philippines whose hobby is learning languages. He has self-studied Japanese for over 3 years, and now speaks 3 languages and 3 Philippine dialects.

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How to prepare for JLPT

Common Words for Daily Activities in Japanese: Vocabulary for Daily Life

In the quest to learn a new language, one of the most practical places to start is with the words and phrases that relate to everyday activities. These common terms provide a foundation for basic communication, enabling you to describe your daily routine, understand others, and engage in casual conversation.

In this article, we’ll explore the vocabulary for daily life activities in Japanese, a language known for its complexity, beauty, and deep cultural ties.

Let’s start with the beginning of the day:

• 起きる (Okiru) – To wake up. A simple phrase that starts your day. In casual conversation with friends or family, you can say “起きた” (Okita), which means “I woke up”.
• 歯を磨く (Ha o migaku) – To brush one’s teeth. Dental hygiene is universal, and now you can discuss it in Japanese too.
• 朝食を食べる (Choushoku o taberu) – To eat breakfast. You may often hear “朝ごはん” (Asagohan) for breakfast in a more casual setting.

As you move through your day, you might engage in activities like:

• 仕事をする (Shigoto o suru) – To work. This phrase can be used generally or specifically if you’re talking about going to your job.
• 学校へ行く (Gakkou e iku) – To go to school. For students of all ages, this is a fundamental phrase.
• 運動する (Undou suru) – To exercise. Whether you’re going for a run or practicing yoga, this verb will cover your physical activities.

Meals and food-related activities also have specific terms:

• 昼食を食べる (Chuushoku o taberu) – To eat lunch. In a less formal context, “昼ごはん” (Hirugohan) is also used for lunch.
• 夕食を作る (Yuushoku o tsukuru) – To make dinner. If you’re someone who enjoys cooking, this phrase will come in handy. “晩ごはん” (Bangohan) is often used for dinner in casual conversations.

Towards the end of the day, you might use:

• お風呂に入る (Ofuro ni hairu) – To take a bath. Bathing in the evening is a common practice in Japan.
• 睡眠をとる (Suimin o toru) – To sleep. Or, in casual speech, “寝る” (Neru) is frequently used.

In addition to these daily activities, it’s useful to know some general verbs for various tasks:

• 見る (Miru) – To watch or see. This can be used for watching TV (テレビを見る – Terebi o miru) or seeing a friend (友達に会う – Tomodachi ni au).
• 聞く (Kiku) – To listen or hear. You can use it when you’re listening to music (音楽を聞く – Ongaku o kiku) or hearing a sound (音を聞く – Oto o kiku).
• 話す (Hanasu) – To speak or talk. You might use it when talking to a friend (友達と話す – Tomodachi to hanasu) or speaking on the phone (電話で話す – Denwa de hanasu).

By integrating these words and phrases into your Japanese vocabulary, you will find yourself more equipped to express your daily life and understand others. Don’t forget, practice is key when learning a new language. Try using these terms in sentences or even creating a description of your typical day. With time, these words will become second nature, and you’ll be well on your way to mastering the Japanese language.

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Podcast 26: Japanese verbs for daily life

• Post author By admin
• Post date June 17, 2019
• No Comments on Podcast 26: Japanese verbs for daily life

In this podcast you’re going to learn useful verbs to talk about your daily routine. These verbs are very commonly used in casual conversation throughout the day so they are well worth learning. You will also study a little grammar related to plain form verbs and -TE form verbs which are the most common type of verb used in casual speech. You will also learn how they are used together when describing actions in a sequence.

Also, the dialogue in this lesson will teach you particles which are sounds that usually go at the end of sentences to change the nuance of what you are saying. Learning these will help you sound a lot more natural when speaking Japanese.

Main Podcast

Japanese dialogues.

Main Podcast Dialogue

A: Amiの平日の過ごし方を教えて！

B: ７時に起きて、顔を洗って、朝ごはんを食べるよ。

その後着替えて、メイクして、仕事に行くよ。

B: 休憩時間はお弁当を食べて、携帯で時間を潰すよ。

A: 仕事が終わったら？

B: うちに帰って、晩御飯を食べて、お風呂に入るよ。

A: その後は何をするの？

A: Amiは忙しいね！

Podcast Dialogue (Pronunciation)

A: Ami no heijitsu no sugoshikata oshiete!

B: Shichi ji ni okite, kao o aratte, asagohan o taberu. Sono ato kigaete, meiku shite, shigoto ni iku yo.

A: Kyuukei jikan wa?

B: Kyukeijikan wa obentō o tabete keitaii de jikan o tsubusu yo.

A: Shigoto ga owattara?

B: Uchi ni kaette, bangohan o taberu, ofuro ni hairu yo.

A: Sono ato nani suru no?

A: Ami wa isogashii ne.

Podcast Dialogue (English)

A: Ami, how do you spend your weekdays?

B: I wake up at 7, I wash my face and eat breakfast. After that I get dressed, put on my makeup and go to work.

A: What about your break time?

B: During my break time I eat a bento and kill time with my mobile phone.

A: And when work finishes?

B: I go home, I eat dinner and have a bath.

A: What do you do after that?

A: Ami, you’re busy!

B: I guess so.

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Words for Daily Routines in Japanese

Learn the most common words for daily routines in japanese. click on a word for more information and translations., related topics, american football, road cycling, mindfulness, mental health, ready to learn japanese, language drops is a fun, visual language learning app. learn japanese free today..

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• Dec 15, 2022

How to Start Writing a Japanese Diary Today

Updated: Aug 26, 2023

Konnichiy’all!

I hope your studying is going well! And if you took the JLPT a few weeks back, I hope you’ve had some nice time to rest and relax and maybe even actually enjoy Japanese again.

Today I’ve got another new study method to introduce. This one is geared towards practicing writing and expressing thoughts in Japanese. A lot of the time we get really caught up in studying all the vocabulary, grammar, and kanji that comes with Japanese, and everything just becomes example sentence after example sentence. We forget to make time to practice thinking for ourselves as well. So, one habit that I highly recommend everyone stacking into their study routine is…

A Japanese language diary!

Now, by diary I don’t mean that you need to write out all your deepest thoughts and feelings and spill your secrets in Japanese. I mean, you can do this. It would certainly be wonderful practice. But rather, I just mean keeping a journal or notebook where you write about your day in Japanese on a consistent basis .

A Simple Format for Your Japanese Diary

Language diary entries don't need to be anything special or lengthy. You can talk about where you went, who you saw, what you did or ate or watched or felt - anything is okay! Short and simple is absolutely fine. I recommend locking the habit down with just a couple sentences a day at first, rather than straining to write an essay each time.

The important part here is the word consistent . As always, our goal here is to build long term language habits that are easy, accessible, and meaningful. We don’t ever want studying to feel like too much of a chore.

Here’s the format that I used at first, and that I’ve also used with my students studying English:

Weather. Sentence 1. Sentence 2.

So, for example:

12月14日（水曜日）

天気は晴れです。今日は朝ごはんにたまごやきを食べました。おいしかったです。

(Tenki wa hare desu. Kyou ha asagohan ni tamagoyaki wo tabemashita. Oishikattadesu.)

(The weather is sunny. Today I ate rolled omelets for breakfast. They were delicious!)

It’s as simple as that. And it’s scalable to any level. When I was first starting out and didn’t know many kanji, vocabulary, or verb tenses, it may have looked like this:

てんきがいいです。きょうはたまごやきをたべました。おいしい！

(Tenki ga ii desu. Kyou ha tamagoyaki wo tabemashita. Oishii!)

(The weather is nice. Today I ate rolled omelets. Delicious!

And at a higher level, it will start to sound more natural:

最近天気が暖かくなってきました。今日の朝ご飯に彼女が卵焼きを作ってくれたんです。美味しくて最高でした♡

(Saikin tenki ga atatakaku natte kimashita. Kyou no asagohan ni kanojo ga tamagoyaki wo tsukutte kuretandesu. Oishikutesaikoudeshita.)

Naturally, as your Japanese knowledge and speed increases, your entries will probably increase in length. It’s exciting to be able to express more complex thoughts! However, even once you’ve started branching into longer entries, you can always come back to this weather + 2 sentences format to maintain the writing habit on a busy day, or when you’re not feeling very motivated. Just like how you can save your Duolingo streak with a single lesson, just a sentence or two means you didn’t miss your writing habit for the day.

6 tips to make the most of your Japanese diary:

1. write in polite japanese.

When I started writing my diary, the teacher who checked my entries had a rule that I had to write in polite language. That meant desu/masu form, all the time. I hated this rule. I wanted to practice casual Japanese too! I didn’t want to sound like a robot.

Oh my god, I am so grateful now. The fact is that no matter what your plans are with Japanese, you are going to need to use polite language a lot. For starters, any interactions that happen with staff at restaurants, izakaya, hotels, stores, etc., should happen in polite language. And yes, there is definitely a foreigner card for not using the correct level of politeness in your speech, but it can still be shocking and make someone come off as rude when that was never the intention. Even if you make Japanese friends or date Japanese people while living in Japan, you’ll start off using polite language with new people - just like you would at home.

Of course, I’m not saying you shouldn’t ever use or practice casual language. But whether you’re interested in traveling, studying, living, or working here, you should be able to speak politely first and foremost. Please don’t be the foreigner who speaks anime Japanese in Japan. In 99% of situations, it’s way more acceptable to speak too politely than it is to speak too casually here, especially if you’re young. So, I recommend practicing expressing your thoughts in polite Japanese, so that when it’s time to convey them to a Japanese person, you won’t accidentally let bad vibes slip off your tongue.

2. Find the frequency and entry length that works for you

I gave a weather + 2 sentences/day recommendation above, but the truth is that I’ve actually used a slightly different format for about two years now. I had Japanese lessons with a volunteer teacher twice a week when I was living in the Kansai region, and my diary was my homework. I work very well with deadlines, so having the twice a week deadline meant I built the habit of writing my diary twice a week. To make up for the lower frequency, I wrote slightly longer entries, about 5-7 sentences per entry. It was really easy to stack the habit of writing my diary entries at lunch before my lesson. So, find the frequency and length that will play to your strengths and fit easily into your schedule.

3. Choose your focus and format

If you want to learn to write Japanese, I definitely recommend a written diary in a notebook or journal. As you build your writing habit, the most important and commonly used kanji for you personally will become muscle memory. There’s a ton of benefit beyond just learning to write as well - your hand is connected to your mind, and you’ll remember the readings and meanings of kanji and words more clearly by writing them down yourself.

That being said, many people these days don’t bother learning to write Japanese . I do have to say, even living in Japan I barely ever need to write in Japanese. Though I can’t speak for working in an actual Japanese company, as far as daily life goes, just knowing how to read and type is definitely enough to get by these days. Japanese people themselves are also forgetting how to write a lot of more complex kanji as we shift to using more and more technology in our lives.

So, if you’d rather only focus on learning how to express your thoughts in Japanese, then a typed diary in a Google document might be the way to go. It’s way easier to access, and therefore do, since most of us have our phones all the time. The choice is up to you and your language learning goals!

4. Don’t write the same thing every day

This is probably common sense for someone learning a language because of internal motivation, but my Japanese students are very guilty of submitting a full week of English diaries that all say “The weather is sunny. Today I ate curry/stew/a hamburger/corn. It was delicious.” Now, they’re probably all really wonderful at saying that their lunch was great, but I’m not sure that the diary homework benefitted them much outside of that.

For best results, mix and match the vocabulary and grammar you know to express lots of different ideas and opinions. It’s more fun this way, and you’ll learn a lot of stuff along the way without having to open a textbook.

5. Read it back to yourself out loud to check for mistakes

This was something I didn’t do for a long time because I had a teacher reading it for me, but I wish I had been doing it all along. Oftentimes when we’re writing fast we forget words, make small mistakes, or throw out something awkward or incorrect, even in our mother tongues. Naturally, it’s going to happen in Japanese too, probably to a greater extent.

More often than you’d expect, you can sense when something’s off just by reading it over one more time. Speaking aloud also lets you know if it sounds off for some reason, such as strange wording or a grammar mistake. (Actually, I’d recommend this strategy for editing any English writing as well, to be honest!)

Beyond this, reading your entries back to yourself provides nice reading practice and review of any of the new words you’ve looked up and learned while writing, as well as rare speaking practice of more than a sentence at a time.

6. If you fall off the horse, just get back on

As with any habit, study or otherwise, sometimes life gets in the way of consistency. To be honest, when I moved and my daily routine changed so much, I stopped writing my diary for a time as well. But even if you miss a day or a week or a month or a year, what’s important with is just picking it up again and getting back on track. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, stick to the weather and 2-sentence structure for as long as you need to, and build (and rebuild) habits at your own pace. I promise the effort pays off over time.

Well, that’s it for your Japanese diary! As always, good luck with your studies and I hope you find this method to be useful!

If you enjoyed this post and don't want to miss the next ones, please make sure to hit the like button and use the box below to subscribe to Konnichiyall! Additionally, any social shares of this post will help so much to grow the community!

読でくれてありがとうございます！

P.S. I’m planning to put together a Japanese diary circle with weekly deadlines to help with motivation. Ideally, I’d like for it to be a space where we can share diary entries, questions, and support each other in the learning process. I’ll be polling soon about frequency and potential platforms to use on my Twitter , so please give me a follow and vote!

Want more Japanese Language Learning content? Here are some of my go-to study methods and tips for learning Japanese on your own!

Where to Start with Self-Studying Japanese: Habit Building

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My Daily Routine and Commute to the Japanese Language School

My daily routine in Japan is waking up at 7:30 a.m in the morning to get ready for school . During that time, I would finish any homework that I didn’t do the previous night, brush my teeth, text my friends and family, and prepare for school. By 8:15 a.m, I leave my homestay house to go to Fujisaki Station in which I take the subway to go all the way to Hakata Station. By the time I get to Hakata Station and travel to my school, it’s around 9:00 a.m in which I have 30 minutes to spare until class starts.

Check out my daily commute to the Japanese language school:

At 9:30 a.m, I have Japanese Language class all the way up to 1:10 p.m. There are 5-10 minute breaks between classes, but each class is around 1 hour long, so usually I try to bring a snack with me to eat during breaks.

At 1:10 p.m, I either go to the supermarket or a guy that I like to call “The Bento Guy” because he sells cheap bentos for only 300 yen ($3 in USD).

At 2:05 p.m., I have activity class that goes into either the culture class or the pop-culture class and we do fun activities until 3:50 p.m.

After activity class, I either go straight back to my station, or I go with my friends to a place that we want to go to such as an anime store, a CD store, or to the mall. Then I go home to meet Mahiru and Ms. Chikako to eat dinner. My favorite foods so far is chicken karaage, somen noodles, ramen, gyoza, and curry with rice and chicken katsu.

After eating, Mahiru helps me with my Japanese homework. Then it’s free time until 11:00 p.m and then I go to sleep and the day repeats. I have gotten used to commuting to school and have picked up some tips to share with future students.

Tips for Future Students

One tip that I can give for anyone who is wanting to travel abroad to learn a new language is try to prepare yourself beforehand. I know that a lot of the students who started at beginner’s level were still having a hard time even though they were just beginning. I think you should try to learn and master the basics before learning it during class, that way you have an easier time to adjust to the teacher’s pace and the classwork/homework that they give you.

Another piece of advice for anyone who wants to travel abroad to learn a new language is to speak out. I know that trying to immerse yourself into another country that speaks a different language than yours is going to be very difficult and challenging but try to communicate to the locals and other people around you. Don’t be afraid to speak whenever you feel like you need help, even though they may or may not understand you. Just don’t be shy trying to communicate in a language that you have little to no experience in speaking and just try your best to ask for help.

What I’ve Learned About Myself During My Time in Japan

I learned a lot about myself during my time abroad in Japan. I learned that I can actually handle public transportation a lot better than I expected. In Hawaii, I have never used a bus nor is there any subway stations. By going to Japan, I’ve had a great experience in using public transportation, that I probably wouldn’t have learned in Hawaii because I never use it.

I also learned that I truly enjoy making international friends from all over the world. Not only have I made friends at school and my host family’s home, I’ve been able to make friends from Japanese schools as well as some of Ms. Chikako’s friends. This has been a great and amazing experience overall and I feel like I’m going to remember this trip forever.

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• The Japan Foundation, Sydney

Daily Routine

Part 1 Daily Routine Card Games

• Students learn daily activities with pictures.
• Students practice the expressions with the games by using cards below.
• Card matching
• Concentration
• Snap (Karuta)

Part 2 Daily Routine Wheel

• Students review how to say time in Japanese.
• Students practice the pattern 「～じに・・・ます」「～じに・・・ますか」by using wheel below. For example, students turn the upper wheel back and forth to match an activity to the times of the day, creating sentences which describe a daily routine in chronological order.
• Students interview each other and create a wheel of their daily activities.

Resource created by The Japan Foundation, Sydney (November 2018).

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9 Japanese Writing Exercises for Creative Language Practice

Writing is one of the most important skills you can learn in Japanese.

It involves creating your own sentences with all the Japanese words and grammar you’ve learned so far.

So how can you practice your writing skills in a way that’s fun, stimulating and rewarding ?

The best answer I’ve found so far is doing unique Japanese writing exercises, especially if you do so in a journal specifically for that purpose.

Read on for my nine favorite Japanese writing practice activities !

1. The New Character Challenge

2. the daily journal entry challenge, 3. the character count challenge, 4. the show and tell challenge, 5. the letter challenge, 6. the review challenge, 7. the recipe challenge, 8. the diary challenge, 9. the memory challenge, why use a journal for japanese writing exercises, how to practice japanese handwriting, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Chances are that you have a reasonably concrete study schedule set in place by now. (If not, start here !) That means you should be learning new characters—or at least seeing them pop up in your study materials—quite frequently.

What better way is there to reinforce your character studies than to practice using them?

Try keeping a record of this week’s (or this month’s) new characters. These could be hiragana, katakana or kanji, depending on your current level.

Then, use each new character at least once , in context, in your Japanese notebook or journal. The more you use them, the better!

Have you found some great words but aren’t sure how to use the new characters yet? Or do you need a little help finding new characters in the first place? FluentU is a learning program that can help you discover new characters and their proper use through Japanese videos.

Write a journal entry every day for a week .

This could be about anything. Something you did that day, something you learned in Japanese class, something you want to do in the future, a conversation you had with a friend… the possibilities are endless!

Even if things are pretty routine and dull during the week, keep track of what you do, think, feel, see or even dream.

Then, knuckle down and write seven entries in seven days. Try writing at the same time every day to get into the habit of doing it.

If you’re feeling up to an extra challenge, try to keep this going for an additional week, for a whole month or indefinitely.

Set yourself a character minimum for your journal entry for that day.

Decide how many characters you’re going to write. This will vary depending on your current Japanese skill level and your quantity of available time.

Start with 100 (yes! It’s supposed to be a challenge). If you plan on writing in mostly hiragana and katakana , increase your character count a little. One kanji character is sometimes equal to two or even three kana letters.

Then, increase your character minimum the next time to 200, then 250, then 300… You get the picture. You’ll get to know your own limits as you go.

This challenge is extremely difficult for some—particularly anyone who would say they’re shy or a perfectionist. You’ve got to show your journal (or at least an entry or two) to your Japanese friends for proofreading and checking.

Try not to be shy! Find a native or fluent Japanese speaker who would be willing to read your writing. Their feedback will help you figure out and improve on any mistakes you’ve made.

Not only will your reader point you in the right direction with things you’re struggling with, but they’ll most likely be very impressed with your effort and praise you on your strengths, too!

If you don’t have any Japanese friends or acquaintances, you can check out some online platforms where you’ll likely find some people who would be more than happy to check for you.

You can also use italki to find a Japanese tutor and ask them to go through your writing and offer constructive criticism .

Maybe you’re all on board to try the above challenges, but there’s one little problem—you have no clue what to write!

If that’s the case, this challenge (and the next ones) will help give you more guidance and spark your creativity.

In the letter challenge, the idea is to try writing a heartfelt letter in Japanese to one of your friends (or family members, if applicable). This could be a great way to practice using Japanese honorifics .

You can also practice writing formal letters (perhaps to practice for applying to Japanese-speaking jobs) and using keigo , the most polite form of Japanese.

Or, you can simply write a casual letter to a friend who can speak Japanese. It’ll be motivating knowing that they’ll be able to read it when you’re done.

Think about a recent book , manga , movie  or anime you’ve watched recently, then write about what you thought of it .

If you choose to write about something from your home country, bear in mind your review might be one of just a few in Japanese—perhaps even the very first!

Do you write a personal blog? Reviews are great blogging content. You might end up with a huge Japanese following!

Need more things to review? Treat yourself to a one-time   Kawaii Box , or sign up for a monthly subscription. You’ll get ten adorable Japanese items in each box, ranging from yummy little snacks to toys and pencil cases, which gives you ample things to write about.

This Japanese writing exercise will give you the chance to practice descriptive adjectives . You should aim to use a good number of these in your writing—try setting a personal goal before you start.

It’s always nice when your Japanese studies can link you with delicious food .

So, choose your favorite dish—it’s totally fine to pick one native to your own country. Now, in your Japanese notebook, describe the flavors and ingredients of the dish . Talk about any customs surrounding it or seasonal consumption, if applicable.

Write out a recipe for how to prepare your dish in Japanese. It can be as complicated or as simple as you like, depending on the dish and your language level.

This is a great way to practice using imperatives and the ～てください / ～でください form.

This is a good challenge to combine with the daily writing challenge in #2. Write a simple diary entry of your day or an event you recently went to. 

The diary challenge is especially good if you’re an intermediate level learner and you’re doing something exciting that week that you can write about, such as going on vacation.

However, there’s no problem with choosing a fairly normal event (going to school, work, etc.). Those are things you probably talk about often, anyway, which means you’ll get good practice with useful vocabulary and common grammar points .

In fact, this is a great way to get grammar practice or review in: You can practice tenses, adjectives, prepositions and anything else you learned recently.

Up for a chance to test yourself?

Open two blank pages of your notebook, preferably side by side. On the left page, write a journal entry by yourself, with no assistance —no using a dictionary and no asking for help. If you’re writing kanji, don’t check the shape or stroke order!

When you’ve finished, check it yourself or with a friend. Then, on the right-hand page, rewrite it neatly with any corrections. Essentially, the left page is your “draft” piece, and the right page is your “final” piece.

In this format, it will be easier to see where there’s room for improvement. Beyond meaning and usage, pay special attention to any mistakes you’ve made in the shape or size of the characters.

This exercise will get you used to writing from memory and will also improve your writing confidence . If you do this practice more than once (which you should!), you’ll eventually be able to see a clear line of your progress.

First of all, the best way to improve your writing is by writing. A lot.

Keeping a journal gives you a designated place to store your writing . You don’t have to hunt for spare paper or take up precious space in your actual learning notebook.

Any notebook can be a writing journal, but a high quality one with lots of pages will work especially well. I recommend buying something you’d be proud to show off to people, so you can get native speaker feedback on your work.

Having a specific notebook can also help you get into the habit of doing Japanese writing exercises every day . Practicing your writing often will improve your writing speed, as well as your grammar and  vocabulary , too.

What’s more, a writing journal is a wonderful tool for tracking language learning progress . By keeping a notebook and writing in it consistently, you’ll be able to actually see improvement in your writing skills as time goes on.

Eventually, your journal will also become a resource for you to reference . Have you forgotten some old kanji? Do you need to brush up on a certain grammar concept? No worries. You just have to flip back and have a look at previous entries.

So, once you have your ideal notebook, you should:

• Decide how much time you’re going to dedicate to journal-writing. Start with 30 minutes a week, and expand on it later.
• Decide on a topic, or a certain type of writing. Use any or all of the ideas above for guidance!
• Keep it simple at the beginning. Use grammar and vocabulary you know well—perhaps fill the first page with a self-introduction. Build up your confidence.
• Keep at it! Practice using hiragana and katakana, then work yourself up to kanji. Start covering more complex topics as well.

Whatever you do, just keep writing !

Writing in a physical journal, as suggested, is a great way to improve your Japanese handwriting.

It can especially help you learn kanji and stroke order , if you’re at that level, but you can also use kanji apps to get more guided practice in.

You can do further Japanese writing exercises right on your device (using your finger, mouse or digital pen) with the guided lessons on Kakimashou . You can also use a physical resource such as this writing practice book , which includes how-to information and grid sheets for you to practice hiragana, katakana and kanji.

Even if you don’t want to use something so specific, just writing in your notebook often will help you refine your Japanese handwriting abilities. You can check over previous entries for places you can improve, or have your native reviewer give you some feedback and tips.

Either way, you’ll have a deeper understanding of the characters and you’ll remember them better when you need them in other situations.

So what are you waiting for?

Try out the above nine challenges to really bring your Japanese writing practice to its best possible level—but remember that you can make them your own as well. Allow yourself to be inspired.

Have fun, and good luck!

If you love learning Japanese with authentic materials, then I should also tell you more about FluentU .

FluentU naturally and gradually eases you into learning Japanese language and culture. You'll learn real Japanese as it's spoken in real life.

FluentU has a broad range of contemporary videos as you'll see below:

FluentU makes these native Japanese videos approachable through interactive transcripts. Tap on any word to look it up instantly.

All definitions have multiple examples, and they're written for Japanese learners like you. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.

And FluentU has a learn mode which turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples.

The best part? FluentU keeps track of your vocabulary, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You'll have a 100% personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Living, Working, and Studying in Japan – Your Ultimate Resource!

Living in Japan: The Everyday Life of a Foreign Worker

Have you landed a job in the land of the rising sun? Or you’re still taking time to finally decided to move? Of course, you’d want to know what it is like to work and live in Japan as a foreigner. I have been working in a Japanese company for about 5 years now, and I can say that I am living a good life here. It’s a given that I struggled at first, and you probably will too. But you will only need some time to feel at home!

Table of contents

Work and Live in Japan: The Everyday Life of a Foreign Worker

Nine to six, evening routine.

There are a few things to consider. Transportation, language, the culture, job environment, and your routine. It’s your survival we’re talking about! Moving into a new country and immediately striving to perform well in a new company is challenging. The adjustments may seem endless at first, and you will feel like you’re doing lots of things at the same time. Worry not! I’ll give you a sneak peek of the life of a foreign employee in Japan, and let’s course through yours together:

I work in Tokyo, which is the busiest part of Japan, so I wake up at 6:00 in the morning every day and do some stretching. When I’m energized enough, I go straight to the bathroom to freshen up. In Japan, most people prefer bathing in the evening, and I have come to adopt this as well. So, my mornings involve quickly washing my face and getting dressed for work. After that, I prepare my breakfast. Personally, I like taking things slow in the morning, so I try to have enough time to enjoy my tea. On some days, I get to read a book while munching on my nattō!

I always make sure that I walk out of my apartment at 7:00. My commute to work involves a 10-minute walk to the nearest station, an hour-long train ride, and another 10-minute walk to the office. People in Japan, specifically in Tokyo, live fast-paced lives. And since the transportation system in the country is always on-the-dot, you can easily estimate your travels. Remember that your residence and your office matter. Once you familiarize the distances, the commute, and the crowds in certain hours, you’ll go about your mornings smoothly. From there, you’re on to conquer the day!

Clocking in late leaves a bad impression, so I always arrive at the office at least 15 minutes before my shift begins. I spend enough time to prepare myself for the day, which means I review my tasks, get updates on the projects, and catch up with my colleagues about work. Some Japanese companies do the rajio taisō (ラジオ体操) or “radio exercises” every morning, too! One common thing among traditional Japanese companies is having the chourei (ちょうれい; 朝礼) or “morning assembly” when all members gather for updates and news before having departmental assemblies.

Once I start working, I make sure I focus on my tasks for the day. One thing I admire in Japanese companies is how the higher-ups work with the rest of the members like they’re one of them. I even work on the same table as our company’s CEO sometimes! Every day, I get to grab lunch with my colleagues and take my breaks when I need them. After completing the daily tasks and meetings, I send a daily report of my progress to keep the company on the loop. And by 18:00 (or the end of my shift), the day is done. お疲れ様です!

Photo by KENICHI OKADA on Flickr

If you’ve been reading about working in Japan, you’ve probably come across an article or two that talks about nomikai (飲み会)! Yes, having drinking parties is important for Japanese companies. It’s even part of your job! Nomikai is like a team-building activity in Japan, and although it doesn’t happen every day, each nomikai I’ve attended has been memorable.

When there’s a nomikai scheduled, I have dinner with my colleagues and, of course, have drinks. There are a couple of rules that I had to learn about nomikai when I started working in Japan. You have to let others pour your drink for you, and you’d do well if you sit with the right people. Usually, we have our nomikai in one izakaya (居酒屋) or Japanese bar and then move to another one for more drinks. It often feels like an endless night! Of course, employees are encouraged to drink as much as they can handle. So if you’re ready to hit the sack, you can politely refuse to join the rest of the office after downing a bottle or two.

I look forward to nomikai because it’s a fun way to bond with my colleagues. When we’re working, we’re 100% focused on our responsibilities, and winding down with them outside the office strengthens our relationships. (We also keep in mind that we’re not supposed to gossip about whatever happens in the nomikai!) No matter what time the party ends, everyone shows up to work the next day and carries on with the tasks. Do you think you’re ready for your first nomikai?

Before washing up, I take a last look at my work-related emails. I never run out of them! I only do it since it helps me prepare myself for tomorrow. When I’m not too tired, I pick up where I left off in a book I’m reading or watch anime. Apart from what I do in the office, I always find time to exercise my Japanese language skills. Although I exercise my translation skills every working day, I find it necessary to keep still my eagerness to study. Simple activities like reading manga, watching Japanese shows, or listening to Japanese songs have already become a part of my routine.

Before midnight, I’m ready to retire. With my stuff packed and ready for the next day and my alarm set, I get my good night’s sleep. I see to it that I get at least 7 hours of sleep so I can come to work refreshed and energized. Don’t worry! I had to spend many exhausting mornings when I was still adjusting. You will need time to improve your body clock and mentality. You’ll be surprised one day that you’ll wake up and find that you’ve become accustomed to your daily life as a foreign worker in Japan!

Life in Japan changes every day. Those who have worked in the 90s could tell you how different it was working in Japan back then. Your daily life in Japan as a foreign employee depends on many things. Build your routine according to your work, your location, and your hobbies. Your work status—full-time, part-time, or temporary—is also significant. And remember, you got your days off to enjoy to the fullest! Blending in with Japanese culture takes time, and you will need friends to help you.

The work environment that you’re used to back home could be a lot different. Feel free to ask around and learn when you make mistakes. The first months will be challenging, but your job and your passion for the Japanese language and culture are worth it. After all, the best way to prepare for your work life in Japan is to live it yourself. See you around!

Motto Japan, the community platform to support foreigners with the foundation for life in Japan, including Japanese study, job opportunities, and housing service. Motto Japan Media will provide a wide variety of information for Japanese fans all over the world, to create a cross-cultural environment and enrich the life of foreign residents in Japan!

• beginner , culture , drink , etiquette , first-time , job , nomikai , traditional , transportation , work
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• Essay on My Daily Routine | 200, 300, 400, 500 Words for Class 1-10

In our student life, we all need to follow a strict routine to get better output in the study and our health. We can manage time in a better way when we follow a daily routine. Here we have got some short and long essays on my daily routine for all class students. These essays are on every size, you can find a suitable one for yourself. 

In This Blog We Will Discuss

Essay on My Daily Routine in 200 Words

Everyone should follow a daily routine . As a student, I follow a very simple and easy routine for myself. I have made this routine with the help of my brother and one of my teachers. My day starts very early in the morning. 

I get up at 5 o’clock and go for a morning walk . I am very aware of my health. I try my best to keep myself fit and fine. After the morning walk, I bath with cold water and then take a rest for 10 minutes. 

After the rest, I eat my breakfast. And then I go to my reading room . I love to read science and English in the morning time. It’s the best time to concentrate on study. Then I prepare myself for school. 

Exactly at 9.30 o’clock, my father takes me to school. I come back from school at 3 PM in the afternoon. I eat my lunch in the school break time, I keep my food with me. Then I take a rest in my home and go out for playing cricket. 

Then I come back home before getting dark outside. I start reading at 6 PM and read till 9 PM. Then I eat my dinner. Before going to sleep, I watch television for 30 minutes. That’s all my daily routine. 

My Daily Routine Essay in 300 Words

Introduction: 

If you are following a daily routine that could bring some serious changes in your life. First of all, it will let you live a life in a fixed schedule and you can manage things in a better way. For the students, it’s a mandatory thing to follow. 

Because it can improve your study style and get better results for yourself. I also follow a daily routine as a student, and I am going to share things about my routine here. 

My Daily Routine: 

My routine is very simple but I follow it very strictly. Take a look at my daily routine here. 

4.00 AM – I get up early in the morning. 

4.00-4.20 AM – I brush my teeth and wash my face. 

4.20-5.00 – I go for a small morning walk and some basic exercises. And I get back to home. 

5.00-5.20 – I take a shower with cold water. 

5.20-7.00 – I prepare all my school tasks and homework. 

7.00-7.30 – I eat my breakfast. 

7.30-9.00 – Again I study and prepare my school tasks. 

9.00-9.30 – I prepare myself for going to school and got to school. 

9.30-3.30 – I spend all these hours in the school. I eat my lunch there. I keep my food with me. I love eating lunch with all my friends. 

3.30-4.30 – I get back to home and take rest. 

4.30-6.00 – I play cricket outside and then get back to home. 

6.00-9.00 – I study a lot in that time.

10.00 – I go to sleep after eating my dinner and watching TV for 20 minutes. 

That’s all about my daily routine. 

Conclusion:

I make some changes in the routine when I have free time or leisure time. Overall that’s a huge experience for me to follow this productive routine. 

My Daily Routine Essay in 400 Words

Introduction:

If you want to get the best result from your work, then you need to manage time properly. And time management becomes so easy when you are following a daily routine. As a student, I follow a very strict but simple routine and it helps me a lot to improve my study and other things. Today I will share everything about my routine. 

My Daily Routine:

My day starts very early in the morning. I wake up at 4 o’clock. I used to wake up very late, but when I heard about the health benefits of early rising , I started to get up early. Then I brush my teeth and go for a small morning walk . 

I enjoy the walk very much because it helps to feel good in the early morning. Sometimes I do some basic exercises too. Then I take a shower and eat my breakfast. Then I prepare my school tasks. I love to study math and science in the morning time. 

Because I can give better concentration on that period. I get ready for my school at 9 o’clock and my mom drops me there at 9.30 o’clock. I spend most of the time on my day at the school. I eat my lunch there in the school break time. 

I come back from the school at 3.30 PM and then I take a rest for 30 minutes. I love to play cricket in the afternoon. But every day I can’t play. 

My Evening and Night Routine:

When I get back home after the playing in the field, I feel very tired. And then I wash and take rest for 30 minutes. I eat some juice or something else that my mom prepares for me. I start to study at 6.30 PM in the evening. 

Most of the day, I keep reading till 9.30. That’s the most important part for my study. I prepare all my homework and do some extra studies too. And then I eat my dinner and watch Television before sleep. 

Conclusion: 

That’s all about my daily routine. I try to follow this routine always. But sometimes I need to bring some changes in the routine. And when I spend holiday and off day from school, I can’t follow this routine at all. I think this routine is helping me to use my time in the best work and complete my study tasks properly. 

Essay on My Daily Routine in 500 Words

To become successful, everybody should follow a strict schedule or routine. Especially in student life, we need to maintain our time properly. If we fail to maintain time then we can’t make a good result in the examination. 

Today I am going to share my daily routine and my experience here. I am a very regular guy who follows a routine. I made that routine almost six months ago with the help of my elder brother. 

I make some small edits and changes in the routine due to my own preference. 

I consider the morning is the most important part of the day. In the morning, you will find lots of peace and a calm environment. My class teacher suggested me to get up early morning. I followed here that suggestion very seriously and that made my day. 

Now I always get up at 5 o’clock in the morning. First of all, I go to the washroom and brush my teeth. I wash my face and wipe the water with a towel. Then I go for a small morning walk. I know the morning walk is very important for good health. 

Sometimes, I do exercise too. Most of the time I walk almost 30 minutes and the doctor said that’s enough for me. This little workout keeps me strong for the rest of the day. I come back to home after the walk and get fresh again. 

I eat my breakfast then. After eating breakfast, I study Math and Science in the morning time. I think morning is the best time to study. 

School Time: 

I go to school at 9.30 o’clock in the morning. My father drops me here with his car. I get a break at 1 o’clock after four classes in a row. And finally, I go home at 4 PM with my mom . 

She comes to pick me up from school every day. Because it takes almost 20 minutes to go home from school by car. I enjoy school time very much.

Eat and Sleep Routine: 

I eat my breakfast and then I eat my lunch in the school break time. I take my lunch with me. My mother is very aware of my food. She always cooks something interesting to me. I love eating Pizza and Burger, but she doesn’t buy me that kind of fast food. 

She prefers to cook them for me. I love her cooked Pizza very much. And finally, after reading and watching TV at night at 10 o’clock, I go for my sleep. When I go to bed, I think about my entire day. 

Holiday Routine: 

When my school is close and I have lots of spare time, my daily routine becomes a bit different. I add time for video games, playing in the field with friends, and spending more time with my cousins. 

That’s all about my daily routine. I love to follow this routine and I am very serious about it. I think It’s perfect for me. You can follow my routine too. 

10 Lines Essay on My Daily Routine

10 line essays are easy and short. Here is a 10 lines essay on my daily routine. I am sure you will be able to learn these 10 lines essay easily. 

1. A person who follows a good routine can handle his work and time properly. It’s easy to manage your time when you are on a routine. 

2. It’s a high priority for the students. And that’s why I follow a very simple routine to manage my time. 

3. My daily routine is very easy and simple. It helps me to study properly, eat on time, and take care of my health. 

4. I get up early in the morning and pray first. My mother always suggests me to pray in the early morning. 

5. And then I go for a morning walk. After a 30 minute walk, I come back home and go for a bath and then I eat my breakfast. 

6. I go to school at 9 o’clock and get back home at 3 o’clock. I eat my lunch in the school break time. I keep my food with me. 

7. I go outside to play cricket with my friends in the afternoon. I enjoy that time a lot. I think that’s the best part of my day. 

8. I read almost three hours at night. And then I eat my dinner. 

9. Before going to bed, I watch TV for 30 minutes. I love watching cartoon channels. 

10. That’s all about my daily routine. That is very simple and easy. 

How can I write my daily routine? 

If you want to write a daily routine, you can take suggestions from your teacher or someone elder from your family. When I wrote my first daily routine, I was very confused. But finally, I came with a very productive and successful schedule of my life. I suggest you look back on your day and think about how do you spend your time. You need to find where should you spend most of your time and where not. 

How important is a daily routine?

A daily routine is a very essential thing that will make your day easy. I hope you will be able to create a very useful and proper daily routine. 

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私の日課 わたしの にっか or simply 日課

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• How do you say this in Japanese? My daily routine
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