The books in this list are for someone who is at a beginner level of Japanese. A beginner level of Japanese means that you should know: How to read and write hiragana Basic numbers, days of the week, months of the year, etc. Simple adjectives like colors, sizes (big, small), etc. and how to … Read more
Beginning your journey to learn Japanese can be overwhelming. Japanese seems like such a difficult language, that you wonder if it’s even possible to master it. There are tons of resources out there, but this actually makes it difficult to know where to even start. I’ve been there. I’ve literally tried hundreds of books, … Read more
At this level of Japanese, you are on your way to attain complete fluency in both speaking and reading Japanese, and you can write a fair share of kanji too. At this level you should already know how to: Read at least 2,000 kanji Hold conversations with native speakers in difficult topics Have no … Read more
If you made it to this level of Japanese, congratulations! It only gets better from here! At this level, you should be able to: Read a minimum of 800 kanji characters Are comfortable reading simple books, blogs, and/or flyers in Japanese Hold conversations in Japan about a wide range of topics Can improvise (ex. … Read more
Low-intermediate students of Japanese are just beginning to master the basics, and are ready to dive head first into more complex skills. This is where you’ll spend a lot of time adding to your foundation in all areas of Japanese. There’s a lot to learn, but the material at this level is very useful. … Read more
Your goals as a high-intermediate student should be to increase your skill in all areas of Japanese, but put an emphasis on reading and speaking more naturally. A high-intermediate level means that you have: An excellent foundation in all areas of Japanese (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) Can read at least 300 kanji characters … Read more
I try to recall the day that I first found Banana Yoshimoto, and the memory is shrouded in an aggravating haze. I must have been in my early college days, browsing the fiction section (the end of it, no doubt, where all the other Y-named authors reside), when the image of a young Japanese … Read more
After drifting away from it for a time, diving back into the world of Haruki Murakami is like going home again. That is, if home consists of heartache, jazz, Western literature, talking cats, whiskey, pasta-making, and classical music. Which, apart from the talking cats, is not too far outside the realm of normal. Murakami, … Read more
Best Books for the JLPT N2 (Or Any Level) If you’re planning to take the JLPT N1 or N2, then getting the right books and study guides is essential. There are tons of books out there, and I have used many of them. Here are the ones that I think are the best. … Read more