I recently came into possession of the first Legends of Localization book. What is it, you might ask? It’s a combination of all the things I’m passionate about rolled into ONE. The history of video games, retro games, The Legend of Zelda, game localization, and the Japanese language. I could never have imagined that one day a book that had all of these qualities would exist. Well, it’s finally here and I wanted to take some time to talk about it.
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!
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!
Let’s talk about the Kanzen Master series. It’s well known for getting you ready for the JLPT, but is it really worth the hype? Let’s find out.
Let’s face it, textbooks about people named Mary or Takeshi are boring. Most people will get bored learning from the same resource, especially with reading practice. Reading is not always fun, especially with dry textbooks. That’s why I want to talk about Japanese Graded Readers and why they are a fun, refreshing way to practice Japanese reading.
Here’s my Shin Nihongo 500 Mon series review. Another helpful series for increasing your Japanese knowledge! These books are perfect for someone aiming for the JLPT and need something small to carry around. The books are designed so that you only have to work a few pages each day, which is perfect for those that are at work or somewhere with not a lot of free time.
I’d like to talk about “Dogs and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Japan” by Alex Kerr. The author has lived in Japan for more than 35 years, which gives him great insight into the swift changes Japanese society has undergone in that time. He was the first non-Japanese person to win a prestegious literary award in Japan.
