The use of word processing software to construct digital texts rather than hand-written ones can help your progress towards Japanese language proficiency. Of course, there is much to be said for writing Japanese by hand; having a good knowledge of the stroke order required to write kanji is not only necessary for writing in many tasks in daily life in Japan, but is also helpful for reading texts quickly and differentiating between similar characters. Indeed, many Japanese lament the deterioration of their ability to write some of the more obscure kanji that has resulted from increased use of computers and mobile phones for text creation. However, for non-native Japanese learners, choosing to write on a computer rather than by hand, at least some of the time, can have some benefits.

Note:The Japanese keyboard has a JIS mechanical input, which is set by the Japanese Industrial Standards.

Benefits

The clearest advantage of word processing in Japanese is the appearance of a small dropdown menu displaying the possible kanji that correspond to the hiragana that you have just written. This means that on occasions where you know the hiragana spelling or pronunciation of a term, but cannot quite remember the kanji, you can quickly be reminded by the dropdown menu. Reinforcing your association between words and kanji characters, it can also be a tool for ironing out your spelling mistakes, particularly in the cases where your knowledge of the pronunciation of a word may still leave some ambiguity in your mind in terms of its actual spelling, such as whether a long or short vowel or a single or double consonant is required.

Take the example of the word “Tokyo”. When writing by hand, you could write the hiragana incorrectly as “ときょ/ときょう/とうきょ” and be none the wiser. Alternatively, you could know and write the kanji by hand while still believing one of the three incorrect options above is correct. In contrast, conversion of these three pieces of hiragana in digital form using the dropdown menu would leave you with something like と居, と今日, or 問う居, which should immediately raise a flag that the inputted spelling was not correct. This becomes increasingly important as your vocabulary grows and the number of words with similar spellings/pronunciations that you use in your writing increases. The dropdown menu can also introduce you to new kanji for words that you already can spell using hiragana, pronounce, and know the meaning of.

December and the start of January are interesting times to be in Japan. Although winter may not be considered a prime time for visitors to come to these shores, there is much to be said for the atmosphere at this time of year, with people slowing down and reflecting on the past year (not to mention the great skiing/snowboarding options!).

One notable feature of this time of year for those employed in Japan is the year-end party (bounenkai, ぼうねんかい, 忘年会; “gathering to forget the year”). Here, colleagues from specific workplaces gather together to reminisce on the year past and often drink quite a lot of alcohol (to aid the forgetting, of course). This usually takes place in the run up to Christmas, a festival that is celebrated somewhat differently from that elsewhere.

I’m dreaming of a howaito kurisumasu…

There are around one million Japanese who follow the Christian religion (kuristo-kyou, ク リストきょう, クリスト教), particularly on the southern island of Kyushu and among the Japan-based community with Korean roots. However, Christmas as an annual event is embraced by the majority here, with an emphasis on commerce and gift-giving similar to that in other countries. Much money is also spent on Christmas lighting and trees in public places, with the displays such as that in Roppongi, Tokyo, on a level with those anywhere in the “Christian world” in terms of breathtaking sparkle. One Christmas-related contrast that foreign residents may note is that this time of year is not so much focused on gathering with one’s family, but instead is about couples getting together to have a romantic meal or evening together.

A Relaxing New Year

New Year (shougatsu, しょうがつ, 正月) is when families really get together and spend a few days enjoying each other’s company without having to worry about work, school, or other pressures. The large cities in Japan become strangely quiet for a few days, owing to both many shops and offices being closed for a few days around the official national holiday (shukujitsu, しゅくじつ, 祝日) of New Year’s Day (ganjitsu, がんじつ, 元日), and many people returning to their hometowns to visit family. However, a lot of work and effort often go into the preparation for this period.

In strong contrast to Japan’s Christmas celebrations, New Year for the Japanese is often very ritualized and traditional. Activities include the first visit of the new year to a temple or shrine (hatsumode, はつもうで, 初詣), especially to hear the bells toll at midnight of New Year’s Eve. Popular shrines, such as Meiji Jinguu (明治神宮) in Tokyo, are especially crowded during this period. In addition, a range of food specific for this time of year is also consumed (osechi-ryouri, おせちりょうり, 御節料理). Another interesting tradition is the sending of New Year’s postcards (nengajou, ねんがじょう, 年賀状) to friends and family, which have a complex set of rules and customs related to the design, content, and who and when to send them. Overall, it is a fascinating time for those in interested in Japan to witness the Japanese at their most introspective (or even spiritual) and relaxed.

You should by now know that Japan is composed of four main islands, Honshu (本州), Shikoku (四国), Kyushu (九州), and Hokkaido (北海道), as well as countless thousands of other smaller ones. The kanji for island (島) can be read as shima/jima (しま/じま) or tou (とう), but care should be taken not to confuse it with the kanji for bird (鳥 – consider the ‘feathers’ beneath this symbol as a useful way to distinguish them). As with any kanji, a good way to establish a solid base for remembering and using it is to remember its uses in combination with other kanji, such as in the words for ‘peninsula’ (hantou, はんとう, 半島; kanji for half and island), ‘archipelago’ (rettou, れっとう, 列島; line and island), ‘islander’ (toumin, とうみん, 島民; island and people), ‘treasure island’ (takarajima, たからじま, 宝島), and ‘island nation’ (i.e. Japan, shimaguni, しまぐに, 島国; island and country).

Dogashima Islands, Izu, Japan

Diversity of Islands

Japan’s volcanic history has produced the majority of these islands, although not all of them. Artificial islands form the bases for airports in Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Fukuoka, and Nagoya, as well as the popular tourist destinations of Odaiba (お台場) in Tokyo and Rokko Island (六甲アイランド) in Kobe.

In fact, Japanese islands exhibit incredible diversity: They include an island devoted to art (Naoshima 直島), an ex-island whose shima status was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1914 (Sakurajima, 桜島), an island still acting as a leper colony Ooshima, 大島), an ancient-forested island and World Heritage Site with thousand-year-old cedars Yakushima, 屋久島), a subtropical island with a population of less than ten (Aragusukujima, 新城島), and an island used for banishing Japanese from the mainland for a millennium (Sado, 佐渡島).

Even within the jurisdiction of Tokyo, besides the islands in Tokyo Bay linked by road and train links, there are the Izu Islands (伊豆諸島), many of which are great options for a weekend trip, and the subtropical Ogasawara Islands (小笠原群島), a 24-hour ferry ride away. Additionally, some of the islands around Japan are the source of tensions with neighboring countries as disputed territories, such as Takeshima (竹島; with South Korea), the Senkaku Islands (尖閣諸島; with China and Taiwan), and the now Russian-controlled Kuril Islands.

Summary

The island mentality (しまぐにこんじょう, 島国根性) is an important part of being Japanese, and any visit to the country, anytime between spring and fall, should include a boat trip away from the mainland. There are many more Japans to be explored beyond the four main islands.

You might think that the topic of convenience stores in Japan (konbini, コンビニ) would not be that interesting to foreigners with some association with the country or its culture. After all, there are convenience stores all over the world, and some of the largest Japanese chains, such Seven-Eleven and Lawson, have their origins in America (albeit now Japanese-owned), although there are wholly Japanese alternatives such as Family Mart, Sunkus, and Ministop. However, after spending any length of time in the country, you may find yourself developing a growing dependence on their services and products, and these convenience stores have a number of differences from those you might be used to back home and offer a uniquely Japanese experience.

Service-oriented

It seems that you cannot walk more than 100 meters in any direction in a Japanese city without coming across a convenience store (although they strangely seem to disappear when you really need one). Statistics show that there is approximately one for every 3,000 people in the country, and given the population density of the larger Japanese cities, the 100-meter figure above may not be far from the truth. They are almost all open 24 hours a day and you can be guaranteed of good service upon a visit.

Besides the typical range of products of drinks, alcohol (no limits in terms of purchase times), and snacks, there are a wide range of Japanese-language publications including manga (まんが, 漫画) comics, which you can stand and read all day without a complaint from a shop assistant (tenin, てにん, 店員). There are also various meals that you can have heated in a microwave, and even items such as socks, shirts, or ties, just in case you do not have time to return home before starting work after an extended nomikai (drinking party; のみかい, 飲み会) or after working overtime (zangyou, ざんぎょう, 残業). There is also often an ATM machine, which is very useful given that those at banks (ginkou, ぎんこう, 銀行) and post offices (yuubinkyoku, ゆうびんきょく, 郵便局) generally close early in the evening. Other useful services include being able to pay your utility bills, being able to order concert tickets or pay for books that you previously ordered on Amazon.co.jp, and being able to send and receive parcels.

Useful phrases

You will be greeted with irrashaimase (welcome; いっらしゃいませ) upon entering a konbini, in the same way as in a bar, but will not be expected to respond to this. Upon buying a boxed meal, a staff member will ask you whether you want it to be heated in a microwave in order to eat it immediately: お弁当を温めますか (obentou wo atatamemasu ka), to which you can reply はい。お願いします (hai, onegai shimasu) or いいえ。結構です (iie, kekkou desu). Other possibilities include ２番目でお待ちのお客様、こちらのレジでお伺い致します (nibanme de omachi no okyakusama, kochira no reji o ukagai itashimasu; will the next customer come to this counter). Finally, in order to facilitate your consumption of whatever products you have purchased, you will be asked if you wish for chopsticks, a straw, or a spoon: おはし/ストロー/スプーンをご利用ですか (ohashi/sutoro/supoon o goryou desu ka).

The task of choosing where to eat out (gaishoku, がいしょく, 外食) in Japan can be a difficult one. Upon venturing out to a busy area in the evening in Japan, you will be met by a dazzling array of neon, endless signs for eateries, often from basement up to the seventh or eighth floor or above and stretching off into the distance in all directions, with menu-bearing touts (yobikomi, よびこみ, 呼び込み) intent on herding potential customers in the direction of their particular restaurant. How can you navigate through this to a meal that fits both your palate and your wallet?

Low-budget Eateries

For the frugal, there are three donburi (どんぶり, 丼) chains that you cannot fail to come across in Japan: Sukiya (すき家) , Matsuya (松屋, ), and Yoshinoya (吉野家). At these establishments, open 24 hours a day, you can buy a filling meal starting at just 250 or 290 yen, generally variants of bowls of rice covered with beef and vegetables (gyuudon, ぎゅうどん, 牛丼), although other options such as eel (unagi, うなぎ, 鰻) are also available. Selection of a dish and payment are often made via a machine, sometimes situated outside the restaurant to save space, so even foreigners with no spoken Japanese can order if they can read the text on the buttons, or try ‘pot luck’ and press a random button to select their meal.

Another option besides the donburi chains is yatai (やたい, 屋台), small food stalls with a few stools for customers. Ramen noodles are often the dish of choice at these places, and they are great in winter to warm you via both the food and being huddled around the stove/cauldron where the food is prepared. Alternatively, octopus balls (takoyaki, たこやき, たこ焼き) are a quick and tasty dish served at yatai that is particularly prevalent in Osaka.

Regular restaurants

A step up from the Japanese fast food options above is the izakaya (いざかや, 居酒屋). For an authentic Japanese eating experience, these are hard to beat. Often referred to as a Japanese pub, this translation really fails to do it justice. There are certainly similarities in the way that you will be greeted upon entering and leaving, the crowded seating arrangements that encourage interaction between tables and groups, and the ready flow of beer and other alcoholic beverages.

However, food takes a far more central stage in an izakaya than in a pub, and indeed, taking up a table just to drink without sampling the food is frowned upon. A visit to an izakaya can be challenge to one’s Japanese, as the menu is often written by hand on pieces of paper attached to the wall, which can make the kanji even more difficult to decipher than usual. However, as a meal at an izakaya usually involves many small dishes, if you are not sure of the meaning of an item on the menu then you can always order it and see without risking spoiling your meal. Other signs to look out for at particular izakaya are for tabehoudai (たべほうだい, 食べ放題) and nomihoudai (のみほうだい, 飲み放題). These refer to systems in which you eat or drink, respectively, as much as you like in a 60-, 90-, or 120-minute period for a set fee.

Besides the izakaya, there are a number of other middle-range restaurant options, at which, in contrast to the izakaya, the specific type of food available is reflected in the name of the category. Restaurants can specialize in food items such as yakitori (skewered chicken; やきとり, 焼き鳥), okinamiyaki (Japanese omelette/pancake; おこのみやき, お好み焼き), monja (pan-fried batter; もんじゃ), tempura (battered seafood or vegetables; てんぷら, 天ぷら), shabu shabu (Japanese hot-pot; しゃぶしゃぶ), and noodle dishes such as udon (うどん), soba (そば), ramen (らめん), and reimen (れいめん, 冷麺). Of course, sashimi (さしみ, 刺身) and sushi (すし, 寿司) are also always available. One particularly enjoyable option is the kaitensushi (rolling sushi; かいてんすし, 回転すし) , where the dishes pass by you on a conveyor belt, and the bill is determined by the number and colors of the various dishes that you are left with at the end of your meal (again not requiring too many Japanese language skills).

Foreign options

Despite the huge variety available within the category of Japanese food, you may sometimes hanker after something from outside the country. One budget option is Japanese curry, such as curry rice (kare-raisu, カレーライス), a hugely popular and somewhat watered down version of the traditional Indian dish. Alternatively, Korean food is a widely available option, which includes kimuchi (spicy Korean cabbage; キムチ), chijimi (Korean pancake; チジミ), and yakiniku restaurants (Korean barbecue; やきにく, 焼肉), at which you can grill food just like a barbecue at your own table. Such restaurants should be sought out in the Korean districts of the major cities, such as Shin-Okubo (しんおおくぼ, 新大久保) in Tokyo and Tsuruhashi (つるはし, 鶴橋) in Osaka, where the alleys around the station are clouded with the smoke of grilled beef. Any gourmet will really be spoilt for choice in terms of food in Japan.

To become truly established in Japan, you will have to find yourself an apartment or house in which to live. Although there are now a number of estate agents (fudousan, ふどうさん, 不動産) in the bigger cities in Japan who cater for foreigners and their housing needs, and companies might sometimes sort out the housing for employees who are new to the country, there are still numerous pitfalls in this process, and the better that you understand the rules involved, as well as the vocabulary that might arise, the better. Indeed, your Japanese proficiency may well be strictly evaluated during the application process, by estate agents, on the behalf of landlords (ooya, おおや, 大家), or by guarantor companies, whereby the success of your application may be dependent on your ability to convince others that your non-native status in terms of the Japanese language will not prevent any necessary communication with you or reduce your ability to fulfill your duties as a tenant.

Searching for a home

Once you know which area you want to live in, you need to narrow down the options. The major metropolitan regions are divided in wards (ku, く, 区), or in the case of Tokyo, wards and cities (shi, し, 市). The ward or city in which you live is sometimes important, as you must register your arrival at the ward or city office (ku- or shiyakusho, 区/市役所), and local taxes are administered at the ward or city level. Rather than searching on the basis of cities or wards, locations along train lines (sen, せん, 線) can be requested, generally in consideration of one’s workplace, as well as places with a certain walking distance (time) from the nearest station (ekitohobun, えきとほぶん, 駅徒歩分) .

The type of home may be describable using katakana, such as the somewhat misleading term manshon (マンション; an apartment in a larger building) or the familiar sounding apaato (アパアト; apartment in a smaller, often older, building). Types of such residences are further classified into 1K, 1DK, 2LDK etc., terms that shouldn’t prove a problem to English speakers, with the area (menseki, めんせき, 面積) generally given in m2, although the term tsubo (つぼ, 坪), equivalent to two tatami mats, can be used. The year in which the building was built is also more of an issue than it is in the West, with the dates of implementation of new building codes, with a view to earthquake durability, being key thresholds.

Moving in

Once you have found a suitable abode, all that is left is completing the application. Moving into a home in Japan can initially be expensive. Extra fees such as shikikin and reikin (refundable deposit and non-refundable ‘key money’; 敷金 and 礼金) can be added to the initial month or two of rent (chinryou or yachin; ちんりょう [賃料], やちん [家賃]) that is required upfront. Additionally, confirmation from your employer that you are employed is required, or an additional ‘guarantor’ fee is charged. However, nothing can beat the feeling of stretching out on the tatami for the first time with a heated boxed lunch (bentou, べんとう, 弁当) from the nearest konbini (コンビに; convenience store) and feeling truly at home.

Although most of the hard work has been completed by the time you move into a new apartment or house in Japan, there are still a number of tasks to be completed and things to learn, especially if this is the first time you have lived in the country. A good starting point is to give a small gift to your immediate neighbors; this is a good way to meet and greet, to demonstrate that you are not completely helpless in terms of speaking the Japanese language, and to show yourself so that any future encounters won’t generate too much surprise.

Garbage disposal

Another way to ingratiate yourself with your neighbors, as you should assume that they will be checking, is to follow the garbage (gomi, ゴミ) disposal and recycling (リサイクリング) instructions as closely as possible. The garbage collectors will also leave and label anything that you leave out on the wrong day or with the wrong packaging or preparation. Japan is one of the leading nations in terms of developing in an environmentally friendly direction, as is demonstrated by the relatively emission-free and quiet cars that you see on the road, for example. In the case of recycling, it could be said that the over-packaging of food and other products in Japan offsets the high level of recycling to some extent, but nonetheless, the level of adherence and dedication to recycling is to be applauded.
The key distinction to make first is between burnable (moeru, 燃える) and non-burnable (moenai, 燃えない) garbage. The burnable kind usually consists of items like old food and flimsy wrappers, while the non-burnable includes items that are somewhat more durable, such as pieces of metal, coat-hangers, and CDs. In terms of directly recyclable items, cans (kan, かん), plastic bottles (bin, びん), glass (グラス), and newspaper (しんぶんし, 新聞紙) are key items to be left out for collection. Burnable garbage is usually collected twice a week, with other items once every one or two weeks; the exact days and times will usually be displayed at the site near your home where garbage is left.

Paying Bills

A further issue that you need to deal with to ensure a smooth period of residence, besides not forgetting to keep paying the rent, is to pay the bills. The typical resident will have to pay electricity bills (denkidai, でんきだい, 電気代), gas bills (gasudai, ガスだい, ガス代), and charges for internet (インタネット), and mobile phone (keitaidenwa, けいたいでんわ, 携帯電話) each month, as well as for water/sewage (suidou/gesuidou, すいどう/げすいどう, 水道/下水道) every two months, although this can vary depending on the area. Payment can be made on a direct debit-type setup in some cases, although simply dropping in at a local convenience store (konbini, コンビに) or post office (yuubinkyoku, ゆうびんきょく, 郵便局) once you have received your bill through the post can be more convenient.

Despite the high-tech nature of much of Japan’s transportation system, the humble bicycle (jitensha, じてんしゃ, 自転車; compare with the kanji for car: 自動車) still plays an important role in the everyday life of many in the country. Although the streets aren’t heaving with cycles in the same way that you might see in Beijing or Amsterdam, they are frequently used to get to the nearest station and back as part of a commute. In fact, newly purchased cycles played a key part in enabling people to get from their offices to the suburbs of Tokyo and other affected cities when the Great Tohoku Earthquake struck earlier this year, when most public transport was shut down for safety reasons. The machine of choice for this role is usually the mama chari (ママチャリ) , a basic, sturdy, and reliable bike utilized by all different types of people. These can be purchased new for under 10,000 yen, and must be registered. This is usually completed by the bike shop (じてんしゃや, 自転車屋) for new bikes, and can be performed at a local police box (koban, こうばん, 交番) when buying second-hand bikes.

Bicycle parking

Ownership of a bicycle in a big city in Japan means that you will soon become familiar with chuurinjou or bicycle parking areas (ちゅうりんじょう, 駐輪場). The limited amount of space in the cities, and the sheer number of bicycles that can be left in some places, particular stations, mean that you can’t just leave your bicycle wherever is convenient for you, and there are numerous attendants around to ensure that you don’t and who remove those bicycles whose owners haven’t used the spaces designated for bikes or paid as necessary (signs saying 有料 [charge] rather than 無料 [free] should be looked out for). An eight-hour stretch usually costs 100 yen, although monthly passes can be bought for parking spaces at local stations. In fact, Japan is leading the way in terms of storage of bicycles at such sites; as it can often be difficult to find a space, a machine has been developed that can automatically whisk your bike off to some remote basement at the touch of a button, and deliver it back to the same point when you return (www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE4fvwTBtno).

Cycling Away from the Cities

Besides the usefulness of bicycles within the cities, Japan is an ideal location for longer-distance cycling. From Tokyo (東京), the slopes of the Japanese Alps and Mount Fuji (Fuji-san, ふじさん, 富士山), the beaches of the Shonan (湘南) coast, and the rugged terrain of Miura (三浦半島) and Izu peninsulas (伊豆半島) are all within easy reach. Similarly, from Osaka (大阪), the Kii peninsula (紀伊半島) and Lake Biwa (琵琶湖) are accessible. In fact, Japan boasts one of the world’s top cycle links, on which one can cycle from Shikoku (四国) to mainland Japan across six islands and bridges over the Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内海), exclusively on cycle lanes. It is a great country for avid cyclists.

It is quite easy to obtain a quick overview of Japanese verbs and how the basic forms work and are conjugated, although it takes a fair bit of time to be able to make these conjugations instantly and automatically for a wide range of tenses, verbs, and situations. In my opinion, verbs in Japanese have to carry a lot more weight in terms of conveying the intended meaning than they do in European languages. This is reflected in a number of ways, such as verbs being a larger proportion of the total number of words that you have to learn at early and intermediate stages of study, verb conjugations being used to indicate intentions or differences in status between speakers, and the equivalents of words like “want” or “should” that are kept clearly separate from the ‘main’ verb in English being incorporated within the verb in Japanese.

Regular and Irregular Japanese Verbs

One benefit of Japanese is that there are only two irregular verbs: する (suru; to do) and 来る (くる; kuru; to come). Thus, conjugations often differ markedly from what one might expect from the conjugations of regular verbs. It is also worth noting from these Japanese text examples that suru is only written in hiragana, while kuru is written in two different ways. The first way starts with a kanji symbol (来) and ends with a hiragana symbol (る). The second way contains only hiragana. In the first case, the kanji indicates the intended verb meaning, which doesn’t change (although its reading can), while the hiragana (called okurigana 送り仮名 after kanji in this context) can be changed to reflect the conjugation. So, for example, kita (来た), konai (来ない), and konakatta (来なかった), all with the same kanji, mean ‘went’, ‘don’t go’, and ‘didn’t go’, respectively.

In the case of regular verbs, there are two groups, called imaginatively Group I and Group II verbs, or sometimes –ru and –u verbs [which reflects the fact that Japanese verbs end in a ‘u’, that is, う (‘u’), く (‘ku’), す (‘su’), つ (‘tsu’), ぬ (‘nu’), ふ (‘fu’), む (‘mu’), ゆ (‘yu’), る (‘ru’), ぐ (‘gu’), ず (‘zu’), ぶ (‘bu’), or ぷ (‘pu’)]. The identity of a verb in terms of Group I or II is vital for the way it is conjugated, so it can be very useful if you can remember a verb’s status when you first learn it. A key difference between these groups relates to how the polite (-masu) form is made from the plain (or dictionary) form of verbs, with an extra syllable being present in the case of –u verbs [see Part 2 of this article].

Subject-Verb Agreement of Japanese Verbs

Another benefit of Japanese verbs is that one does not have to worry about subject-verb agreement. So, while you might have bad memories of language lessons from school involving endless repetitions of I am, You are, He/She is, We are, You are, They are, or J’ai, Tu as, Il a, Nous avons, Vous avez, Ils ont, Elles ont, this is completely unnecessary in Japanese. The verb doesn’t change in this manner.

To your average part-time learner of Japanese, the multitude of different components of the language that are to be studied in order to build a well-rounded proficiency can be a stumbling block when trying to develop an effective study schedule. Students may wish to improve their ability to listen to and understand spoken Japanese, to construct and pronounce their own sentences, to expand their vocabulary, to understand and correctly apply a wide range of grammar rules, to read hiragana, katakana, and an increasing number of kanji without difficulty, or to work on Japanese writing and correct stroke order. When students only have a few hours to spare each week, what should they focus on, how should they plan their study, and what changes might be necessary as their level of proficiency increases?

Goals for Learning Japanese

When deciding on what components to focus on, students must consider their reasons for learning the language and their goals. Some may want to master daily conversation, to read manga comics, or to understand Japanese films without subtitles. However, even in such cases, students should bear in mind that neglecting certain other parts of the language may be detrimental to their specific goal because all the components of Japanese are of course interwoven. For example, being able to write many kanji and remember the correct stroke order will speed up your reading speed, or an improved vocabulary obtained from a lot of reading will help make speaking and constructing sentences easier.

For students who have no specific target but just generally want to learn Japanese for fun, focusing on speaking and listening, with the associated need to learn how to apply and decipher grammar rules correctly, should be considered most important. A few hours of this type of study each week, with frequent revision of previous work, can be accompanied by vocabulary learning by making word lists of all the new words that one encounters during one’s studies.

Diversifying and Reviewing Progress in Japanese

As one progresses, it becomes increasingly necessary to add reading and possibly writing studies to one’s focus on Japanese. This helps bring some variation to one’s study schedule. However, as the number of different aspects of language study that one is engaged in increases, the necessary study load can become a burden. For example, after you have learnt the general English meanings and the kunyomi and onyomi readings of 500 or so kanji, then you will have to keep returning to these every week or two in order to ensure that you do not forget them. This is especially true since your memory of them won’t be reinforced by speaking or listening practice, or from studying grammar. So, to some extent, unless you are naturally using both spoken and written Japanese in your daily life, you will be engaged in a battle to stop yourself slipping backwards in terms of what you have already learnt.

At more advanced levels, students may want to consider particular specialist areas to focus on. As such, there is a dedicated literature as well as classes at Japanese language schools at which students can focus on Business Japanese or Japanese for other fields like Law, Medicine, and Science, with an emphasis on the terminology required to participate in these sectors effectively.