About Honne Japan

Honne (本音) means your true feelings — the opposite of tatemae, the polite face Japan usually shows visitors. Honne Japan is where I write the honne: honest notes on Japanese language and culture, plus free tools to actually learn the language.

Who’s writing

I’m Japanese. Most English-language content about Japan is the polished, aesthetic version — the tatemae. I’m more interested in the real thing underneath: what words like ikigai and wabi-sabi actually mean, how the culture actually works, and the small, unglamorous details that make it worth understanding.

What’s here

• JLPT vocabulary flashcards (N5–N1) — free, no sign-up. Tap a card to flip between the Japanese word and its English meaning, kana reading and romaji.
• Survival phrases — practical set phrases for travel and daily life.
• Honne Japan — honest essays on Japanese words and ideas, correcting the myths the internet keeps repeating.

The newsletter

One small, un-aesthetic idea about Japanese living each week — the real thing behind the polite face. Honne Japan on Substack →

Readings and romaji

Every flashcard shows the kana reading and Hepburn romaji, so you can study even before you are fully comfortable with kanji.