What comes to mind when I say the words: “Study”? “Kanji?” “Reading in Japanese?” Work, effort, and not easy? As if having fun while reading or studying in Japanese was cheating. Everyone wants to have a roller coaster ride of fun and kick-ass experiences, but these ideas are too seldom applied to the words above. For myself, kanji and (consequently) reading in Japanese used to be … Continue reading →
Anime is great, but sometimes it can just drag on a long time, and is too big a time commitment to fully enjoy. However, anime movies are your quick and easy solution. They are fun, self-contained, entertaining for a few hours, and have high replay value. Once you are finished you can even add the audio to your immersion ipod, allowing the study benefits to continue … Continue reading →
Kanji can make life difficult. Living in Japan or trying to enjoy manga or books can present giant walls of squiggles separating you from finding a location, getting lunch, or enjoying free time and hobbies. Kanji can seem like this huge, single unapproachable behemoth; something to be put off as long as possible or something to take piece meal and dealt with the help of tools. … Continue reading →
What are 音記号(おんきごう)？ 音記号 (or 音の記号) are the phonetic components of kanji that represent its pronunciation. If you are familiar with these phonetic components then you can approximate the reading of new kanji, even if you have not seen the kanji before. For example, consider these kanji 静、清、 and 晴. They each have different skip radicals (部首 ぶしゅ), but they share the same 音記号, the kanji component 青. These kanji … Continue reading →
Not usually an anime fan? Maybe when you were younger you used to watch some dubbed anime on TV, but you feel like you outgrew it. Maybe you never quite got what the big deal was. Maybe you believe that anime is not for real Japanese study. Maybe you think anime is only about giant robots battles, 100s of episodes that go nowhere, pointless slap stick, empty fan service, villains of the day, and … Continue reading →
Looking for deeper anime? Something to change your perspective on the way you view the world? It’s time for you to take a look at the heavier side of anime. Ranging from the abstract to the concrete, give yourself the chance to really think. 5. Kino’s Journey キノの旅 (13 Episodes) Japanese Level: ☆☆☆ This anime is a frame story that follows the world travels of Kino … Continue reading →
We’d all like to avoid subtitles wherever possible when it comes to anime. At the same time, we’d like to be able to understand what we are watching without struggling endlessly. So I thought you low level adventurers out there could use some anime recommendations that even in your early Japanese travels, you may be able to understand without the terrible crutch of the English … Continue reading →
It’s time for your favorite anime program. But this time, it will be different. You will let go of those anime subtitles and spread your Japanese wings. The first flight may not be pretty, but you will never leave the ground otherwise. For those of you who have struggled with turning your anime passion into your Japanese passion, there are ways to make your experience … Continue reading →
