There’s a new Japanese reader extension called 10ten in town. For anyone studying or dealing with Japanese content on the web, a few major extensions have made things a bit easier. It all started with the “Rikaichan” extension for FIrefox in 2006. And then someone ported that to Chrome later on under the name “Rikaichamp.” So what’s so special about the 10ten extension?
Learning Japanese
Yomichan: A better alternative to Rikaikun
A long time ago, I made the switch from using Rikaichan to Rikaikun because I changed my browser (Firefox to Chrome) and had no choice. It was recently brought to my attention that the dictionary data used by Rikaikun is very out of date. With this, I started looking into a Rikaikun alternative. Here’s what I ended up switching to.
Reading better Japanese with Tangorin
For those looking for fresh, new content to read in Japanese, I have just the app recommendation for you. It’s called Tangorin and it will make things oh so much easier for those wanting to improve their reading and expand their vocabulary. I’m a bit late in discovering this, but I wanted to share it in case there were people that didn’t know about this incredibly useful app.
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.
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.
Common mistakes when learning Japanese
Japanese is not easy, let’s get that out of the way. There are so many things to study and everyone has their own methods that work for them. However, I think beginners tend to make some common mistakes when learning Japanese. Check out my list and see if you agree!
Learn to read Japanese signs at supermarkets
Trying to read Japanese signs in a Japanese supermarket / grocery store can be daunting. No matter how much you study Japanese or what books you buy, sometimes you can’t truly be prepared until you’re there.
For me, it was always inconvenient looking for things because I couldn’t read some of the signs above each aisle. Well, I went out and took photos of each sign above every aisle in an effort to help others be able to read Japanese signs in supermarkets. Check out each of the signs with Japanese readings of the kanji and translations!
Try Japanese Language Proficiency Test Review
I’ve reviewed several books for tackling the JLPT, but you can never have enough books to help you with grammar. That’s why I want to talk about the “Try Japanese Language Proficiency Test” or Try! 日本語能力試験 series. If you’re wanting a good book to help you with grammar that will do a good job, look no further!
Genki Japanese: My Review of the legendary textbook
There are certain books that you can look back on and have fond memories of learning through them. Genki Japanese is one of those books. The Genki series of books are the pillars of my Japanese language knowledge and what helped me get to where I am today. It’s one of the best Japanese language textbooks I’ve ever had the pleasure of using and I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone. With that said, on to the review!