Japanese drama is a pretty excellent way to study Japanese. Watching it is one thing… but actually actively studying it is another. I will tell you exactly how to do that and get a ton of benefit compared to the time spent.
Editor’s Note: some good links and suggestions in the comments section as well.
Source: Tofugu | Subject: Video / Audio
This website was created for people who want to study Japanese by watching movies and/or TV. The text is only written in Hiragana and Katakana.
Source: Aya | Subject: Video / Audio
Websaru.info is a free online Japanese learning resource dedicated in helping English speakers to get inside Japanese language and culture.
NOTE: doesn’t appear to accept romaji input for Japanese to English or be as generally robust and useful as some of the others available.
Source: Jason | Subject: Translate
These 100 words will get you through an untold number of situations, problems, and feelings, just by knowing these all-important words. I’m not saying that there aren’t any other important words out there (and I hope you add to the list by commenting below), but I do think this list of 100 words will get you really, really far if you are, for some reason, … [ Read more ]
Source: Tofugu | Subject: Vocabulary / Phrases
The nciku Japanese Dictionary brings together three essential language learning tools: Japanese, English and Bilingual dictionaries to help you fully understand a word, with kanji details and audio pronunciation; an innovative handwriting recognition tool to help you look up Japanese words you see written down but don’t know how to type; and a range of customized vocabulary lists and memorization tests to help you build … [ Read more ]
Source: Beijing DFHL Co. Ltd (北京东方慧灵科技发展有限公司) | Subject: Translate
This pre-WWII video from Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, shows home, work and school activities of a middle-class Japanese family.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Films | Hugh Borton Ph.D. | Subjects: Culture, Video / Audio
I’m guessing a lot of you know how to type in Japanese (hint: you don’t need a Japanese keyboard), but did you know about all the “hidden” special characters you can type out while you’re in Japanese input mode? You aren’t only limited to hiragana, katakana, romaji, and kanji. There are a score of other weird characters you can use to make your text a … [ Read more ]
Source: Tofugu | Subjects: Language Learning Tips, Miscellaneous
“Crazy for Kanji” provides the context sorely missing from most classes and books about kanji. Jam-packed with exhibits, the book supplies background information, explores fun themes, and challenges readers with games. Novices will gain the basic knowledge needed to grasp kanji, and advanced students will come to understand the system of kanji as they’ve never understood it before.
Students often stop learning Japanese because of kanji. … [ Read more ]
Source: Eve Kushner | Subject: Books
How to learn, and not learn, to speak Japanese
Source: Will Jasprizza | Subject: Video / Audio
Instead of a Japanese language electronic dictionary, Tofugu recommends you get an iPhone or iPod Touch.
Source: Tofugu | Subjects: Miscellaneous, Translate
Bad news everyone. It looks like if you want to be considered as a literate member of the Japanese society, you’re going to have to learn an additional 196 kanji to make it in every day life. A proposal is in (and it seems like it’s going to pass.
Source: Tofugu | Subject: Kanji
MyKikitori is a fun and easy way to practice kikitori (listening comprehension) for beginning learners of Japanese. It is based on the textbook, Genki: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese Volume 1. It is FREE and there is no need to sign up for an account. Lessons come equipped with audio lessons and quizzes.
Source: Aiko Sato | Subject: Video / Audio
Let’s Learn Japanese is a video-based Japanese language study course for English speakers produced by The Japan Foundation. It consists of 52 video lessons, divided into two parts (Basic I and Basic II). Each part consists of 26 episodes, and the episodes explain grammatical structures, new words and cultural information about Japan.
According to Wikipedia, the first part (Basic I) was made in the mid 1980’s, … [ Read more ]
Source: The Japan Foundation | Subject: Video / Audio
Tangorin is a free online Japanese dictionary and learning tool combining words and kanji search with example sentences and custom vocabulary lists. Tangorin includes 18 different glossaries and various look up methods.
Editor’s Note: for an interview with the creator of the dictionary, see http://www.tofugu.com/2012/10/10/tangorin-interview/
Source: Grzegorz Bober | Subject: Translate
Draw a kanji in the box with the mouse. The computer will try to recognize it (be careful about drawing strokes in the correct order and direction). The screen will write the top ten kanji which it thinks match your as you enter strokes with the best match on the left and hyperlinks to the entry for that kanji in Jim Breen’s “WWWJDIC.” If you … [ Read more ]
Source: Ben Bullock (sljfaq.org) | Subject: Kanji
This online dictionary is “based off the Kenkyusha dictionaries. The English entries are good, but the Japanese entries are superb, breaking the word down into all of its potential meanings(including peripheral or metaphorical ones), cross-linking most of the compounds in its definition to other entries and in many cases giving example sentences. It is definitely more useful for intermediate and advanced students… It took a … [ Read more ]
Source: Weblio | Subject: Translate
Tagaini Jisho is a free, open-source Japanese dictionary and kanji lookup tool that is available for Windows, MacOS X and Linux and aims at becoming your Japanese study assistant. It allows you to quickly search for entries and mark those that you wish to study, along with tags and personal notes. It also let you train entries you are studying and follows your progression in … [ Read more ]
Subject: Translate
zonjineko! is a little Japanese blog teaching…well….Japanese and also featuring photos from the author’s trips to Japan.
Subject: Blogs
This video series (originally TV and DVD) now has a web version. Each episode features two skits (basic and advanced) focusing on a grammar topic, discussion of the grammar and various cultural videos.
The skits and cultural videos are subtitled in normal japanese, kana only, romaji, or japanese + English making them open to many level sets. The navigation is currently in Japanese only but an … [ Read more ]
Source: Japan Foundation | Subject: Video / Audio
The Kansai Japanese-Language Institute has developed this web portal in order to support overseas learners of Japanese. The site introduces all kinds of websites and useful tools which learners can use in their studies.
Each website or online-tool includes a summary of the contents, some basic user instructions and guidelines on how the site could be used to address concrete learning needs, all in a way … [ Read more ]
Source: Japanese-Language Institute in Kansai | Subject: Miscellaneous | Other