Apps, links, books and more
Regardless of your progress in your journey, if you want to master Japanese it is always handy to review tools, tips and tricks that can either streamline your current methods or give you new content to practice with. Below is a selection of tools I’ve integrated into my learning and I hope you can find them beneficial too. I’ve added a brief synopsis to each but if you have any questions on how each one can be integrated into your existing study plan feel free to contact me.
Use the buttons below to jump to each section to find more content for your favourite platforms.
Apps
Each and every app is so different and comes with their own perks. An additional benefit is that our phones are almost always within arms reach of us too. For android and apple users the available choices do differ however there will always be an app to suit you for whatever your level or learning needs may be.
Takoboto Mobile (Android Only)
This is my bible for Japanese vocabulary. On the surface Takoboto may appear to be another dictionary but it comes with those finer details. You can find in built study lists for counters, set vocabulary from N5 to N1 as well as being able to search your own vocab. The shining aspects of Takoboto are the example sentences, you can easily move back and forth through example sentences and save new words to study lists.
Kanji Tree (Android Only)
Kanji Tree is my go to for kanji drills and writing practice. The app is neatly laid out in 4 sections: recognition, reading, writing and dictionary. Each section is broken down by JLPT level and also by word frequency and will keep a track of your progress in learning. There is also a paid version that has Japanese audio included.
Learn Japanese! Kanji Study
Similarly to Kanji Tree above Learn Japanese! Kanji study is focused predominantly around learning the kanji (as the name implies) but the difference and advantages are that particular attention is drawn to the writing of each kanji and slowly highlighting and introducing each character into new words as your vocabulary expands. This works on a similar SRS pattern to Anki or Wani Kani and as such really strengthens your knowledge without being overbearing.
Hello Talk
This is a free social media app produced solely for language learners, you can list the languages you’re learning, connect with native speakers and review daily feeds. At any point you can transliterate any messages and posts to help understand what is being said. This is the easiest and quickest way of making language partners.
Duolingo
I will start by saying Duolingo is not a great app and it gets a lot of bad press. The important thing is not what you use however it is how you use it. I quickly found that Duolingo didn’t help me learn as well as other tools however it did help provide a frame work for the direction and rate I should progress at, adding a variety of boring yet necessary concepts like postage and using public transport
Satori Reader
A good companion for reading articles and short stories in Japanese. It has a helping hand feel in that you can read an article without intrusion if you would like however you can easily click on single words, whole sentences or tough grammar constructs and have them explained in amazing detail. A lot of the content is also voiced in Japanese.
Books
Books can come in a variety of styles, with some being aimed at an English speaking audience and others being made for Japanese speakers. Below are a number of educational, recreational and functional books that can bolster your language and bring a nuanced sense of satisfaction to your reading journey.
Japanese Manga
Manga doesn’t really need an introduction. As the epitome of Japanese reading culture, manga is iconic and often relates to shows, films and games released afterwards. Many popular anime started life as manga and so it can be nice to find a physical and tangible counterpart to one of your favourite shows. Manga is such an incredibly varied reading platform. The reading level, art style, themes, demographic can change drastically, however if you find one that suits you it can be hard to put them down. You can even find them online if you’d like a more broad selection to read.
Bilingual books
The premise of these books is that you have a story or article in the target language and on the opposite page you will have the same text in your native language. Sometimes they can also include a glossary of the vocab for handy referencing. Beginners story books, such as the ones shown here, are usually cheap, easy to follow and can be found in most bookstores. If you have any trouble finding books of this style feel free to contact me and I’ll see if I can assist.
Game guides/ コンプリートガイド
Game guides are a fantastic supplement for reading material. If you’re playing a game or simply have an interest in one game guides can be just as good, if not better, than a typical story book. Firstly it can help you navigate and understand instructions within games. It can also give you additional knowledge and lore and lastly, if you’re a collector like me, it is something to add to your shelves for posterity. These books are relatively easy to find for popular games on websites like eBay and Amazon but they aren’t available for all games so it may take some hunting. Finding these in the wild can also be a rare but rewarding treat.
Japanese from Zero/ Kanji from Zero
These textbooks come from an ever growing series masterfully written by George Trombley and his team. George also produces his own accompanying YouTube channel reviewing chapters and lessons from the book as well as additional tips, tricks and information learnt from his many years in Japan. The books can easily be found online and are a brilliant entry into Japanese.
Remembering the Kanji
Remembering the Kanji, as it says on the tin, focuses on remembering the kanji more so than using them or knowing the specific reading. The book uses mnemonics based around the radicals used to make up a larger kanji so that you can more easily recognise its meaning. This book is highly recommended by many learners in the community and can usually be found online for about £25 ($35).
Kanji Writing notebooks
Writing is equally important to reading when it comes to learning Japanese. A plain notebook will get you far in your studies but you may find that a kanji writing notebook can help with the repetitious nature of mastering your writing skills. These books cost barely anything and can even come with kanji indentations to guide you while you write. They also have the added advantage that you can use thicker pens or even brushes to focus on your line application before you get more accurate.
Links and Sites
Below are a number of useful websites that can be used to strengthen vocabulary and grammar, help you find useful reading materials or introduce you to fun and mentally stimulating games. These include simple tools such as dictionaries and flashcards, but also databases for manga, articles, Japan and its history and much much more.
Takoboto Desktop
So good it had to be listed twice! Takoboto’s mobile app is fantastic but the site also comes with a comprehensive listed guide to all Japanese grammar, categorized by JLPT level, with multiple example sentences for each entry. Between the vocabulary strengths and accessibility of the app and the grammar strengths of the desktop there isn’t much more you need in order to answer most of your unanswered questions. #notsponsored
JLPT Sensei
https://jlptsensei.com/jlpt-n5-grammar-list/
JLPT Sensei is an invaluable site for many reasons but one such feature that comes in extremely useful is the breakdown of grammar points per JLPT level and related example sentences. This is effective for being able to gauge where you stand in terms of level and checking what is required of you to pass your next milestone. By ticking off each grammar point and committing them to memory you can strengthen your sentence building and understanding while reading.
Tadoku free books
https://tadoku.org/japanese/en/free-books-en/
Tadoku is a free website designed with the intent of helping you find Japanese books to your reading level. The main focus is on levels, each one representing a different volume of vocabulary, grammar and overall story length. By checking the “About levels” section you can also determine your approximate reading level in preparations for exams like the JLPT. Many stories feature furigana and imagery to help in your reading comprehension and reduce your reliance on dictionaries while reading.
CMOA comics
CMOA comics is a hub for a variety of free and paid manga, including a few classics such as One Piece and Demon Slayer. The quantity of free manga on here is mind blowing and the quality is brilliant. There are many manga readers out there but this one is a particular favourite of mine. The UI and new releases make for a seemingly unending array of choices for any particular reading style.
NHK Easy News
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/easy/
This site allows you to select a variety of articles including the latest news stories, weather reports and Japan’s famous natural disaster safety information. The articles have furigana, used to help you familiarize yourself with the kanji reading, but also come with the option to turn these off for more difficult reading practice. You can even use an audio reading option to listen along while you read.
Wani Kani
Wani Kani is a kanji learning tool with an integrated SRS system, it is also available as an app but only apple users. Progress is slow to start but if you can get into the habit of completing 1/3 review and lesson sessions a day you will quickly learn new kanji as well as their radicals and mnemonics to remember them with
Prefectures quiz game
https://www.geoguessr.com/vgp/3184
This is a point and click quiz game where you are challenged to identify all of the prefectures of Japan. With a bit of diligence and repeat attempts you’ll be able to memorize all of the prefectures using this. It took me only a couple of hours and came in very handy for games set in Japan, such as Nioh, Yakuza and many more. It also made watching the news or speaking about regions of Japan with friends easier. For an added level of difficulty, set it into Japanese and find the prefectures by their kanji!
Handwritten Kanji Search
https://kanji.sljfaq.org/https://kanji.sljfaq.org/
There will occasionally be times where you may not know the reading for a kanji, or the radical search is not proving effective at finding it, where you may need to find a more reliable method. While trying to draw kanji with a mouse is hopelessly messy at the best of times, this handwritten kanji search has never let me down. The website looks archaic but I’ve never had it fail me, even when looking for obscure or ancient kanji. Try it out today!
YouTube Channels
While it seems odd to list YouTube separately from the other websites, this is done purely because the available content is so vast and ubiquitous with modern life that it seems unfair to list it as a single item. YouTube can be free for all to use (if you don’t mind the ads) and each individual YouTuber has a nuance, topic or style that can be exactly what you need to pique your interests alongside your learning journey. Simply by typing in Japanese or using a Japanese topic you can find countless hours of content to digest with varying degrees of difficulty. Below are just a few examples from a variety of styles.
Sanbonjuku
Aki is a Japanese native speaker that teaches various JLPT grammar points and vocabulary. He also does extended study streams called Sanbon Radio which are a perfect accompaniment while you learn.
Dogen
Dogen is a wizard of pitch accent and pronunciation. He writes comedy skits about his life in Japan with perfect comic timing and sharp wit. His videos are brilliantly polished and easy to follow due to the clear subtitling and short durations, making the video easily digestible and a laugh a minute.
Japanese from Zero
As per the above books, Japanese from Zero is a Youtube channel following along from the best-selling book series from George Trombley and his team. This covers all manner of grammar points and vocabulary as well as tips for day to day life in Japan. George is also an engaging host and has worked as a professional interpreter so have some very valuable insight.
Miku Real Japanese
Miku is a native Japanese speaker and linguist. She specializes in grammar points and often uses skits and comic characters in order to strengthen her teaching points with context. She is very welcoming and friendly and makes studying more entertaining.
Japanese Ammo
Misa is native Japanese speaker that covers a lot of usual grammar topics with fantastic detail and editing but also excels in teaching natural speech and casual conversational grammar points. She also covers slang and more crass topics that other teachers don’t tend to cover.
Matt Vs Japan
Matt has been proclaimed by many as a near native level speaker. He has dedicated over 10 years to honing his Japanese skills and is honestly mesmerizing to watch. On his channel he discusses methods, equipment and often speaks with other learners and big names in the industry.
Jiro, Just japanese
Jiro is quite recent compared to some of the entries here, however he excels at long form videos of either simple conversation or gameplay with Japanese vocabulary added around the frame to aid in understanding and language acquisition. I first found him due to his hour long Japanese Minecraft episodes and loved the format and ease of use. Now I spend much of my time listening to his relaxing videos while I work.
LeoToy
LeoToy is a group of Japanese friends playing all manner of unusual board games. The channel isn’t educational but it allows you hear more Japanese as part of casual conversation… plus it’s just really fun to watch. Entertainment is just as important as educational value and these guys play a very well tuned balance making it easy to watch and worth your time.
Nihongo no Mori (日本語の森)
A collection of Japanese native teachers that have now become famous across YouTube for their efficacy and volume of videos. Each teacher has a different style to teaching and they have videos ranging from complete grammar breakdowns to hour long vocabulary breakdowns. The team is really funny and they make the fundamentals much easier to watch.
Subscriptions
Below are a selection of subscriptions that can be beneficial for increasing your access to Japanese content. While many pieces of Japanese media can be experienced for free, some of the larger or more popular pieces, such as certain anime, music or games, can be discovered (or more easily found) behind a small, but definitely worth it, pay wall.
Spotify
Spotify has a selection of subscription plans, each of which is inexpensive and definitely worth getting if you don’t own it already. Using Spotify you can listen to music worldwide, a lot of which has been popularised in anime and film already. The other added bonus is free access to Japanese podcasts. Handy for listening to while on your commute or doing odd jobs around the house.
Netflix
From £5.99 you can browse a vast library of films, documentaries, dramas and more. UK and US netflix has limitations to the subtitles and audio language but if you set your region and language to Japan you can gain additional content as well as unlocking Japanese subs and dubs on previously English only shows!
Xbox Game Pass
Game pass ultimate cost £11.99 a month but it singlehandedly provides hundreds of games to download at will, a vast majority of which can be set into Japanese. I had purchased a good selection of games to play in Japanese and yet game pass easily triples the number of games available to me. Well worth subscribing and I can’t recommend it more.
Games & Kanji 