Tokyo Metro signs Aragaki Yui as new “Image Character”
Just a small note straight out of Tokyo Metro’s PR department today..After 2 years of being the official “image character” (mascot person) of the Tokyo Metro subway, Miyazaki Aoi has retired from the role. Tokyo Metro has signed Aragaki Yui to pick up the role. The Okinawa-native actress brings a new face to the ongoing [...]
Review of YesJapan.com
There are a lot of great resources online for learning Japanese, but I love YesJapan so much I think anyone who hasn’t tried it should check it out. Like I keep saying throughout my posts, before you spend loads of money on Japanese language school, learn the basics on your own so you don’t spend [...]
Going to Japan? Tips for Jet-Lag
時差ぼけ ・ じさぼけ ・ Jet Lag (a.k.a. desynchronosis) – Anyone who goes to Japan from America, Canada, the UK, etc. will undoubtedly have to deal with Jet Lag. The long-distance traveler’s nemesis can quickly ruin a would-be amazing trip abroad. Fortunately, there are many methods to both prevent and get over Jet Lag, and they can be found [...]
Shibuya Swarmed by Boy Band Fans
Shibuya Ward, Tokyo – mass panic ensues as a dangerously huge crowd gathers after false rumors of a boy-band making an appearance. This will be the newest reason on my list of why boy-bands should die.
Yamanote Line shut down: 260,000 passengers stranded
Yesterday the Saikyo line and the famously busy Yamanote line train (left) – which basically runs in a giant loop around Tokyo – were temporarily shut down all because some aerial antenna wiring unexpectedly came into contact with some overhead electrical wires at Mejiro station. Apparently a high-broadband network wiMAX antenna cable fell onto the [...]
Eco-Japan: Scrap paper to toilet paper machine
Here’s an interesting product out of Japan. Does your company have a lot of paper that will end up getting shredded and taken away (probably at a cost) to a recycling center? Why not replace your shredding machine with this thing – it will allow you to shred that confidential report that you don’t want [...]
Mind Your Manners on Tokyo Metro
Anyone who knows me will know how much I love Japan’s train culture! I’ve been meaning to write more about it, and I will in good time, but for now I really wanted to share this with you: Below is an clickable showcase of an ongoing campaign by Tokyo Metro to improve everyone’s daily commute [...]
Secrets of the Japanese Language pt. 2
The second part of Lang-8 user Roomy’s thought-provoking series of editorials entitled ‘Secrets of the Japanese Language’. Part1 can be found here. *Reposted with permission from Roomy’s Lang-8 Journal found here “This photo is my father.” This was a sentence I wrote in English a couple of years ago. In proper English, this should be [...]
Review of GenkiJACS Japanese and Culture School
It has been basically 2 years since I attended GenkiJACS in Fukuoka, Japan to study Japanese full time for 3 months. To this day though, I still receive e-mails asking for my opinion and advice on GenkiJACS from would-be students who are looking at attending Genki for their studies. I still remember my time there very well though, as it was all-in-all a very enjoyable experience, and so I thoughts about GenkiJACS here for all to see.
Secrets of the Japanese Language
Lang-8 User Roomy, a native Japanese speaker, shares with us the first part of her series of editorials entitled ‘Secrets of the Japanese Language’
The Ultimate Guide to Working Holiday Visa
One of the questions I most often get from people who were followers of my original blog is ‘How do I go about applying for a Working Holiday Visa?’ or more specific questions like ‘What should I write and what should I not write in my letter of intent or in other parts of the [...]
Tips for a Productive Study Environment
Study Environment This is hopefully common knowledge. A good student needs a good work environment. Unfortunately, I have friends who have a tonne of ambition for learning but have a hard time getting into it, and undoubtedly part of it is because they lack one of the most fundamental tools – a productive space to [...]
Review of Smart.Fm
This is a stand-alone review of the features, and pit-falls, of the popular study website smart.fm. For a comparative review of smart fm vs. other tools, please see the Learning Software Showdown article.. What is smart.fm Smart.fm’s Study Method Tools Good Points of Smart.fm Bad Points of Smart.fm Final Thoughts What is smart.fm Smart.fm (also [...]
Study Trick: Build Vocab with Post-It Notes
No matter how proficient your Japanese becomes, you’ll always have more words to learn. You can pass 1-kyuu, go to Japan and still come across new words every single day that you didn’t know. Learning new vocabulary doesn’t have to be difficult. This exercise makes learning new words as easy as looking around.. Learn Vocabulary [...]
