I didn’t plan on getting a Nintendo Switch, but I’m not always right at predicting the future either. It all started when I brought out the old Gamecube and started playing Mario Kart Double Dash. While that game is fun, there’s nothing quite like the online races from Mario Kart 8 which I played on a borrowed Wii U from my nephew. And then I discovered Twitch…
Cruising around with Yahoo Car Navi
Yahoo Car Navi or Yahoo!カーナビ , is a wonderful navigation app for those that live in Japan. I never hear anyone talking about it and I thought people should know more about it. Yes, yes, I know what you’re thinking, “We have Google Maps, why would we need anything else?” Sit down, stay a while. 🙂
The Rise and Fall of Japanese Electronic Dictionaries
I want to reminisce about Japanese electronic dictionaries or 電子辞書 (denshi jisho). Seeing these things was pretty rare outside of Asia, or at least where I lived in the US. I don’t remember where I originally found out about them, but I really wanted one when I started looking into them online. Before I get into my experience, let’s quickly go through why these devices were/are a big deal.
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Japanese political posters: An interesting battlefield
I’ve wanted to talk about Japanese political posters for a while now, so it’s high time I knock this one off my to-do list. I remember being in the US during election season, whether it was a local one or national one, political signs were everywhere. Mostly you could find them in people’s yards or on big billboards around town.
In Japan you’ll often see political signs for local and national politicians as well, but things might be a bit different than what is done where you live. Let’s examine some differences.
Read moreJapanese political posters: An interesting battlefield
Can video games relieve stress? (Spoiler: Yep)
The other day I came across an article that talked about video games that relieve stress. Everyone had his or her own list of games that they turn to for comfort.
I had forgotten that games have the ability to help us feel better if we have anxiety or are going through a rough time. This got me thinking about what games I usually turn to for relief.
Spoiler alert: It’s not Grand Theft Auto!
Passing N1 of the JLPT
Well, I did it. I finally passed the highest level (N1) of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. My long journey has finally come to an end.
Making life easier with Japanese browser extensions
For people learning Japanese, there’s nothing more annoying than trying to read a website and getting stuck on some unknown kanji or complex word that takes ages to look up. If you’re a student of Japanese and surfing the “J-web”, you’re definitely going to want to equip yourself with some Japanese browser extensions to make your life easier.
Read moreMaking life easier with Japanese browser extensions