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  • The Ultimate Flow: Discover a Powerful Hiragana ‘U’ T-shirt

    The Ultimate Flow: Discover a Powerful Hiragana ‘U’ T-shirt

    Ride the Surge: The Creative Energy of the Hiragana ‘U’ T-shirt Following the “First Breath” of あ (A) and the “Quiet Strength” of い (I), the third chapter of our Kotodama journey has arrived. We are excited to reveal the Hiragana ‘U’ (う) T-shirt, a design that captures the unstoppable momentum of life itself. The Kotodama of “U”: To Give Birth, To Surge In the spiritual tradition of Kotodama, the sound “U” is deeply connected to the word Umu (産む)—meaning to give birth, to produce, or to bring something into existence. It represents the point where internal energy finally breaks…

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Let’s practice Japanese

History of Japanese alphabet: Hiragana

  • The Evolution of Japanese Hiragana: The Story of く

    The Evolution of Japanese Hiragana: The Story of く

    The character “く” evolved from the complex Chinese symbol “久,” simplifying Japanese writing while retaining meaning.

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  • The Secret Story of “Ki”

    The Secret Story of “Ki”

    The character “き” (kee) in the Japanese hiragana system evolved from the complex Chinese character “幾” (jī). Originally meaning “how many,” “幾” was simplified by Japanese scribes for practicality, transforming into the elegant “き” we use today. This reflects the evolution of language towards beauty and efficiency in writing.

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J-RPG

  • Trails in the sky the 1st

    Trails in the Sky the 1st: The Heartfelt JRPG

    Trails in the Sky the 1st is a heartfelt JRPG that combines a rich story of personal growth with strategic gameplay, making it a must-play for RPG fans.

  • Dragon Quest I &II Logo

    The Roots of Greatness: Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake

    The Legend is Complete: Why Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D is an Absolute Must-Play in 2026 The journey that defined a genre has finally been reborn. Following the massive success of the DQIII remake, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D has arrived to show us where it all began. If you’re ready to see…

I’m Shimachan

Welcome to “Picture this: Japanese words”!

Hello there! My name is Shimachan.

This picture book series was born from my wish to make learning Japanese fun for everyone. I’ve designed it so that even if you’ve never heard a word of Japanese before, you can learn by looking at the pictures, almost like singing a song or playing a game.

You’ll learn not only pronunciation, but also the unique pitch accent of Japanese, which is shown visually so you can understand it even without a native Japanese speaker by your side. Feel free to share the book with your family and friends and have fun saying the words out loud together!

Now, let’s start our Japanese adventure!

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