10 Tricks to Improve Japanese Vocabulary – For ALL Levels!
Sadly there’s no magical way to plug vocabulary into your brain and learn it instantly. (I really wish there was.) Some effort is still required, but it’s worth it in…
Tips & Tricks
5 Manga for JLPT N3 Level Japanese
Manga can be surprisingly difficult for Japanese learners to get into. For one thing, manga is made for native Japanese speakers and a lot of casual conversational Japanese is used.…
The Thrills and Horrors of Overwork in Japan – わたし、定時で帰ります (Watashi Teiji de Kaerimasu)
わたし、定時で帰ります (Watashi Teiji de Kaerimasu) by 朱野 帰子 (Kaeruko Akeno) Author: 朱野 帰子 (Kaeruko Akeno) Genre: slice of life, office life, Japanese society, female protagonist Great for: Intermediate (JLPT N2~JLPT…
Japanese Practice Questions Online – JPDrills Review
I love drilling Japanese. Personally, I find the “hands on” method of learning better than rote learning. In other words, I’m a kinesthetic learner. I like using Japanese, so when…
Sci-fi, Horror, Adventure – 裏世界ピクニック (Otherside Picnic)
裏世界ピクニック (Otherside Picnic) by 宮澤 伊織 (Iori Miyazawa) Author: 宮澤 伊織 (Iori Miyazawa) Genre: light novel, sci-fi, fantasy, adventure, horror, yuri Great for: Advanced (JLPT N1+) Length: 320 pages Amazon…
I Can’t Go to Heaven – 僕は天国に行けない (Boku wa Tengoku ni Ikenai)
僕は天国に行けない (Boku wa Tengoku ni Ikenai) by ヰ坂 暁 (Akira Isaka) Author: ヰ坂 暁 (Akira Isaka) Genre: novel, character novel, mystery, questioning life Great for: Advanced (JLPT N2~N1+) Length: 343…
Japanese Graded Readers for JLPT N5 and N4 Learners
Learning beginner level Japanese can be frustrating at times when you want to be able to do more with the language. I often see people asking about reading materials for…
Should I Read for Fun or Read for Study?
Read for fun or read for study? AKA extensive or intensive reading? I’m specifically referring to reading books in Japanese, but this can be applied to any subject or language…