The Japanese the Japanese Don't Know
| The Japanese The Japanese Don't Know | |
| 日本人の知らない日本語 (Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo) | |
|---|---|
| Manga | |
| Written by | Takayuki Tomita and Umino Nagiko |
| Published by | Media Factory |
| Original run | 2009 – present |
| Volumes | 4 |
| Television drama | |
| Written by | Yoshihiro Izumi |
| Original network | Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation |
| Original run | 7/15/2010 – 9/30/2010 |
| Episodes | 12 |
The Japanese That The Japanese Don't Know (Japanese: 日本人の知らない日本語, Hepburn: Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo) is a manga and television series about a Japanese teacher and her students written by Takayuki Tomita and Umino Nagiko. It discusses the background of Japanese words and speech. There have been four paperback volumes as of August, 2013. It has also spawned a live action drama which aired on Yomiuri TV.
Summary
The Japanese That The Japanese Don't Know is an episodic series revolving around elements of the Japanese language such as word origins and proper uses. This is backed by a story of a Japanese teacher at a Japanese language school who frequently gets involved in scenarios with her eccentric students.
Books
| No. | Title | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo (日本人の知らない日本語) | February 20, 2009[1][2] | 978-4-8401-2673-1 |
| 2 | Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo 2: Bakushō! Nihongo "Saihakkken" Komikku Essei (日本人の知らない日本語 2 爆笑！ 日本語「再発見」コミックエッセイ) | February 19, 2010[3][4] | 978-4-8401-3194-0 |
| 3 | Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo 3: Iwai! Sotsugyō-hen (日本人の知らない日本語 3 祝！卒業編) | March 9, 2012[5][6] | 978-4-8401-4354-7 |
| 4 | Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo 4: Kaigai-hen (日本人の知らない日本語 4 海外編) | August 2, 2013[7][8] | 978-4-8401-5268-6 |
Outside of Japan, it has been published in the Korean language from the original source material in the Republic of Korea. In addition, it has also been published in Traditional Chinese in the Republic of China.
TV drama
From July 15, 2010 until September 30, every Thursday night, the TV drama The Japanese That The Japanese Don't Know aired on Yomiuri TV (every Thursday from 23:58 until 24:38).
Whilst the drama version is based on the original comics, the main character Haruko has been involved in more problems with the teachers and students than in the comics.
Synopsis
Haruko Kano (Riisa Naka) meets an old high school teacher who suggests that Haruko would make a good Japanese language teacher and offers to help her get a job at a public school. However, he asks that Haruko works at a private school for three months before working at a public school. He gives her a textbook which is for elementary school students.
However, when Haruko shows up on her first day as a Japanese language teacher she discovers that the school is for foreign students learning Japanese. Her students ask her questions about her own (Japanese) language that makes Haruko realize that she doesn't even fully understand her native language.
References
- ^ Tomita, Takayuki (January 1, 2009). Nihonjin no shiranai Nihongo. 東京: Media Factory. ISBN 9784840126731.
- ^ CORPORATION, KADOKAWA. "日本人の知らない日本語 なるほど～×爆笑！の日本語"再発見"コミックエッセイ". KADOKAWAオフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). Retrieved October 25, 2025.
- ^ Factory, Media (January 1, 2010). Nihonjin no shiranai Nihongo II (in Japanese). 東京: Media Factory. ISBN 9784840131940.
- ^ CORPORATION, KADOKAWA. "日本人の知らない日本語 2 爆笑！ 日本語「再発見」コミックエッセイ". KADOKAWAオフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). Retrieved October 25, 2025.
- ^ Nagiko, Umino (January 1, 2012). Nihonjin No Shiranai Nihongo 3 (in Japanese). 東京: book. ISBN 9784840143547.
- ^ CORPORATION, KADOKAWA. "日本人の知らない日本語 3 祝！卒業編". KADOKAWAオフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). Retrieved October 25, 2025.
- ^ Nihonjin No Shiranai Nihongo 4 (in Japanese). 東京: Media Factory. January 1, 2009. ISBN 9784840152686.
- ^ CORPORATION, KADOKAWA. "日本人の知らない日本語 4 海外編". KADOKAWAオフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). Retrieved October 25, 2025.