While I was at the beach this morning I wrote a post on my personal blog about the importance of getting away from your computer and office to get work done. I figured I would write a bit here on Japanese Words about how important it is to do the same thing when you are studying.

When I was a college student, I spent a lot of my time studying near a computer or studying while I listened to music. While this is something that most of us do, it isn’t actually very effective. The problem is that it is difficult to focus and easy to get distracted. Most of us will look up when we hear an e-mail hitting the inbox. Or start singing our favorite song if it comes on.

Learning Japanese isn’t just about the amount of time you spend studying, it is also about the quality of that time. Find yourself a nice quite spot where you won’t be bothered and can really focus. You will be able to learn much quicker.

Also, remember to take small breaks. If you study for too long without breaks your concentration and ability to learn weakens. Small breaks aren’t a waste of time, but a method to keep you studying strong.

For those who don’t know, Mochi (もち) is the Japanese word meaning sticky rice cake. They are very very good!

I have titled the series “Adventures in Miyakojima”. Since many of my family and friends don’t speak Japanese I am commentating in English, but there is also some speaking in Japanese as well. Check out the video and let me know what you think.

The final deadline is April 23 (Japan time), so remember to send your essay in soon!

Eri Kobayashi

Eri is originally from Tokyo where she has spent the majority of her life. After high school, Eri moved to California to study abroad. She spent her first two years at a community college, and then went on to graduate from CSU Sacramento with a BA in Family Consumer Science. After working in the US for a short time, she returned to Japan to work for a company in Tokyo. Currently, Eri lives in Miyakojima and teaches English to children. She also teaches Japanese on Edufire.

Masa Kitada

Masa is also Japanese, and is originally from Hiroshima. Having a fascination for plants and insects, Masa graduated from Tokai University with a degree in Entomology. He now works for the Japanese government as a plant quarantine inspection officer. Since he does a lot of field research as well as working at airports, Masa studies English both because he enjoys it and because it is a necessity for his job.

Nick Lancaster

Nick is originally from California. Having a fascination with ninjas as a kid (ninja turtles anyone?), he eventually became interested in the samurai and feudal Japan. While pursuing an international business degree at CSU Sacramento, Nick went abroad to study at Waseda University to live in Japan and improve his Japanese. He enjoyed it so much he returned to Japan after graduation to work for a University in Tokyo helping students come to Japan. He currently lives in Miyakojima enjoying the beautiful oceans of Okinawa.

I mentioned in the last post I wrote reviewing White Rabbit’s Japanese Flash cards, Japanese Kana cards, and the Kanji Poster that I would be holding a contest to give away some of the cards that White Rabbit Press was kind enough to donate. Shortly afterwords I had to leave to Tokyo for a friends wedding (I’ll try to get some pics up soon) and just got back a few days ago. Upon arriving back in Miyako, I had to start preparing for my wife’s parents who came to visit yesterday from Nagano. So without any more delay, here are the details for the contest:

THE PRIZES

1. Japanese Kanji Flash Cards 1 (2 sets)
2. Kana Flash Cards

THE CONTEST

I thought quite a bit about what the contest would be, and what I finally decided on was a short essay. The essay should be about why you started learning Japanese and your interest in Japan (assuming you have one lol). Their is no minimum length, but  please keep the maximum within one page (single spaced, 10 font).

The essays will be reviewed by myself, my wife, and one other person. The winnering essays (with the permission of the writer) will be posted on Japanese Words as inspiration for others. Writing in Japanese is highly encouraged!! The winners will also be invited to write a guest post about their Japanese studies and experience with Japanese and Japan. A total of three winners will be chosen (2 for the Kanji cards and 1 for the  kana cards). Please specify which set you are entering for. Each person may only apply for either the kana cards or the kanji cards as the essays will be evaluated separately. Winners will be required to pay for shipping.

The Rules

• Submit one essay (send to Japanesewords(at)gmail.com) no longer than one page (single spaced, font 10), describing your interest in Japan and studying Japanese.
• In your e-mail please include your name, how long you have been studying Japanese, and which cards you are entering for. Each person may only apply for one set of cards. (Essays for the Kana and Kanji cards will be evaluated separately).
• **ALL essays must be submitted by 6:00pm on April 23 (Japan time)
• Winners will be contacted via e-mail for shipping information.

I look forward to reading your essays and hearing all about your experiences with Japanese. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

A couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail from White Rabbit Press, the maker of the Kanji Poster, Kanji Flash Cards, and other Japanese learning products, asking if I would be interested in in promoting their products on Japanese Words. They offered to send a poster and some cards for review and also sent some for giveaways (more on that later).

So let’s start with the Kanji poster first.

Kanji Poster Review

To start with, it is very well packed. The poster came packaged in a tube with stuffing at each end to keep it from getting damaged.

After pulling the poster out of the tube and unrolling it, my first impression was that it was huge. It is nearly 4 feet across and almost 3 feet tall (I guess it needs to be to hold all the kanji). The poster is made of thick glossy paper so it should last. While it isn’t particularly beautiful (my wife didn’t want me to hang it in the living room), it is very functional. The kanji are easy to read and are ordered and colored according to the JLPT. The bottom of the poster contains the readings for each kanji.

Two things that I would like to see added is a sample word and the base meaning of each kanji. Though doing so would probably make the poster a bit too large. And if I had to choose a third, I would say corresponding “Remember the Kanji” numbers. I think the ideal way to use the kanji poster is to put it in a location where you will see it everyday. Then just slowly work your way down the list. I would also recommend putting a white board next to it where you can practice writing. Going through the motions of writing will help you remember.

Kanji Flash Cards

Like the poster, the cards where also well packed. No surprise there.

The cards themselves are also made of high quality material with a glossy finish. The card contains all of the information you would want to know about a kanji, the reading, the stroke order, the meaning, and the base elements. It also contains a number allowing you to match it to the kanji poster. Once again, I would prefer a “Remember the Kanji” number as well.

Now to be perfectly honest I haven’t really used flash cards much since I found out about Anki. Anki keeps track of what I am learning and shows me the right cards at the right time. However, I am in front of the computer quite often. If you are not, then flash cards are still a great option. They can be taken anywhere (I used to use flash cards everyday on the train when I was studying at Waseda University. They were a huge help.

The Conclusion

Both Products are well made and will make a strong and helpful addition to your Japanese study materials. I have been impressed enough with them that I have added them as an affiliate to Japanese Words. So, if you are thinking about purchasing, please use the link below and help support this site.

The Giveaway

I am still working on the details of the competition, but White Rabbit Press has donated some a few items (2 decks of kanji cards and 1 deck of kana cards) as the prizes. The next post will contain all the details.

Japanese Learning Products

If you are learning Japanese there is a good chance that you are into anime or manga. At least this seemed to be the case when I studied in Japan, and also when I worked as an admissions counselor at a Japanese University. The great thing is that Japanese anime and manga can be used to supplement your Japanese studies. And thanks to the Japan foundation, there is a free source. anime-manga.jp

It looks like the site is still in the works, but already has an expressions module, which includes the expressions, the grammar, and pronunciation.

There is also a word quiz module with a beginner, intermediate, advanced, and phrase section. If each section contains it’s own words then there are a total of 1,700 Japanese words to study altogether, plus a number of Japanese phrases.

It looks like they will also be adding an expressions by scene module and a kanji module in the near future. So as long as they keep ading to the site, this will become a great tool for you to study Japanese.

Check it out and don’t forget to leave a comment here with your impressions of the site.

anime-manga

In the last few years there have been quite a few tools coming out to help students learn Japanese. One of my favorites is Rikaichan. Rikaichan is an add-on for Firefox that will give you the readings and definitions for Japanese characters when you mouse over them. It is a great tool for anyone learning Japanese or for someone who wants to read a Japanese website.

But what about a way to learn Japanese when you are reading websites in English? That’s where Kanjilish comes in. It is another add-on for Firefox that, when active, changes the first letter of English words into the equivalent Japanese Kanji. For example, the word “new” will become “新ew”.

Now to be honest I wasn’t really thrilled with this idea. I felt it is better to learn Japanese by studying Japanese. However, after a recommendation from @zirchi  on twitter, I gave it a try. It turns out it is a great way to review the meanings of Kanji and a great companion to Remember the Kanji.

Kanjilish gives you options of which word meanings you would like to choose based on a few popular systems, Kanji in Context, Remembering the Kanji, KanjiDic, and remembering Traditional Hanzi.

The only bad thing I have to say about it, is that it does require slightly longer for pages to load. Not ridiculously long, but longer.

Give it a try and let me know what you think. Combined with Remembering the Kanji and Rikaichan, I think it’s a pretty good tool for learning Japanese.

Kanjilish

One of the main focus of Japanese Words has always been about learning new Japanese words. In the beginning you need to know a certain number of words to communicate in Japanese and as you get to a more advanced level you will need to more words to express more complex ideas and feelings.

Today I stumbled across a site that has a number of common Japanese words such as numbers, colors, common Japanese phrases, animals, and other Japanese vocabulary. They also have sound.

You can check out the Japanese page here. In case you are studying another language as well, you can find other languages here.

Good luck and let me know what you think!

Over the last month I have been pretty busy with a number of things including the holiday season, working as a volunteer diver to remove おにひとで (devil starfish) to protect the coral, and just work in general that have kept me away from my Japanese study. It has also caused me to write less on Japanese Words. Though I hate to admit it, I have barely touched Anki in over 3 weeks (at this point I am almost afraid to look).

On the good side, this is actually a good topic on Japanese study to cover.

I have mentioned before that it is best  if you can study at least a little bit every day. However, no matter how diligent I am, there are times when I tend to miss my study for one reason or another. So what should you do when you get off track?

The first step is to realize that you will get off track. Once you realize this you will be able to plan for it. Basically, create a back up plan. If you miss a day you will study an additional 10 minutes each day for a week. Or if you like, and can find the time, you could do a longer intensive session. Study an additional hour tomorrow. Just be careful not to burn yourself out.

If you are unable to study for a longer period of time, then try to substitute your regular study with something you can do. Watch movies in Japanese, read Japanese on the internet during your break, download some Japanese podcasts to play in your mp3 player or listen to them while you drive to work.

In my case, I am living in Japan and use Japanese on a daily basis. And while I prefer to study each day, I do get a lot of “Japanese time” even if I am not studying. By volunteering for the diving I have exchanged some study time for some speaking practice.

One last piece of advice is to continue to put Japanese words in Anki (or whatever you are using to learn new words) even if you don’t have the time to study. This will help make sure that you don’t forget and keep growing your list.

And of course, if you have been putting off your study, then there is no better time to start than now! I guess that goes for me too!

Let me know if you have any special methods that you use to keep yourself on track and how they work out for you.