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
Disclaimer: This article includes affiliate links. This means that if you click and purchase something, I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) to help support this site. Learn more Learning Japanese is both fun and frustrating. It’s fun to learn new words and grammar, but it’s frustrating when you get “stuck.” Sometimes … Read more
You need to learn thousands of core vocabulary words to be fluent in Japanese. This is a daunting task; it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that the only way to learn that much vocabulary is to memorize it. Enter iKnow. While iKnow is one among a handful of successful vocabulary apps that have risen … Read more
Disclaimer: This article includes affiliate links. This means that if you click and purchase something, I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) to help support this site. Learn more Back in 2005, I went on a vacation to Japan for the first time. I took basic Japanese classes before, but I … Read more
Japanesepod101 is the best program I have used to learn natural Japanese. Not only is there a ton of material for all levels (absolute beginner to advanced), but the price is one of the best deals out there for learning Japanese. You can check out my detailed Japanesepod101 review to why I think it’s … Read more
When I was learning Japanese, my go-to device was my Nintendo DS. On it, I used the game “Kanji Sono-mama Rakubiki Jiten,” an electronic Japanese dictionary and kanji translator, and I got my money’s worth. I used that baby every single day throughout college for my Japanese classes. When I lived in Japan, I carried … Read more
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 months, $179 for 24 months. CD-ROM: $144 for levels 1-3 Instant Download: $89 for level 1 Japanese Level: Beginners to Low-Intermediate Materials: Vocabulary and Grammar Lessons, Japanese Language Games, Speaking and Listening Activities JLPT Materials: Not Recommended … Read more
Here are all of the resources I have used to learn Japanese. I have tried a lot of different programs, books, and apps, but I only listed the best ones here. I believe that if I found all of these resources from the start, I would have learned Japanese much faster. I hope that these … 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