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Use our free Japanese name converter, phrasebook, Chinese zodiac calculator and era converter — then explore practical guides to Japanese language, culture, food, anime and travel.
Type any first name
CHECKED Hand-checked spellings take priority over automatic rules.
Katakana spelling, pronunciation and hand-checked common names.
Your animal and element, with the Lunar New Year boundary handled.
Useful Japanese by situation, with romaji and literal meaning.
Meiji to Reiwa in both directions, including transition dates.
Japanese Phrases
Volume carries social meaning in Japan. Learn why an ordinary American speaking voice may feel forceful on a train or in a small restaurant, how to respond when corrected, and which phrases can repair the moment.
Travel to Japan
No airline had posted Black Friday dates for U.S.–Japan routes by Oct. 27. Here are JAL's current fares for spring 2027, JR Pass and eSIM prices, and Japan's new tax-free rules.
Writing & Language
The JLPT measures vocabulary, grammar, reading, and listening across five levels, but it includes no speaking or writing section. Here is what American test takers need to know about registration, scoring, certificates, and the abilities the exam leaves untested.
Writing & Language
Japan’s official character system is not one master list. Learn how the 2,136 commonly used kanji differ from the 1,026 school characters and the separate 863-character list used for personal names.
Japanese Home
Japanese homes without basements rely on deep oshiire closets, seasonal rotation, overhead spaces, and rented trunk rooms. Here is how the system works through the year—and what it costs when the apartment finally runs out of room.
Japanese Home
A standard apartment kitchen is a meter of counter, two gas burners and a broiler drawer. What that does to recipes, and what Japanese cooks use instead.
Travel to Japan
Luggage over 160 cm needs a free oversized-baggage seat booked in advance on the Tokaido line, or a ¥1,000 charge on board. Sizes, cars and where bags fit.
Japanese Home
Japanese toilet panels became easier to read after manufacturers introduced shared pictograms in 2017. Here is what the rear-wash, bidet, dryer, stop, flush, and Otohime controls do — and which button to press first if something goes wrong.
Japanese Home
A Japanese bath is organized around a clear sequence: wash outside the tub, soak in clean hot water, reheat it when necessary, and sometimes reuse the remaining water for laundry. These Japanese terms explain the controls, equipment, and household habits you will encounter.
Chinese Zodiac
Japan’s animal-year stamps are regular seasonal products, but the matching Mint set follows a different calendar and buying process. Here is when each collectible appears, where to find it, and when an application may lead to a lottery.
Japanese language, culture and travel
Japan Know How helps English-speaking readers understand how Japanese names and writing actually work, what to say while travelling, how Japanese era dates convert, and where familiar claims about culture, etiquette, anime and food need more context.
Start with the Japanese name converter, browse the Japanese phrasebook, calculate a Chinese zodiac sign, or convert a date with the Japanese era converter. Every tool is paired with articles that explain the method, exceptions and limits.
