Japanese Study
Rebecca Lee, Sally Little, Mark Simpson
☆Electronic resources
iPhone apps
www.alljapaneseallthetime.com - self-teaching
AnkiMobile - SRS review-based flash cards (can sync w/
www.popjisyo.com - dictionary, web translation
Kotoba - dictionary
website & PC software)
Kanji Box - flash cards (also on Facebook)
Ninja Words - kanji game
Websites / plugins / software
Rikaichan (Firefox) / Rikaikun (Chrome) - dict. plugin
Ankisrs.net - website, desktop software, iPhone app
Kanji.koohii.com - RTK stories, SRS review (see note)
www.nihongodict.com - dictionary
www.japanesepod101.com - Japanese podcast
Mixi.jp - Japanese version of Facebook
www.lang-8.com - native speakers check your writing
www.tofugu.com - wonky Japanese language & culture
www.textfugu.com - online beginner's textbook (not free)
www.gakuu.com - online int/adv textbook (some free)
☆Dictionaries
Electronic dictionaries (Canon, Casio, Sharp)
Nintendo DS dictionary (漢字そのまま DS 楽引辞典 / Kanji sonomama DS rakubiki jiten) (￥3813)
iPhone - Kotoba
Kodansha's Furigana Japanese Dictionary (E-J: 978-4770027511, ￥3675) (J-E: 978-4770027504)
Kodansha's Essential Kanji Dictionary (978-4770028914, ￥4410)
New Nelson Japanese-English Character Dictionary (978-0804820363, ￥5529)
☆Textbooks & self-study
- Remembering the Kanji 1: A Complete Course on How Not to Forget the Meaning and Writing of Japanese Characters,
James W. Heisig (978-0824831653, ￥3104)
Often referred to as “RTK” or “the Heisig method”.
Learn the meanings & stroke order (ONLY) of 2042 kanji in vol. 1, then the readings in vol. 2.
Useful in conjunction with other forms of study. Great for improving your reading comprehension.
- 完全マスター日本語能力試験 Kanzen Master: Nihongo Noryoku Shiken series, publisher スリーエーネットワーク
Japanese Language Proficiency Test prep books, available for test levels 1~3 級 (old lv 1 to 3), N1~N3 級 (new 1 to 3).
文法 Grammar / 漢字 Kanji / 語彙 Vocabulary / 聴解 Listening / 読解 Reading comprehension volumes available.
Books run roughly ￥1200-1600 each.
- みんなの日本語 Minna no Nihongo, publisher スリーエーネットワーク
Offers levels 1 & 2. Roughly ￥2500 each.
- げんき: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese, publisher Japan Times (1 & 2, roughly ￥3000 for textbook & ￥
1500 for workbook)
- An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese, publisher Japan Times (￥3300 textbook, ￥1500 workbook)
☆Japanese language classes
Tobu (Numazu Area)
Japanese Language Courses
Nirayama Jidaigekijo
Just behind
Beginning,
Tuesday
FREE
Numazu Library
5 min. walk from
Beginning,
Saturday
FREE
055-934-4717
South exit
Tailored lessons
Arranged by
¥5000/
055-944-0381
Circullo (run by Natsu)
055-951-8500
Nirayama Stn
Numazu Stn
Arranged by
students
Intermediate
Intermediate
7:30 – 9:00 pm
1:30 – 3:00 pm
students
10 90min
lesson
Chubu (Shizuoka Area)
Japanese Language Courses
Shimada Gakushu Center
1 min. walk from
053-737-7376
North exit
Fujieda Cultural Center
054-643-3111 ext 292
SAME (Shizuoka Assocn for
Multicultural Exchange)
054-273-5931
Shimada Stn
7 min. walk from
Fujieda Stn
North exit
10 min. walk from
Shizuoka Stn
North exit
Beginning,
Wednesday
FREE
Beginning,
Friday
FREE
Beginning,
Tuesday
¥4000/
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
7:15 – 8:45 pm
7:00 – 8:30 pm
6:30 – 8:00 pm
(near Kencho)
12
classes
Seibu (Hamamatsu City Area)
Japanese Language Courses
NPO Minnano Nihongo I
090-9175-3265 Kawai
NPO Conversation
090-9175-3265 Kawai
HAJAC
Japanese Class
053-448-5300 Ogusu
Hokubu Community Center
Japanese Class
053-436-5931 Koyanagi
Hamakita International
Friendship Association
Hamamatsu
Beginners lessons
Center
Minnano Nihongo
Multicultural
Zaza City Palette,
5th floor
Hamamatsu
Multicural Center
Hokubu
Community Center
Hamakita Cultural
Center
Saturday
FREE
Thursday
¥500/
Saturday
¥300/
Primary: beginners
Sunday
¥2000
conversation
12:00 pm
using the textbook,
Japanese
conversation for
business
Fundamental
Japanese lessons
using the textbook,
Minnano Nihongo
Intermediate: mainly
Advanced: Kanji
Fundamental courses
for daily conversation
7:10 - 8:50 pm
8:00 – 9:00 pm
2:00 – 3:00 pm
10:00 am –
Wednesday
7:30 – 9:00 pm
class
class
¥1000/
3 months
Japanese Class
Japanese Delivery
090-5113-0218 Miura
NPO Nihongo
Japanese Culture Workshop
090-1823-6363 Kato
NPO Nihongo
Late primary class
090-2923-2338 Sato
NPO Nihongo
Reading class
090-2923-2338 Sato
JLPT Preparation Courses
Hamakita International
Friendship Association
Japanese Class
Japanese Delivery
090-5113-0218 Miura
NPO Nihongo
Adv. JLPT Preparation
090-2923-2338 Sato
NPO Nihongo
Int. JLPT Preparation
090-2923-2338 Sato
and literacy.
Nanbu Community
Center
Zaza City Palette,
5th floor
Nanbu Community
Center
Nanbu Community
Center
Primary to advanced
Sunday
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Hiragana, Kanji,
Sunday
intermediate
12:00 pm
Primary to
conversation
Pre-intermediate
Intermediate to
advanced reading
10:00 am –
Sunday
9:30 – 11:30
am
Sunday
11:00 am –
12:00 pm
¥10,000/m
onth
including
handouts
¥500/
class
¥200/
class
¥200/
class
Hamakita Cultural
Preparation for JLPT
Wednesday
¥1000/
Nanbu Community
JLPT preparation
Sunday
¥10,000/
Center
Center
Nanbu Community
Center
Nanbu Community
Center
(available to N1)
Preparation for
N1,N2
Preparation for N3
7:30 – 9:00 pm
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Sunday
9:00 –
11:00 am
Sunday
10:00 am –
12:00 pm
3 months
Month,
Including
handouts
¥200/
class
¥200/
class
Seibu (Tenryu Area)
Japanese Language Courses
Tenryu Japanese Class
090-1098-3729 Okada
Futamata
Community Center
1.Hiragana, Kanji
Saturday
3.JLPT Preparation
11:30 am
2.Conversation
10:00 –
¥500/
month
Seibu (Kakegawa Area)
Japanese Language Courses
Kakegawa City
Kakegawa
Hiragana/Katakana,
053-724-5595 Kishikawa
Center
Kanji 2
Japanese Character
International
Kakegawa City
Kakegawa
053-724-5595 Kishikawa
Center
Japanese Conversation
International
Kanji 1
Kanji 3A, 3B
6 different levels.
There will be a
placement test.
Sunday
¥2000/
Sunday
¥2000/
1:00 – 1:45 pm
2:00 – 4:00 pm
term
term
Seibu (Iwata Area)
Japanese Language Courses
Imanoura Japanese Class
Imanoura
Literacy and primary
053-837-4988 Suzuki
(Memorial Hall)
conversation
Nishikai Japanese Class
053-837-4988 Suzuki
Toyoda Japanese Class
053-837-4988 Suzuki
Kinenkan
Nishikai
Commuinity
Center
Morishita Jichi
Kaikan
to advanced
Literacy and primary
conversation
Literacy and daily
conversation
Sunday
FREE
Sunday
FREE
2:30 – 4:30 pm
10:00 am –
12:00 pm
Saturday
10:00 am –
FREE
12:00 pm
Nihongo Café
FREE Japanese Conversation Group Gatherings
Sanarudai
nihongocafe@hgu.ac.jp
Sanarudai (Night)
nihongocafe@hgu.ac.jp
Enshuhama
nihongocafe@hgu.ac.jp
Iwata
nihongocafe@hgu.ac.jp
Kosai
nihongocafe@hgu.ac.jp
Hamamatsu
Japanese
Sunday
Community Center
native speakers
12:00 pm
Sanarudai
Hamamatsu
Sanarudai
Community Center
Hamamatsu
Minami-Mikuri
Community Center
Iwata MinamiMikuri
Community Center
Omote-Washizu
Community Bosai
Center
conversation with
Japanese
10:00 am –
FREE
Saturday
FREE
Japanese
Saturday
FREE
native speakers
12:00 pm
conversation with
native speakers
conversation with
Japanese
conversation with
native speakers
Japanese
conversation with
native speakers
7:00 – 9:00 pm
10:00 am –
Saturday
10:00 am –
12:00 pm
Monday
6:00 – 8:00 pm
FREE
FREE
☆Using Japanese in your daily life
- Practice Japanese with your coworkers. Try speaking to non-JTEs. Enkais are a great place for this. (DON'T use Japanese
in your classes, though!)
- Talk to your neighbors.
- Become a regular at a local establishment (bar, restaurant, cafe, bookstore... doesn't matter!)
- Join community-based clubs, groups, and events. For example:
- Taiko (Japanese drumming)
- Sports teams (tennis, volleyball, etc)
- Participate in a festival - dance, wear a costume, pull a float
- Cooking classes (ABC Cooking Studio, etc)
- Community center: sewing, knitting... - Go rice picking or tea planting
- Ask your neighbors about other seasonal or regular community-based events
☆Bonus: Slang and 静岡弁 Shizuoka-ben (local dialect)
Shizuoka-ben marked with ＊
ー やばい yabai - all-purpose exclamation. Similar to “damn”, but less foul. Often stressed as やべーyabee.
Ex. やばい！これがうまい！Yabai! Kore ga umai! - Damn, this is delicious!
Ex. やべー！寝坊しちゃった！Yabee! Nebou shichatta! - Goddamn it, I overslept!
＊ ～だら~dara, or ら ra. - Right? Same as でしょう deshou. ら is more informal.
Ex. 次は OC だら？Tsugi wa OC dara? - OC is next, right?
Ex. 明日のパーティーに来るら？ Ashita no pa-ti- ni kuru ra? - You're coming to the party tomorrow, right?
＊ バカ～baka~ [same as the more widely known Kansai-ben メッチャ mecccha] - really, extremely. (Lit. stupid)
Ex. やばい！これがバカうまい！Yabai! Kore ga baka umai! - Damn, this is crazy delicious! (This is stupidly good!)
Ex. その映画はバカ面白かったね！Sono eiga wa baka omoshirokatta ne! - That movie was really good, wasn't it?
ー マジで majide; ＊ガチで gachide - Seriously (can be used as a question or statement).
Ex. これ、マジでうまい！Kore, majide umai! - This is seriuosly delicious!
Ex. あの子はかわいいと思うけど・・・Ano ko wa kawaii to omou kedo... - I think that guy/girl's kinda cute...
ガチで？！Gachide?! - Are you for reals?!
＊ ～だもんで damonde - therefore.
Ex. 私は日本人だもんで英語きらい。Watashi wa Nihonjin damonde Eigo kirai. - I'm Japanese so I hate English.
Ex. 今日は二日酔いだもんで遅刻します。Kyou wa futsukayoi damonde chikoku shimasu. - I'll be late because of my
hangover.
Note: SRS = “spaced repetition system”. “...flashcards are sorted into groups according to how well you know each one in the Leitner's learning
box. This is how it works: you try to recall the solution written on a flashcard. If you succeed, you send the card to the next group. But if you
fail, you send it back to the first group. Each succeeding group has a longer period of time before you are required to revisit the cards.” (WP)