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Dallen Archive

An image of a clear glass cup tipped over on a brown wooden floor. There is a pool of milk all over the floor, which appears to have come from the tipped over glass.

What Does しょうがない (Shōganai) Mean?  A Guide to Shōganai and Shikata Ga Nai

August 24, 2022 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
Have you ever been in a situation you couldn’t control, and the only thing you could do was …
The nakiri Japanese vegetable knife laying on a blue cloth. This knife is from Oishya, and features a natural brown color wooden handle and silver blade with patterns on it.

Oishya Nakiri Japanese Knife Review: Is It Worth It?

August 8, 2022 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Unique Japanese Products
If you spend any time in a kitchen, you already know that a quality knife is essential. It …
A man in a business suit kneeling on the ground and bowing, putting his hands and head to the ground to apologize in Japanese.

7 Ways to Say Sorry in Japanese and How to Use It Naturally

November 16, 2021 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
Japanese has many different words which have the same meaning but a completely different nuance. For example, Japanese …
Free Japanese Lessons and Resources: Advanced Students

Free Japanese Lessons and Resources: Advanced Students

July 15, 2021 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
For those of you who have a pretty good understanding of Japanese, these lessons and help you with …
Free Japanese Lessons & Resources for Intermediate Level Students

Free Japanese Lessons & Resources for Intermediate Level Students

July 15, 2021 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
If you already mastered the basics of Japanese, these intermediate level lessons are for you. These lessons can …
Free Japanese Lessons for Beginners

Free Japanese Lessons for Beginners

July 15, 2021 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
Whether you know a little bit of Japanese or none at all, these beginner Japanese lessons are for …
A stack of 4 books is seen on top of a bench. The background is blurry and bright.

8 Best Japanese Books for Beginners

July 1, 2021 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
  The books in this list are for someone who is at a beginner level of Japanese.  A …
A young Asian girl is standing while holding a book that she is reading. A bookshelf full of books is behind her.

Best Japanese Books for Absolute Beginners

July 1, 2021 • Dallen Nakamura • 9 Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
  Beginning your journey to learn Japanese can be overwhelming. Japanese seems like such a difficult language, that …
A young woman with black hair sitting down on the floor with a stack of books on the table in front of her. She is holding a book open with her left hand, and writing something with a pen in her right hand in another book. A black sofa and window is seen in the background.

Best Books for Very Advanced Japanese Students

July 1, 2021 • Dallen Nakamura • 5 Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
  At this level of Japanese, you are on your way to attain complete fluency in both speaking …
Top 7 Books for Low-Advanced Students of Japanese Pictures

Top 7 Books for Low-Advanced Learners of Japanese

July 1, 2021 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
  If you made it to this level of Japanese, congratulations!  It only gets better from here! At …
A group of three young people (two women, one man) is standing in a circle, all of them holding a stack of books in the center of them. The background is bright, but books on bookshelves can been seen.

Top 9 Japanese Books for Low-Intermediate Level Students

July 1, 2021 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
  Low-intermediate students of Japanese are just beginning to master the basics, and are ready to dive head …
A young Asian woman sitting down studying, with a lot of books scattered all over the table top.

The 10 Best Japanese Books for High-Intermediate Students

July 1, 2021 • Dallen Nakamura • 2 Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
  Your goals as a high-intermediate student should be to increase your skill in all areas of Japanese, …
A young, Japanese girl explaining the Japanese word, "Yabai" with Japanese and English text displayed on the screen.

JapanesePod101 Review – Is It Worth It?

May 27, 2021 • Dallen Nakamura • 15 Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
Disclaimer: This article includes affiliate links. This means that if you click and purchase something, I may receive …
A box wrapped in a blue Furoshiki, or Japanese wrapping cloth on the left side, with an iron teapot and two cups to the right. There are also some Christmas looking ball decorations above the wrapped box.

The 53 Best Japanese Gifts For Any Occasion

May 20, 2021 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Unique Japanese Products
Here is a list of cool Japanese gift ideas for people who love Japan. I included a lot …
A Japanese classroom with a view of desks and the front blackboard.

8 Things No One Told You About Teaching in Japan and How to Deal with It

January 30, 2021 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Living in Japan
Teaching English is one of the most common jobs available to foreigners in Japan. Most native English speaking …
Items on a table: A small Japanese flag to the right, a brown and green book to the left, with a smartphone connected to a pair of headphones on top of it.

Pimsleur Japanese Review: Does It Work?

January 8, 2021 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
Disclaimer: This article includes affiliate links. This means that if you click and purchase something, I may receive …
A young, blonde woman in front of a blackboard pointing at the "ABCs" written on it with a piece of chalk.

Is the JET Program Worth It? Pros Vs. Cons

December 29, 2020 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Living in Japan
Is the JET Program worth it? In my opinion, it is 100% worth it. If you have the …
A small rectangular chalkboard with the words, "LEARN JAPAENSE" written on it in white chalk. Behind the chalkboard are a stack of books. In front of it is an alarm clock, paper rolled into a tube. a pen, and a ruler. On the right side is a pencil holder with pencils in it.

The Complete Guide to Learning Japanese

September 28, 2020 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
This complete guide to learning Japanese will go into detail of how and what to study. Most traditional …
Young and Cute Japanese girl teaching how to say "My hobby is ~." in Japanese.

Japanesepod101 Discounts and Coupon Codes

July 20, 2020 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
  Japanesepod101 is the best program I have used to learn natural Japanese.  Not only is there a …
Someone's hand is seen holding a folded up stethoscope.

Japanese Phrases for the Doctor’s Office

May 6, 2020 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
If you need to visit a doctor in Japan, you might run into some difficulties when communicating.  While …
Japanese Candy Konpeito in a Nice black Box

The 21 Best Japanese Candy: A Guide to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

January 27, 2020 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Food Adventures
  We already know that Japan has an amazing, innovative culture. The East Asian nation is known worldwide …
A collage of the Miyajima Toori gate, a Shinto priest with his fingers touching his head, and some sort of alter, with mountains in the background. The image has tints of yellow and purple over it.

Shinto: A Look Into the Religion of Japan

January 27, 2020 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
Shinto, which means “the way of the Gods” or “Kami” (spirits), as they are referred to, is the …
A big Buddha statue in Japan. This statue shows the Buddha sitting down and meditating.

Buddhism: A Look Into the Beliefs, Practices & History 

January 19, 2020 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
Buddhism is an exercise in spiritual development. The ultimate aim is achieving enlightenment through the practices of meditation …
An illustration of a boy and girl standing beneath a title that reads, "JAPANESE VERBS: A Beginner's Guide to Conjugation."

Japanese Verbs: A Beginner’s Guide to Conjugation

August 31, 2018 • Dallen Nakamura • 1 Comment • Useful Japanese Lessons
Mastering Japanese verbs is probably one of the most important skills you need to become fluent in Japanese.  …
A young man is see shrugging his shoulders looking confused. Above both of his outstretched hands are illustrations of a thinking comic bubble with an exclamation mark over his right hand, and a question mark over his left.

What Level of the JLPT Should I Take?

August 11, 2018 • Dallen Nakamura • 1 Comment • Useful Japanese Lessons
Are you planning to take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) but don’t know which level you should …
A calendar in the background, with a sand timer filled with blue sand in the foreground.

How Long Does it Take to Learn Japanese?

July 31, 2018 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
Everyone who studies Japanese always wants to know how long it will take for them to become fluent, …
A computer keyboard with a white key that has a red circle in the middle of it. Next to this is a red key with white text that says "learn" on it.

How to Learn Japanese Fast

July 25, 2018 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
Do want to know how to learn Japanese fast?  How about becoming fluent in 3 months?  Or maybe …
A sheet of notebook paper that has the text, "Japanese 101" displayed on it.

Learning Japanese for Beginners: A Complete Guide

January 12, 2018 • Dallen Nakamura • 7 Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
How to Learn Japanese for Beginners In this guide, you’ll find all of the resources you need to …
A young man with glasses has two open books on top of his head. He is looking up at them and screamign with both of his hands up.

Top 5 Mistakes Everyone Makes Learning Japanese

December 11, 2017 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
Why Can’t I Learn Japanese? Have you been studying Japanese for months or years and feel like you’re …
A laptop on a desk that is displaying a flag of Japan with a blue enter button at the bottom and a the text, "Learn Japanese" at the top. A coffee cup, notebook, notes, and a plant can also be seen on the desk.

Rosetta Stone Japanese Review: Does it Work?

August 29, 2017 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
Name:  Rosetta Stone Japanese Website:  http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-japanese/ Price:  Online Subscription:  $59 for 3 months, $84 for 6 months, $129 for 12 …

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