The ultimate transJapanese doc
Every tip, every trick, everything I've found about transitioning, feeling comfortable in your identity, and so on !!
This post will be updated continuously, so feel free to come back !
Last Update: 11 May 2026
Comfort:
This is for making yourself more comfortable in your own body, not necessarily helping you pass
1. Buying from Japanese stores !
If there's stores around you like Miniso, Daiso, etc, buying from them can make you feel more at home, especially since some have products shipped directly from Japan
2. Products for Japanese people
Things like haircare, skincare, etc are really important to people in Japan. Using products aimed at Japanese people (eg; UV blocking sleeves) can help you feel more like yourself
3. Hanging out in Japanese spaces
Whether it's cisJapanese or transJapanese, hanging around spaces intended for Japanese people can help build your sense of community
Cough cough our discord server cough cough
And Japanesr social media ! Line and Twitter are very common in Japan ! Line is an app similar to WhatsApp, and it's common for younger folks in Japan to have it
4. Playing Japanese games
This one's kinda a given, but Nintendo is a Japan-based company that has a tonnn of games Pokémon, Sonic, Animal Crossing, Yakuza, Fire Emblem, these are all games you can play in English or Japanese !
If you're looking for other games, しりとり (Shiritori) is a really fun word game ! (See Language section for more)
Also Japanese crafts ! Things like origami are common knowledge and very beautiful, so it doesn't hurt to learn a little !
5. Listening to Japanese music
J-pop, J-rock, city-pop, Vocaloids, anything ! There's lots of music in Japanese to fit your tastes !
6. Personality !
Changing the way you type, picking a new name, and learning about Japanese culture (eg; yokai !) can all make you feel more confident about yourself as a Japanese person ! Putting a space before punctuation helps me, along with using 。and 、instead of . and , ! Also you can use www instead of lol, and emojis can be helpful too ! (ref video in first sentence)
Using Kaomoji can also help relieve dysphoria (^人^) and being more polite and indirect can help too ! Use more words like "I think", "maybe" etc and of course always use manners, a simple please and thank you gets the point across !
Names are VERY important in Japanese culture ! They can determine the luck for your whole life, so it's important to be careful when choosing one ! I go into more detail about it in the 'other' category (scroll down a lot)
Bowing is very important towards respect, something even like a simple nod gets the idea across in more casual situations, and is typically less noticeable than a full blown bow。You can also practice deeper bows and when to use them if you want, so you feel more comfortable doing them !
7. Language changes
You can change the language on your phone, computer, game console, etc if you feel comfortable ! While you might not be able to read it, if you know the software well enough, it shouldn't be difficult to figure out !
Sort of related, checking the time in Japan can also help you feel better !
8. Using a 9-character keyboard !
When you change your keyboard to Japanese (on mobile), you have the option to use a 9-character keyboard ! While it can be slow at first, the keyboard also has an option to type in English, which can help you learn to use it in Japanese and feel better for when you have to type in English
9. Celebrating Japanese holidays
Learn about Japanese holidays and celebrate them online or in person ! Learn about their importance, the history, and how they're celebrated !
Physical appearance:
Things that will make you look more Japanese !
1. Haircare
Finding products that work well with your hair are very important. Keeping your hair healthy and not oily are important to keeping your hair looking nice, and things like teatree and rosemary oil can help with that a lot !
Dyeing your hair dark brown or black can help relieve dysphoria a lot, especially since it'll help you 'fit in' more. Most Japanese folks have dark hair, and many prefer that so they fit in more. If you're looking to transition to a subculture that tries to stand out, you can ignore this tip !
Straightening your hair can also help, just make sure you protect your hair while doing so !
2. Skincare
It's not uncommon in Japanese culture to have a long skincare routine, but you don't have to commit to something that takes hours ! Get a good acne cleanser, exfoliator, and moisturizer, and try to keep your hands off your face to keep it clean !
Always make sure to wear sunscreen to keep yourself pale and keep your skin safe ! Some skincare products can make you burn easily, so be sure to be careful ! There's also other skin whitening techniques you can check out !
3. Eye adjustments
Eyelid pulling, wearing dark contacts, face tape, and doing aegyo sal makeup can all help with making your eyes look more Asian !
4. Diet
There's a common 'rule' in Japan, eating until you're 80% full. It takes your body some time for your body to digest what you're eating, so it takes a little bit before your body knows that you're full. Once you feel 80% full, take a break from eating, and come back to it later if you feel hungry again !
A lot of Japanese food is mostly just meat + rice, which is really good for you, so it can be good to incorporate into your diet !
Tea is a good way to relieve dysphoria and is good for you ! Green tea and matcha are popular in Japan (genuinely, matcha everything) and are both delicious ! Green tea is a bit bitter, so be aware when trying it ( ^ ^)
5. Clothing
Look into Japanese clothing styles, all that goes into them and the kinds of designs that they typically have !
Layering and accessories are typically important, putting together a well balanced outfit, even when it's cold out ! Wearing something like a simple shirt and pants underneath a coat and sometimes put Japanese people off, like you're underdressed
6. Overall
It's typical for Japanese people to take long baths rather than showers whenever possible, and typically every day too !
Also, subliminals ! These can be used for virtually anything, and I have a list of subliminals I personally like here. Don't know how to use subliminals ? Look here !
Language:
Pt.1, personal comfort:
Learning simple things to make yourself *feel* more Japanese, without completely learning the language !
1. Kana
Learning Hiragana and Katakana are relatively easy, and can help you know a little bit without having to commit to learning the *whole* language ! It typically only takes a week or two to learn both alphabets
It's also important to know that Katakana is used for foreign words, loan words from other languages ! So words like あなた (you) are written in Hiragana, and words like レモン (lemon) are in Katakana !
2. Simple phrases
Learning how to say hello, goodbye, yes, and no can help you feel more fluent without having to learn tons. Whether you learn it in kana or in romanji (romanticized with Latin characters), it can make you feel better about knowing your language
3. Numbers !
Numbers and counting are kinda . . . a lot . . . but learning the basics can be nice ! Some (most) numbers have more than one reading, so it's up to you whether or not you want to learn all the readings !
4. Where to learn ?
You can find charts online to learn the kana (and maybe numbers ?) or you can use an app to do so ! Something like Renshuu or LingoDeer can work well !
I don't reccomend Duolingo, but it's okay of you just want to learn the basics !
Pt.2, learning the language:
If you plan to learn the whole language, look here !
All is free unless stated otherwise ! This includes Youtubers/videos, apps, textbooks, and other links ! Studying is more fun with friends, find other Japanese folks to study with you !
This section is BIG。There's a lot of info, so be prepared。Learning Japanese is difficult and a huge commitment, it takes people on average 4 to 6 years (2-3 hrs a day) to learn, so be aware that this could take a long time depending on your time commitment !
Like above, the first step is kana ! Learning Katakana (アイウエオ) and Hiragana (あいうえお) are the first steps to learning Japanese, and should only take you a week or two to learn。The only way is drilling through it, using flashcards and stuff to memorize the characters and sounds, not fun but it's worth it ! You can do so with free kana charts online, or apps like Renshuu
After, you start on vocabulary, both with and without kanji (chinese characters like 前 and 田) in the words ! Do not use romanji while learning, otherwise you won't learn to read !! Romanji is romanticizing characters, changing words like こんにちは into konnichiwa。While romanji is kinda needed to learn kana, you shouldn't use it after !
Since you won't know how to read kanji in the beginning, furigana will be your best friend. Furigana is when hiragana is displayed on top of kanji or katakana in order to show you how to pronounce it, like how 前 is pronounced まえ, the hiragana would be placed on top。(前 means front if you wanted to know)
There are THOUSANDS of kanji out there, so it's important to use the 20/80 rule, 20% of words are used for 80% of the language, which is just learning those 20% of words in the beginning。Most folks do this with the Kalshi 1.5k deck, which is a deck of flashcards containing, you guessed it, 1.5 thousand of the most common words ! (Some also do a 2k deck, but that's up to you) Most folks use Anki, a flashcard app made for language learning, but it does cost money on IOS。An alternative to this is Renshuu, which has it's own vocab deck, but also allows you to use custom decks too !
Youtube:
"Jiro, Just Japanese" - immersion with subtitles and definitions
"Japarrot" - simple scenarios with explanations
"bois crossing" - acnh in japanese
"The complete genki 1 grammer video (game) textbook" - video covering everything in the Genki 1 textbook
"Parsing sentences for natural speech" - video covering how to break down sentences
Links:
What first person pronoun to choose
Genki 1 textbook - grammar books
Genki 1 workbook
Genki 2 textbook
Yoku.bi - grammar guide
jpdb.io for easy to understand books, animes, VN's, etc
Japanese kids books <- also check your local library !
Yomitan - dictionary, browser extension
Apps:
Renshuu
Pros: easy to use, learning games, teaches kana and some kanji, can use your own vocab decks, add friends, leveling system that unlocks cute characters, basic grammar, responsive app team, can customize your schedule, encourages you to use a Japanese name !
Cons: I have no idea actually, it's absolutely amazing
Busuu
Pros: teaches kana, kanji, and grammar, get feedback from real people on exercises (and help others !), friends system
Cons: ads later on in the course, can get legal certificates but they cost money, forces you to use romanji sometimes, teaches kana in isolation
Migi
Pros: intended for JLPT tests, teaches you to listen, read, and write, lots of practice JLPT tests
Cons: structured pathway costs money, not intended for learning usable Japanese, just passing the tests
Teuida - conversation, speaking/listening practice
Pros: conversational practice, speaking/listening, flashcard section for what you've learned, real Japanese you'll use
Cons: No writing, little reading practice
Todaii Japanese
Pros: articles for any level of Japanese, built in audio for each article, built in dictionary, actual translation of each article
Cons: 2 free articles a day, dictionary sometimes breaks
Japanese Dictionary
Pros: accurate translations, includes slang, has games, search kanji by radicals
Cons:
DeepL
Pros: translator, better than google translate by a lot, saves previous translations, has speech to text to practice your speaking
Cons:
Wakatta!
Pros: great translator, breaks down sentences, explains grammar usage, saves previous translations
Cons: once a day use for free
Mazii
Pros: translator, reading/writing practice, tests, screen translator, community to interact with
Cons: conversation practice costs money
Anki
Pros: flashcard app, tons of decks for vocab, listening, grammar, etc, can be used on desktop, can be used for other languages
Cons: 10 USD on IOS
Kanji Study
Pros: study kanji by itself if that's what you want, teaches radicals
Cons: doesn't teach kanji in context
Lingo Legend
Pros: vocab farming simulator, easy paced and relaxing, can choose to farm or fight, good for days you need to do something but don't really want to study
Cons: won't teach you much
Other:
Anything that doesn't fit in the other categories
1. What prefecture are you from ?
Prefectures are different parts of Japan, you can look at this video for a map of where they all are, their names, and what the names mean !
Learn about the kinds of food in your prefecture, the specific slang, the things that it's popular for !
2. What's your name ?
Names, again ! Names can determine your life's luck, so it's important you choose well ! I reccomend starting with finding yourself a last name (common ones include Yamada, Sato, etc) then picking a first name afterwards !
The number of strokes (lines) in your name is what determines your luck, so it's important to pick a name with a low stroke count and that matches with your surname ! You can check the compatability using the name website I gave under the 'Comfort' section or you can always ask me about it !
3. Worried your English makes you sound like it's your first language ?
Take a look at this post to see different ways to word sentences and this video to see some words some Japanese folks can't pronounce
4. Subliminals !
I've mentioned this a few times above, but subliminals can really help to manifest the things you want and to change yourself for the better。There's some for virtually anything, just make sure you know how to use them, and always be careful
5. Religion
Many Japanese folks describe themselves as not religious, but there are many pieces of Shintoism, Christianity, and Buddism in Japanese life, so it's good to learn some about all of them !
Learn how to act in a temple and shrine, as it's common to go to both ! Simple things like where to walk under the Torii, how to wash your hands, and how to pray are all very important !
6. Speaking
Similar to typing, Japanese folks are very indirect, lots of unsure words and politeness. Aside from that, the word "huh" can be perceived as extremely rude !! Using sounds like "ah?" or "mm?" are more common and can be used in many situations
For example, "mm?"/"ah?" = questioning/confused, "mm." + nod = confirmation, "ahh..." = unsure/reluctant
Of course, having a Japanese accent can also help ! I will soon link some videos on how to do this ! Like in the typing section, messing up small bits of grammar can make it seem like English isn't your first language
Because Japanese folks are indirect, they say a lot of things that are hidden insults, something like "what an interesting smell!" to tell you that your perfume is too strong, so learning stuff like that can help ! Also, onomatopoeia (words to describe sounds and stuff) is a big part of Japanese language, and can be good to use in English too ! For example, kira kira means sparkle or sparkly !
What NOT to do:
1. Tattoos
While we almost all know that tattoos in Japan are often associated with the Yakuza, they're more common nowadays。If you want a tattoo, get it !! My advice is don't get Kanji tattoos ! A lot of Japanese folks see it as odd and they're often translated very terribly
No one will bat an eye if you have a couple tattoos, but remember you won't be allowed in most onsens !
2. Tourist-y things
Standing in the middle of crosswalks to take pictures, littering, jaywalking (depends heavily on the prefecture) are all things that Japanese folks complain about with tourists, so try to avoid doing those things !
Japan tends to not have many trash cans outside but it's still very clean, because many folks carry small plastic bags with them to hold their trash until they find a trash can ! Don't litter ever !
It's atypical for Japanese people to eat while walking, but it's not outright wrong。(especially if you're in a rush !) Also sitting on the ground can be seen as inconsiderate, always try to find a bench or a proper place to sit !
Have more ? Let me know !
