日本語の庭 - Nihongo no Niwa

10/09/2026

If you want to see some beautiful Ikebana floral arrangements, don't miss out on the community exhibition at the Milnerton Library, Cape Town, showcasing Sogetsu, Ikenobo, and Ohara schools of Ikebana. 🌷🌾🌿

🌸 𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐤𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐄𝐱𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Discover the beauty of Japanese flower arranging at the upcoming Ikebana Exhibition hosted by the Sogetsu Ikebana Cape Town Chapter.

📍 Milnerton Library
📅 9–12 September 2026

Admission is free and all are welcome to visit and discover this beautiful aspect of Japanese culture in Cape Town.
For full exhibition details, please see the poster below. 🌿

09/09/2026

It’s that time of the year again! Don’t forget to submit your applications before the deadline. 🎌

We are pleased to announce that applications for the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme are now open!

Eligible applicants should apply for this unique opportunity to live and work in Japan by 16:00 on Friday, 16 October 2026.

Visit www.za.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/jet_programme.html for more information and to apply.

09/09/2026

🍁 M o m i j i g a r i 🍁

Dreaming of seeing Japan’s beautiful autumn foliage? The first leaves will be sure to put on a spectacular show… 🇯🇵🍂

Japan’s autumn foliage (紅葉・こうよう / kōyō) moves gradually from the north and higher elevations down through the country. While the exact timing depends on temperatures, the annual foliage forecast gives us a good idea of when to expect those famous shades of red, orange, and gold.

Of course, weather can shift the timing, so these dates are predictions rather than guarantees. If you do find yourself in Japan at this time though, why not embrace #紅葉狩り(もみじがり / momijigari), the Japanese tradition of visiting spaces in nature to admire the changing colors of the leaves in autumn?

Autumn is also a wonderful time to practise some seasonal Japanese vocabulary:

紅葉（こうよう/ kōyō）- autumn foliage
もみじ (momiji) - Japanese maple / maple leaves
秋（あき / aki）- autumn
赤（あか / aka）- red
黄色（きいろ / kiiro）- yellow

Save this post for your Japan trip planning! 🇯🇵

01/09/2026

What an incredible loss for the artistic community. KUSAMA Yayoi was an indelible figure in the contemporary art world, and her loss will be deeply felt, both in Japan and internationally.

草間彌生様、安らかにお眠りください。

Contemporary Japanese artist, KUSAMA Yayoi, has passed away at the age of 97. She is often identified with sprays of dots which she called "infinity nets" and bright colours. Perhaps her most well-known works are her installations and sculpture, such as her mirror infinity rooms and pumpkin statue on the shore of the Seto Inland Sea—a selfie hotspot. But she also worked in fashion, painting, film and other media.

Kusama won international acclaim and was known as the "queen of avant-garde" during the 1970s. She was vocal about the role art played as therapy for her mental health.

From extraordinary immersive worlds to thought provoking performances, her contributions to the art world have left a lasting legacy.

17/08/2026

17/08/2026

“Good news for South African students and universities!
Anyone enrolled as a student, interested in Global Consumer Intelligence (GCI), is invited to take part in this free online programme offered by the Matsuo and Iwasawa Laboratory at The University of Tokyo I UTokyo.
For more information and to apply, please visit:
https://weblab.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/lecture/gci/
Early application deadline: 17 August 2026
(for those who would like to start learning early and get a head start before the course officially begins) Final deadline: 10 September
2026.” - Embassy of Japan in South Africa

With the vision of “creating intelligence,” Matsuo-Iwasawa Laboratory promotes research on Deep Learning. In particular, we are advancing research on world models, robotics, large language models, and Brain x AI. In addition, we also focuses on returning the results of its basic research to soci...

14/08/2026

Don’t miss out!

13/08/2026

1 day to go until the Japanese Film Festival in Joburg!

📌Thursday, 13 August at Cinema Nouveau, Rosebank Mall

17:00–🎟 Free tickets available at the cinema
17:15–🍷 Cocktail reception
18:00–🎬 "The Dancing Okami" film screening

31/07/2026

For all our Johannesburg & Pretoria students, JLPT applications are now open! ✨ 📚

Applications for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) are now open!

The test assesses your reading, listening, vocabulary and grammar skills. It will take place on Sunday, 6 December 2026 at the Japanese School of Johannesburg.

Applicants must select one level to write from N5 (beginner) to N1 (advanced). The cost is R610 and examinees will receive a globally recognised certificate that proves your Japanese reading and listening ability and helps with job applications and other opportunities.

For more information and to apply, go to www.za.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_ja/11_000001_00046.html
Applications close on 31 August.

31/07/2026

🕷️W o r d P l a y ! 🕵️

Do you feel a pun hovering in the air? That must mean it’s time for another Japanese 𝗱𝗮𝗷𝗮𝗿𝗲 ( #駄洒落)! This one is so sneaky, it could even be hiding in the corner of your room... 🕸️👀 Here’s the joke:

くもの仕事はなんですか？
𝘒𝘶𝘮𝘰 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘶 𝘬𝘢?
“What is a spider’s job?”

スパイだ。
𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘢𝘪 𝘥𝘢.
“It’s a spy!” 🕵️

𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗻𝘆?
The Japanese word for spider is くも (kumo), but the punchline uses the English loanword スパイ (supai), meaning “spy.”

Unlike many dajare that rely on identical-sounding Japanese words, this one plays with a loanword. “Supai da!” (スパイだ) means “It’s a spy!”, but when you say it out loud, it sounds like the beginning of “supaidā” (スパイダー), the Japanese word for “spider.” It’s a fun example of how borrowed English words can become the basis for Japanese puns! 🕷️🕸️

Puns like this are a great way to 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 together new vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar. Whether they make you laugh or groan, they’re always worth getting caught up in! 🪰

Do you know any fun Japanese wordplay? Don’t leave us hanging by a thread; share your favourites in the comments! 🇯🇵✨
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🔑 Key Words & Grammar

くも (kumo) - A noun meaning spider
仕事 (しごと・shigoto) - A noun meaning job or work
スパイ (supai) - A loanword meaning spy
だ (da) - The plain (casual) copula meaning is or it is
スパイダー (supaidā) - The loanword for spider
なん (nan) - An interrogative meaning what
か (ka) - A sentence-ending particle that marks a question
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#日本語の庭