I have also made a new video titled Learn Japanese. It is the first part of a two part series with various tips on how to learn Japanese faster and more efficiently. You can find the video below:

Learn Japanese

I have talked about a lot of this stuff on the website, but I think this video helps sum it all up. Also, some people are better watchers than they are readers.

So please check out the video and let me know what you think. Please leave comments and give it a like if you find it helpful.

Learn Japanese

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.

This post is going to be really, really short.  This is just a reminder to let everyone know that the final deadline for submitting your essay for the Kanji/Kana flash cards contest  is tomorrow, Friday April 23 (Japan time). I look forward to getting all your essays and reading about your studies with Japanese.

In my last post about choosing Japanese classes I talked about the importance of speaking and listening to native Japanese speakers. It is something I believe is very important for those wanting to speak Japanese. I also mentioned that those interested in the chance to learn and speak with a native Japanese speaker should stay tuned. Well I have some good news.

I have received a number of comments and mails from people wondering how to go about finding a Japanese speaking partner or teacher. After a bit of convincing, I was able to get my wife (a Japanese native from Tokyo) to start teaching classes on Edufire. Eri is from Tokyo, but graduated from college in the US, so she knows what it takes to learn a foreign language.

Her main focus will be teaching conversational Japanese and greetings. To start out with, she is offering two free classes that will take place in the next few days. She is also planning to run smaller more private classes in the future and students who attend these classes will have first shot at them. You can find more information on the classes here: Free Japanese Classes.

The classes will basically cover the same material (I believe), but I recommend you to sign up for both to get extra practice.

Free Japanese Class

Over the last few weeks I have been spending a lot of time preparing for an sanshin performance. For those who don’t know, the sanshin is an traditional three-stringed instrument popular in Okinawa. I started playing earlier this year and ended up joining a サークル (club) in my area.

Last week, the サークル (myself not included) performed at a traditional Miyakojima folk song (宮古民謡、みやこみんよう)concert. My camera unfortunately broke a few weeks ago, but I did manage to capture it with my iphone.

*If you don’t understand any of it, please don’t worry. It is sung in the Miyako dialect which bares very little resemblance to Japanese. The hardest part of learning hasn’t been the sanshin, but remembering the words in Miyakogo!

Next in the line of helpful Japanese tools are a set of books. Remembering the Kanji 1 & 2 and Remembering the Kana are extremely useful tools, and combined with Anki, will hep you learn the Japanese kana and kanji before you know it. The system used in these books to teach the Japanese characters in not orthodox, but it works. If you are struggling to learn the kana or kanji, or maybe have been putting it off because the task looks to daunting, then you need to get these books. Once you get started you will be wishing you had started sooner.

If you want to get the books now, and I recommend you do, you can find links to purchase them in the right sidebar.

If you want to get started while you wait for your books to arrive, you can download the sample containing the first 276 Kanji now:

Remember the Kanji Sample

You can find more information on the books at the below link:

Remembering the Kanji

I hope everyone had a great weekend and got lots of Japanese study in. I had a busy weekend (looking for a new house to rent)  and so wasn’t able to post for the last few days. However, starting tomorrow, I will be writing a number of posts on some very helpful Japanese study tools and sties. We also have some new Japanese lists we are creating so stay tuned.

In the last few months I have been learning to play the sanshin (shamisen in mainland Japan). Over the last few weeks I haven’t had the chance to play much due to a number of friends visiting on vacation. After not playing for just a couple of days, the instrument feels strange in my hand. I can’t hit the chords smoothly and I have to make a consious effort to play.

Now if I pick it up, even for 5 minutes a day and play, each time I get a little better and it doesn’t feel foeign to me. This is the same thing with Japanese. It is better to study 10 minutes each day (preferably more) than 2 hours only once a week. To really learn the Japanese language and the words you need to use them often. Deciding a “set time” usually work best for me, but do what works best for you. The important thing is that you study everyday!

The Japanese language has a number of ways to show the relationship between speakers. There are are diffierent words used in different situations depending on whether the person you are speaking to is considered to be inferior, equal, or superior. While this may sound a bit harsh, it is used as a way to show respect to another person.  The most basic way to show the relationship between speakers is with the Japanese suffixes used after someone’s name.

I have listed the four most common Japanese suffixes and the situations in which to use them. Like everything it can be confusing at first, but gets easier after practice.

• さん (san)- San is the most common used Japanese suffix. It shows politeness, and can be used in just about any situation. If you are unsure what suffix to use then stick with san.

• さま(sama)- Sama is used when speaking to someone who you view as having a much higher position than yourself. It could also be someone who has much more knowledge than yourself. In most cases sama is a bit overkill and you are better off sticking with san.

• くん (kun)- Kun is generally used to address younger boys, but can also be used to younger men. Kun is more casual than san and only used for males.

• ちゃん (chan)- Chan is a prefix used in very casual situations, and therefore only used by friends. You should start off addressing someone as  ~san and as you become closer you can start addressing them as ~chan. Chan is quite commonly used to address children and for superiors to address inferiors.

In any case, if you arent sure which word suffix to use stick with san. San shows enough politeness to be used in polite situations, and is still friendly enough to be used if you are unsure where you stand in the relationship.