For Japan-exclusive content, you’re going to need a Japanese iTunes account. Sometimes, there are things that are not available in our own store. I have two iTunes accounts, an American one and a Japanese one. You don’t have to know Japanese or live in Japan to make a Japanese iTunes account! I’ve made a visual guide to help those that want to make one and you don’t need a credit card to do it. Totally free!
How to
Japanese Air Conditioner guide: Tackling the remote
If you’ve ever been to Japan and been in need an air conditioner, you might have had to think twice before pushing a button on the remote control. Learning how to use a Japanese air conditioner doesn’t have to be hard, though. You just have to learn a little bit of what symbols do what. I’ve made a little guide to help you out.
A guide to switching to a Japanese MVNO
If you live in Japan, you might be paying too much for a Japanese cell phone contract. I recently switched to a Japanese MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) and couldn’t believe the difference in my monthly bill. What if I told you that your monthly bill could go from 4000-5000 yen ($40-$50) to something around 1600 yen ($16)? That’s some major savings. I’m going to talk about the current major carriers, the differences, and how to switch to an MVNO.
How to make Japanese friends online
Great, so you’re studying Japanese but have no one to talk with?
Have you considered trying to make Japanese friends online? When I was in high school in the US, I lived in an area where there were few opportunities to meet Japanese speakers or anyone from Japan. Instead, I used the Internet to find people my age that I could talk to.
How to Bypass The Japan Times Article Limit
I love reading The Japan Times, but sometimes I encounter a message like this: “You’ve reached your story limit as a non-registered user”.
The site then tries to force readers to register for a free account to access more articles or pay a monthly fee for unlimited access. I’m not interested in making an account just to read daily articles on a website, so I want to show others how to bypass The Japan Times article limit.
Learn to Read Japanese News Websites
Trying to read Japanese news is probably scary for most students of Japanese. Wouldn’t it be great if you could read current Japanese news instead of the usual stuff found in textbooks? I want to talk about some ways and resources that can help you learn to read Japanese news websites and blogs.
Survival Japanese: Convenience Stores & Restaurants
Sometimes, no matter how much you study Japanese, there are certain situations and phrases that will catch you off guard. You won’t know how to respond or you’ll have endure an embarassing situation. I’ve thought about a few scenarios and phrases that might be helpful for someone that is either living or thinking of going to Japan.
Guide to Applying for the JET Program
I came across an article on Tofugu about the pros and cons of joining the JET program and wanted to complement that with a small outline and guide to the application process.
For those that don’t know, the JET Program is an organization for people to teach English in Japan. The first year I applied, I made it to the interview and ended up on a waiting list, but didn’t get a placement. The second year I applied, passed, and was placed in a high school in Japan where I worked as an ALT for 5 years. I gained valuable experience and wanted to share some tips with people who are considering JET.
Beginning Japanese Part 2: Choose a Resource
This is part 2 of my Beginning Japanese series. Check out part 1, if you haven’t read that yet.
If by using the Dr. Moku app or Kana flash cards you learned Hiragana, that’s excellent. The next step would be to learn Katakana, but it is not necessary if you want to start seeing some basic sentences. I do recommend going back and learning Katakana once you start making progress in a textbook or app, so don’t forget!
Now that you have learned Hiragana, it’s time to apply that knowledge by diving into a textbook or learning vocabulary words. Here are some great Japanese resources for jumping in.
Beginning Japanese Part 1: Writing Systems
Ok, so you’ve decided that you’re going to sit down and try to wrap your mind around the Japanese language. Here’s what you need to know if you want to start beginning Japanese right away. If you’re starting from zero knowledge or even some, I hope this guide will be helpful in getting you started on your journey into Japanese!