Master Japanese Sample

Master Japanese
How to Learn Nihongo the Fun Way
John Fotheringham
Edition 7.0, PDF
Master Japanese
How to Learn Nihongo the Fun Way
John Fotheringham
Edition 7.0, PDF
Copyright 2013 by John Fotheringham

Cover & book design by Ninjetic Designs
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means
including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author.
The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
Table of Contents
Contents
Start Here .......................................................28
How to Use This Guide ......................................................................................29
The learning happens out there, not in this guide ........................................................................................................29
You dont need to read the entire guide........................................................................................................................29
You dont need to read the guide in order.....................................................................................................................29
Guide Format...................................................................................................30
All web links are clickable.............................................................................................................................................30
Cross-referenced sections are hyperlinked....................................................................................................................30
All Japanese terms are presented in roumaji, kanji, and kana ......................................................................................30
Japanese names are presented in Japanese order.........................................................................................................31
Gender-specific words are marked................................................................................................................................31
Zero subjects and objects are shown in brackets ..........................................................................................................31
Complete Package Bonuses ................................................................................32

Expert Interviews .........................................................................................................................................................32
Free EPUB & MOBI Editions of the Guide .......................................................................................................................34
Free Lifetime Updates...................................................................................................................................................35
Print-Ready Cheat Sheets & Worksheets.......................................................................................................................35
A Free Copy for One Person of Your Choosing ................................................................................................................36
$29 Off Any LinguaLift Package ....................................................................................................................................36
Up to $30 Off Skritter....................................................................................................................................................37
Table of Contents
15% Off a JapanesePod101.com Account .....................................................................................................................38

20% Off a LingQ.com Basic or Premium Account ..........................................................................................................39
50% Off Everyday Language Learner guides.................................................................................................................40
FAQs ...............................................................................................................41
Who is Master Japanese For? ........................................................................................................................................41
Why did I create Master Japanese? ...............................................................................................................................42
You dont have a PhD after your name. Why should I trust your advice?........................................................................42
Why learn Japanese at all?............................................................................................................................................42
What do I mean by mastery? .....................................................................................................................................43
How long will it take to learn Japanese?.......................................................................................................................45
The Master Japanese Road Map.........................................................................46

Phase 1: Master the Basics ...........................................................................................................................................47
Phase 2: Sharpen Your Sword.......................................................................................................................................49
Phase 3: Get Your Black Belt.........................................................................................................................................51
Fundamentals...................................................54
Kill the Myths ...................................................................................................54
Myth: Youre Not Good at Languages ............................................................................................................................54
Myth: Youre Too Old to Learn Japanese ........................................................................................................................55
Myth: You Have to Move to Japan ................................................................................................................................57
Myth: You Need to Attend Classes ................................................................................................................................58
Myth: Japanese is Difficult............................................................................................................................................59
Myth: Japanese is Vague...............................................................................................................................................62
Myth: Japanese is Illogical ............................................................................................................................................63
Table of Contents
Myth: Itll Take You Decades to Learn Japanese ............................................................................................................63
How to Create Good Goals & Stick to Them .........................................................64

Create S.M.A.R.T. Goals ...............................................................................................................................................64
Make Japanese Your Mission.........................................................................................................................................66
Make Japanese a Habit .................................................................................................................................................66
Utilize the Power of Public Accountability ....................................................................................................................68
How to Make Time For Japanese .......................................................................70

Put First Things First .....................................................................................................................................................70
Apply the 80-20 Rule....................................................................................................................................................71
Batch Repetitive Tasks ..................................................................................................................................................72
Harness Hidden Moments ............................................................................................................................................72
How to Make the Most of Your Time ..................................................................73

Appreciate the Difference Between Efficiency & Efficacy ..............................................................................................73
Practice Deliberately.....................................................................................................................................................73
Leverage the Zeigarnik Effect .......................................................................................................................................74
Limit Distractions .........................................................................................................................................................75
How to Immerse in Japanese Anywhere in the World ...........................................76

Sample Immersion Schedule ........................................................................................................................................78
Label Everything in Japanese .......................................................................................................................................81
Change Your Devices to Japanese .................................................................................................................................82
Optimize Your Browser..................................................................................................................................................83
Recommended Web Browsers ......................................................................................................................................84
Recommended Firefox Add-Ons ...................................................................................................................................85
Table of Contents
Recommended Chrome Extensions ..............................................................................................................................86

Recommended Safari Extensions..................................................................................................................................87
Recommended Methods .....................................89

Learn the Natural Way .....................................................................................89
Avoid the Grammar-Translation Method ......................................................................................................................90
Avoid Rote Memorization .............................................................................................................................................91
Utilize Multiple Intelligences ........................................................................................................................................93
Maximize Input and Output .........................................................................................................................................95
Break through the Affective Filter ..............................................................................................................................96
Learn Through Action .......................................................................................98

Learn a Japanese Art Form............................................................................................................................................98
Learn a Japanese Martial Art ......................................................................................................................................102
Travel in Japan............................................................................................................................................................103
Teach Around Japan....................................................................................................................................................104
Work in Japan.............................................................................................................................................................105
Work for a Japanese Company in Your Home Country.................................................................................................107
Use the Shadowing Method..............................................................................107

What You Will Need to Shadow Properly ....................................................................................................................107
How to Shadow: Step by Step.....................................................................................................................................108
How to Get the Most Out of Shadowing......................................................................................................................110
Use Spaced Repetition .......................................................................................111

How to Use SRS Systems.............................................................................................................................................111
Table of Contents
Recommended SRS Tools............................................................................................................................................113

How to Create Your Own SRS System ..........................................................................................................................116
Use Timeboxing................................................................................................117
Why Timeboxing Works ..............................................................................................................................................117
How to Get the Most Out of Timeboxing.....................................................................................................................118
Recommended Pomodoro & Timeboxing Apps...........................................................................................................118
Master High-Frequency Language First ..............................................................120

Memorize Your Bio in Japanese ..................................................................................................................................120
Focus on High-Frequency Words & Kanji ....................................................................................................................121
Capture Notes in Japanese Whenever Possible .....................................................122

Recommended Note Capture Mediums ......................................................................................................................123
Recommended Note Capture Tools .............................................................................................................................123
Re-Write Your Notes ...................................................................................................................................................124
Get Your Notes Corrected by a Native Speaker.............................................................................................................124
Convert Your Notes to Mind Maps...............................................................................................................................125
Recommended Materials & Tools .......................127

How to Choose The Right Materials ...................................................................127
Choose Your Own Adventure ......................................................................................................................................128
The Shorter the Better ................................................................................................................................................130
Choose Digital Materials When Possible .....................................................................................................................131
Recommended Japanese Dictionaries .................................................................132

Recommended Online Dictionaries.............................................................................................................................132
Table of Contents
Recommended Mobile Dictionary Apps......................................................................................................................134

Recommended Desktop Dictionary Apps ...................................................................................................................135
Recommended Paper Dictionaries..............................................................................................................................136
Recommended Japanese Materials & Tools .........................................................137

Recommended Japanese Phrasebooks .......................................................................................................................137
Recommended Japanese Grammar Books, Sites & Apps.............................................................................................137
Recommended Japanese Textbooks & Guides.............................................................................................................139
Listening & Speaking .......................................142

How to Improve Your Japanese Listening Skills ..................................................143
Complete a Michel Thomas or Pimsluer Audio Course.................................................................................................143
Maximize Your Exposure to Authentic Spoken Japanese .............................................................................................143
Create Audio Versions of Text-Only Content ................................................................................................................143
How to Improve Your Japanese Speaking Skills .................................................144

Find a Japanese Tutor or Language Partner ................................................................................................................144
Imitate Natives as Closely as Possible .........................................................................................................................145
Talk to Yourself (or your iPhone) .................................................................................................................................145
Record Yourself ...........................................................................................................................................................146
Fix Common Pronunciation Problems.........................................................................................................................146
Encourage Correction of Your Mistakes .......................................................................................................................147
Practice Patience ........................................................................................................................................................147
Practice Humility ........................................................................................................................................................147
Use It or Lose It ...........................................................................................................................................................148
Table of Contents
How to Find & Work with Japanese Tutors .......................................................148

Where to Find Japanese Tutors & Native Speakers ......................................................................................................149
How to Select a Good Japanese Tutor .........................................................................................................................151
How to Set Ground Rules ............................................................................................................................................151
How to Schedule Tutoring Sessions.............................................................................................................................152
How to Communicate with Tutors...............................................................................................................................152
How to Share Documents with Tutors.........................................................................................................................153
How to Prepare for Your Tutor Session.........................................................................................................................154
Recommended Japanese Audio Courses..............................................................154

The Michel Thomas Method........................................................................................................................................154
The Pimsleur Approach...............................................................................................................................................157
Recommended Japanese Podcasts .....................................................................158

Why Podcasts?............................................................................................................................................................158
How to Get the Most Out of Podcasts .........................................................................................................................159
Recommended Podcast Directories & Tools ................................................................................................................160
Recommended Learner Podcasts................................................................................................................................161
Recommended Book & Literature Podcasts ................................................................................................................163
Recommended Business & Investing Podcasts ...........................................................................................................164
Recommended Comedy Podcasts ...............................................................................................................................165
Recommended Culture & Social Issue Podcasts ..........................................................................................................167
Recommended Daily Life Podcasts .............................................................................................................................168
Recommended Dating, Love & Sex Podcasts...............................................................................................................169
Recommended Health, Fitness & Well-Being Podcasts ...............................................................................................170
Recommended History Podcasts ................................................................................................................................170
Table of Contents
Recommended Media Podcasts..................................................................................................................................171

Recommended Nature, Outdoors & Ecology Podcasts.................................................................................................172
Recommended News Podcasts ...................................................................................................................................173
Recommended Science & Tech Podcasts .....................................................................................................................173
Recommended TED Talk Podcasts ...............................................................................................................................174
Recommended Japanese Video Games................................................................175

Video Game Platforms................................................................................................................................................175
Where to Buy Japanese Video Games .........................................................................................................................176
Recommended Japanese Video Game Sites & Forums ................................................................................................176
Recommended Japanese iOS Games ..........................................................................................................................177
Recommended Nintendo DS & Wii Games ..................................................................................................................178
Recommended PSP Games.........................................................................................................................................180
Recommended PlayStation Games.............................................................................................................................182
Recommended Video Tools & Sites ....................................................................184

Sub-Titles: Good or Bad? ............................................................................................................................................184
Where to Stream Japanese Video................................................................................................................................185
How to Stream Japan-Only Content Outside Japan.....................................................................................................187
Where to Buy & Rent Japanese Movies .......................................................................................................................188
Recommended Japanese Anime .........................................................................189

Anime 101..................................................................................................................................................................189
Recommended Japanese Anime Series & Movies .......................................................................................................190
Recommended Japanese TV Shows ...................................................................193

Recommended Japanese TV Tools & Resources...........................................................................................................193
Table of Contents
Recommended Japanese TV Series.............................................................................................................................193
Recommended Japanese Movies ........................................................................196

Japanese Movie Genres ..............................................................................................................................................196
Recommended Japanese Films...................................................................................................................................197
Recommended Japanese Audiobooks................................................................205

Recommended Japanese Audiobook Directories ........................................................................................................205
Recommended Japanese Books with Audio Companions ...........................................................................................206
Recommended Music Tools & Sites ....................................................................207

Where to Stream Japanese Music ...............................................................................................................................207
Where to Buy Japanese Music ....................................................................................................................................208
How to Get Lyrics & Identify Unknown Song Titles .....................................................................................................209
Recommended Japanese Music .........................................................................209

Recommended Japanese Music Lists ..........................................................................................................................209
Recommended J-Pop Artists ......................................................................................................................................210
Recommended Japanese Hip-Hop Artists...................................................................................................................210
Recommended Japanese Folk Rock Artists .................................................................................................................211
Recommended Japanese Rock Artists.........................................................................................................................212
Recommended Japanese Enka Artists ........................................................................................................................213
Reading & Writing .........................................215

How to Learn Hiragana & Katakana .................................................................216
Take Special Care with Look-Alike Kana ......................................................................................................................216
Recommended Kana Learning Tools ...........................................................................................................................216
Table of Contents
How to Conquer Kanji......................................................................................217

Why You Should Learn Kanji .......................................................................................................................................217
How to Learn Kanji .....................................................................................................................................................219
Recommended Kanji Learning Tools ...........................................................................................................................221
Getting the Most Out of RTK.............................................................................224

Remembering the Kanji FAQs .....................................................................................................................................224
Remembering the Kanji Tips ......................................................................................................................................225
How to Type Japanese ....................................................................................226

Writing in Japanese on a Mac OSX Machine................................................................................................................226
Writing in Japanese on a Windows Machine...............................................................................................................227
Writing in Japanese on an Ubuntu Machine ...............................................................................................................227
Writing in Japanese on iOS Devices.............................................................................................................................227
Writing in Japanese on Android Devices .....................................................................................................................228
Writing in Japanese on Windows Phones ...................................................................................................................229
Typing Exceptions.......................................................................................................................................................229
How to Improve Your Japanese Reading Skills ..................................................230

Read What You Listen To .............................................................................................................................................230
Get Your News & Entertainment in Japanese ..............................................................................................................230
Read a Section First, Then Look Things Up ..................................................................................................................230
Trace the Line With Your Finger or Pen........................................................................................................................231
Read for Enjoyment ....................................................................................................................................................231
Read Content At or Just Above Your Ability Level ........................................................................................................231
How to Improve Your Japanese Writing Skills ..................................................232
Table of Contents
Write in Japanese Every Chance You Get .....................................................................................................................232

Read More ..................................................................................................................................................................233
Get Your Writing Corrected .........................................................................................................................................233
Learn the Proper Stroke Order.....................................................................................................................................233
Learn Calligraphy........................................................................................................................................................234
Recommended Online Reading Tools .................................................................235

Recommended Japanese Sites & Blogs ......................................................................................................................235
Recommended Tools to Capture & Study Online Content............................................................................................237
Recommended Japanese Manga .......................................................................239

Why Manga? ..............................................................................................................................................................239
Manga Demographics ................................................................................................................................................240
Where to Find Free Manga Online ..............................................................................................................................241
Where to Buy Manga..................................................................................................................................................241
Manga Musts..............................................................................................................................................................242
Recommended Japanese Newspapers ................................................................245

Recommended News Sites & Apps .............................................................................................................................245
Recommended National Newspapers.........................................................................................................................246
Recommended Sports Newspapers ............................................................................................................................247
Recommended Regional Newspapers ........................................................................................................................248
Recommended Japanese Magazines..................................................................249

Japanese Learner Magazines......................................................................................................................................249
Recommended Japanese Magazines ..........................................................................................................................250
Recommended Japanese Books & Literature ......................................................252
Table of Contents
Recommended e-Book Apps ......................................................................................................................................252

Where to Find Free Japanese e-Books ........................................................................................................................253
Where to Buy Physical Japanese Books ......................................................................................................................254
Recommended Japanese Literature Compilations ......................................................................................................254
Japanese 101..................................................257
Japanese Overview .........................................................................................257
Japanese Speakers Around the World .........................................................................................................................257
Japanese Language Family & Origins .........................................................................................................................258
Japanese Language Characteristics ............................................................................................................................258
Japanese Sounds.............................................................................................260
Japanese Kana Chart ..................................................................................................................................................261
Pronunciation Guides & IPA ........................................................................................................................................262
Japanese vs. English Sounds.......................................................................................................................................263
Basic Vowels of Japanese............................................................................................................................................264
Short vs Long Vowels..................................................................................................................................................265
Japanese Diphthongs .................................................................................................................................................266
Japaneses Voiced & Voiceless Consonants ..................................................................................................................267
Japanese Consonant Syllables ....................................................................................................................................267
Japaneses DDouble Consonants ................................................................................................................................270
Use of Pitch Accent .....................................................................................................................................................271
Japanese Dialects .......................................................................................................................................................272
Japanese Writing ...........................................................................................274

Japaneses Triumvirate Writing System .......................................................................................................................274
Table of Contents
Japanese Punctuation ................................................................................................................................................275

Japanese Text Direction ..............................................................................................................................................276
Japanese Vocabulary ......................................................................................277

Foreign Loan Words ....................................................................................................................................................277
Words of Chinese Origin..............................................................................................................................................278
Words of Japanese Origin............................................................................................................................................279
Japanese Honorics .......................................................................................279

Formal Japanese Nouns..............................................................................................................................................280
Formal Verb Forms .....................................................................................................................................................281
Formal Japanese Adjectives........................................................................................................................................283
Formal Japanese Pronouns & Demonstratives ............................................................................................................283
Japanese Verbs ..............................................................................................284

Verb Conjugation Groups............................................................................................................................................286
Verb Tenses.................................................................................................................................................................290
Past Tense Verb Forms.................................................................................................................................................291
Participle Verb Forms..................................................................................................................................................293
Negative Verb Forms ..................................................................................................................................................296
Desiderative Verb Forms .............................................................................................................................................299
Volitional Verb Forms..................................................................................................................................................300
Provisional Conditional Verbs (Ba Form) .....................................................................................................................302
Conditional Verbs (Tara Form) ....................................................................................................................................303
Combining Verb Forms ...............................................................................................................................................305
Enumerative Verb Forms.............................................................................................................................................307
Command Verb Forms ................................................................................................................................................308
Table of Contents
Potential Verb Forms ..................................................................................................................................................310

Passive Verb Forms .....................................................................................................................................................311
Causative Verb Forms..................................................................................................................................................313
Causative Passive Verb Forms......................................................................................................................................314
Japanese Adjectives .........................................................................................315

I-Adjectives ................................................................................................................................................................316
Na-Adjectives .............................................................................................................................................................319
Japanese Adverbs...........................................................................................321
Adverbs Created from I-Adjectives..............................................................................................................................321
Adverbs Created from Sino-Japanese Nouns...............................................................................................................321
Time Adverbs..............................................................................................................................................................322
Sound Symbolic Adverbs ............................................................................................................................................322
Japanese Sound Symbolic Words ....................................................................322

Onomatopoeias ..........................................................................................................................................................323
Mimetics ....................................................................................................................................................................324
Psychomimes .............................................................................................................................................................324
Japanese Pronouns.........................................................................................325
Singular Pronouns ......................................................................................................................................................326
Plural Pronouns ..........................................................................................................................................................328
Japanese Demonstratives...........................................................................................................................................329
Japanese Proper Names ..................................................................................331

100 Most Common Japanese Family Names ...............................................................................................................332
100 Most Common Japanese Given Names ................................................................................................................337
Table of Contents
Japans Regions, Prefectures & Top 100 Cities .............................................................................................................342

Japans Top 30 Brands & Companies............................................................................................................................349
Japanese Particles ..........................................................................................351

Bakari () ......................................................................................................................................................352
Daga () .............................................................................................................................................................352
Dakara () .....................................................................................................................................................353
Dake () .............................................................................................................................................................354
Dakedo () ....................................................................................................................................................354
Darou () ......................................................................................................................................................355
De () ......................................................................................................................................................................355
Demo () ...........................................................................................................................................................358
E () ........................................................................................................................................................................359
Ga () ......................................................................................................................................................................359
Hodo ().............................................................................................................................................................361
Ka () ......................................................................................................................................................................361
Kamoshirenai ()...........................................................................................................................363
Kara () ..............................................................................................................................................................364
Kashira () ....................................................................................................................................................365
Keredomo () ..........................................................................................................................................365
Goro ()..............................................................................................................................................................366
Koso () ..............................................................................................................................................................366
Table of Contents
Kurai ()........................................................................................................................................................366
Made () ............................................................................................................................................................367
Madeni () ....................................................................................................................................................368
Mo () .....................................................................................................................................................................368
Na () ......................................................................................................................................................................370
Nado ().............................................................................................................................................................370
Nagara ().....................................................................................................................................................371
Nara ()..............................................................................................................................................................371
Ne () ......................................................................................................................................................................372
Ni () .......................................................................................................................................................................373
No () ......................................................................................................................................................................374
Noda ().............................................................................................................................................................376
Node ().............................................................................................................................................................377
Noni ()..............................................................................................................................................................378
O () ........................................................................................................................................................................379
Rashii () ......................................................................................................................................................380
Ppoi () .........................................................................................................................................................381
Sa () ......................................................................................................................................................................381
Sae () ...............................................................................................................................................................382
Shi () .....................................................................................................................................................................382
Shika () ............................................................................................................................................................383
Table of Contents
Shikashi () ..................................................................................................................................................383
Soshite ().....................................................................................................................................................384
Sou Da () .....................................................................................................................................................384
To ().......................................................................................................................................................................385
Toka () ..............................................................................................................................................................386
Tomo () ............................................................................................................................................................387
Wa () .....................................................................................................................................................................387
Wa () .....................................................................................................................................................................388
Wake () ............................................................................................................................................................389
Ya ().......................................................................................................................................................................389
Yo () ......................................................................................................................................................................389
You Da () .....................................................................................................................................................390
Yori () ...............................................................................................................................................................391
Ze () and Zo () ..................................................................................................................................................391
Japanese Numbers & Counters .........................................................................392

Counting 0 to 10 .........................................................................................................................................................392
Ordinal Numbers ........................................................................................................................................................392
Counting 11 to 99 .......................................................................................................................................................393
Counting 100 to 9,999 ................................................................................................................................................395
Counting Above 10,000 ..............................................................................................................................................396
Japanese Counter Words.............................................................................................................................................398
Table of Contents
Japanese Dates & Times..................................................................................402

Past, Present & Future ................................................................................................................................................402
Years ..........................................................................................................................................................................404
Seasons of the Year.....................................................................................................................................................404
Months of the Year .....................................................................................................................................................405
Days of the Month ......................................................................................................................................................406
Days of the Week ........................................................................................................................................................407
Japanese National Holidays ........................................................................................................................................407
Hours..........................................................................................................................................................................408
Minutes ......................................................................................................................................................................410
Time Particles .............................................................................................................................................................411
Appendix .......................................................413
My S.M.A.R.T. Goals ......................................................................................414
Sample Study Plan ..........................................................................................415
My Study Plan................................................................................................416
Japanese Sounds.............................................................................................417
RTK & MOE Kanji Lists ...................................................................................419
Conjugation Cheat Sheet ..................................................................................535
Note Taking Template .....................................................................................537
Start Here
Start Here
Master Japanese was created to provide independent language learners with the tips, tools, and tech
they need to reach their Japanese fluency goals as quickly, cheaply, and enjoyably as possible.
Learning any language is of course going to take lots of time and effort, but if you employ the
methods and materials I recommend, I guarantee that the process will be a hell of a lot more fun,
and you will end up saving a significant amount of time, energy, and money compared with
traditional textbook and classroom-based approaches.
And speaking of textbooks, this guide is not intended to be one. While I do go over the basics of
Japanese in the Japanese 101 chapter, the real learning only happens when you get sufficient
exposure to the language through listening and reading, and adequate practice using the
language through speaking and writing. Studying about Japanese will give you very little such
exposure or practice, so please use this guide as a road map for action, not as a Japanese
encyclopedia.
One last thing before you get underway: I highly recommend that you take a moment to reflect
on why you are learning Japanese. If youre not properly motivated, it matters little what
methods or materials you use or how much time you spend with the language. And on the flip
side of this axiom, you can still learn despite poor methods, materials, or tools if you have the
drive.
Okay, ready to conquer Japanese? Lets go! Ganbatte ne! (, Good
luck).
Copyright 2013 by John Fotheringham. Visit Language Mastery for more language learning tips, tools, and tech.
28
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How to Use This Guide

I have received a great deal of positive feedback from readers since releasing the first edition of
Master Japanese in 2010, with many readers praising the guides unconventional approach to
language learning, and the detailed, step-by-step tips on learning Japanese using a fun,
immersion-based approach. However, one piece of constructive criticism has surfaced many
times: There is a lot of great stuff in this guide, but I dont know how to use it! I have heard
your voices. Here are some quick tips to help you get the most out of Master Japanese:
The learning happens out there, not in this guide

As I said above, Master Japanese is NOT a textbook. You are not going to find a series of lessons
that aim to teach you a given grammar point or drill you on a specific set of vocabulary. This is
by design. The problem with most language textbooks, courses, and classes is that they aim to
force feed the language into you through conscious study. This seems like a logical way to go on
the surface of things, but it ignores how the brain actually acquires languages. Master Japanese is
centered around how to maximize your exposure to the language, thus providing your brain the
optimal environment it needs to perform its amazing feat of evolution: decode, encode, retrieve,
and utilize amazingly complex linguistic information at the speed of electricity. Just remember
that the only way to make progress is to actually take action, do so consistently, and continually
step outside of your comfort zone.
You dont need to read the entire guide

While I think you will get the most benefit from completing the guide cover to cover, it is certainly
not necessary. Some people only want to learn how to speak Japanese, for example, while others
want to focus more on reading and writing. I have therefore separated these skills into two
different chapters, Listening & Speaking and Reading & Writing, allowing you to more easily
focus on the particular skills you are interested in. For those who have experience learning other
languages but have yet to tackle Japanese, you can probably skip much of the beginning content
that covers how to learn languages, and get right to the Japanese-specific content.
You dont need to read the guide in order

I have added hyperlinked bookmarks throughout the guide to make it easier for you to quickly
jump between related sections without having to go back to the table of contents. This also makes
it easier to read out of order, which many learners seem to prefer.
29
Start Here
Guide Format
I have done my best to make this guide as user-friendly as possible. Since time is the most
precious resource we have, many of this guides features center around ways to shave off seconds,
minutes, and hours that can be used for actually learning Japanese instead of searching for tools
and materials. To that end:
All web links are clickable

All online resources listed in the guide include a clickable link to their location on the big ole
world wide web so you dont have to waste any time searching for them or entering ridiculously
long URLs.
Cross-referenced sections are hyperlinked

In an effort to save you even more time, I have created hyperlinks that take you right to any crossreferences in the guide. That way you dont have wade through the Table of Contents or scan
through the document to find the section youre looking for.
All Japanese terms are presented in roumaji, kanji, and kana

I hate when Japanese books or materials indicate Japanese terms solely in roumaji (
), Romanized Japanese written using only English letters. While this is supposed to make
things easier for new learners who might not yet be able to read a words corresponding kanji (
) or kana (), why do these publishers miss an opportunity to provide you
with meaningful exposure as I just did in this sentence?
All Japanese words and names will be presented with the word in italicized roumaji, the words
corresponding kanji and hiragana in parentheses, and an English translation if relevant. For
example:
nihongo (, the Japanese language)
nama biiru (, draft beer)
30
Start Here
Furthermore, words written in katakana () will be rewritten in hiragana (

) to help you get used to both systems more quickly.
In both cases, the actual Japanese word will be separated from the hiragana reading guide with
thesymbol, which is equivalent to the slash / in English.
Japanese names are presented in Japanese order

As you probably know, Japanese family names are written first, followed by a persons given
name; the opposite of English. To help you get used to this and minimize confusion, I have
written all Japanese names in this guide using the Japanese order (family names followed by given
names). You will also notice that I write the roumaji version of last names in all capital letters to
help reduce ambiguity. For example:
SOUSEKI Natsume ()
Gender-specific words are marked

Some words are used chiefly by either men or women in Japanese. Keep a look out for the
symbol which indicates terms used by men, and the symbol for words used by women.
Zero subjects and objects are shown in brackets

Japanese frequently leaves off the subject and object of a sentence if it is obvious from the
context. In such cases, I include the missing words in the English translation within [brackets].
31
Start Here
FAQs
Here are some of the most common questions I get about Master Japanese and my attempted
answers. By the way, I borrowed the Attempted Answers part from one of my favorite writers,
Chris Guillabeau, author of The $100 Startup and The Art of Non-Conformity.
If any of your questions are not answered here, please email me.
Who is Master Japanese For?

If you try to make a product that fits everyones needs, it probably wont fit anyones. This guide,
therefore, is not designed to make every single learner happy. Master Japanese was written for those
who can nod their heads in agreement to the following statements:
I want to learn to speak, read, and write Japanese really well. Master Japanese
provides you with detailed tips, tools, and tech on how to speak, read and write Japanese
like a pro.
I have never learned any Japanese. This guide does not assume any previous
Japanese study, providing step-by-step instructions from the very beginning. Consider
yourself lucky as you will be able to bypass the years most of usincluding this author
have wasted using traditional but highly ineffective methods.
I have tried and failed to learn Japanese before. If you have studied Japanese in
the past but failed to ever reach even a modicum of fluency, this guide is for you, too. You
are not stupid or lazy; you have just been using the wrong methods and materials.
I want to live and work in Japan. There are countless materials and courses available
for travel Japanese, but they suffer from a serious problem: while they may show you
how to say a few things, they dont equip you with the level of fluency needed to actually
understand what is said back to you. Follow the tips in this guide, and you will be able to
engage in real two-way communication, not just shouting phrases youve memorized at
the taxi driver.
I want to really get to know the Japanese people and culture. Most foreigners
who visit Japan, or even live in the country for many years, only see the tip of the cultural
iceberg. Being able to speak and read Japanese gives you the scuba gear you need to go
below the surface and see, understand, and interact with the real Japan.
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Why did I create Master Japanese?

As Steve Kaufmann points out:
We do not need more language courses. We need courses on how to learn languages.
This guide is designed to be just that: a course on how to learn Japanese. While teachers and
tutors can help answer questions and help select materials for you, it is important to understand
that nobody can teach you a language. Languages are acquired only if you get enough
exposure toand enough practicing usingthe language in meaningful contexts. The incorrect
belief that a teacher, course, or textbook will get a language into your head is one of the major
reasons why traditional language courses and materials dont work. Well, that and the fact they
tend to bore the heck out of learners, convince them they arent good at languages, and
completely ignore how our brains evolved to learn, process, and produce language. Like many of
my fellow language learners, including both of my brothers to whom this guide is dedicated, I
have tried and failed using more traditional methods. This led me to investigate alternatives to
the tried and not-so-true sit in a classroom, memorize grammar rules and vocabulary
approach, a journey that led me to fluency instead of frustration.
You dont have a PhD after your name. Why should I trust your advice?
When it comes to whether or not to trust my advice, I think my early failures with Japanese are
just as important as my later successes. As is usually the case with most endeavors I undertake, I
made just about every mistake possible when I started out in Japanese. I used terribly inefficient
methods, boring materials, and didnt have a good attitude toward the process. On the bright
side, taking so many missteps but later correcting course makes me the ideal language learning
coach. You never want to learn from someone who picks up the material easily, for they will not
know how to explain what they didand more importantly, whyand will not understand, nor
have any empathy for, people who are struggling along in the dark.
I have been there, too, and can help show you the way forward.
Why learn Japanese at all?

There are countless reasons to learn Japanese. In fact, now that I think about it, I cant come up
with any good reasons not to learn the language.
It boosts brain power. As shown in a study conducted at the Swedish Armed Forces
Interpreter Academy, learning a new language can actually increase the size of the
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hippocampus, the area that controls memory creation, and various parts of the cerebral
cortex.
Check out this Science Daily article for more about the Swedish Armed Forces Interpreter Academy study.
It can help you land a kick-ass job. Foreign language skills are in high demand, and
fluency in Japanese is a highly sought-after skill. And since so few Westerners speak or
write Japanese well, you will have a serious leg up over the competition if you do.
Read Want a Dream Resume? Learn a New Language! and see the Work in Japan section.
It allows you to better enjoy Japanese art forms. Japan is home to some of the
greatest authors, artists, animators, actors, directors, and producers of all time. There is
no better way to enjoy their work than in the language it was created.
See the Learn a Japanese Art Form section.
Its sexy. What is the surefire way to make a films lead character look suave and
sophisticated? You show them speaking one or more foreign languages. This effect has
been used in numerous Bond films, as well as the movie Limitless in which they used
foreign languages skills to demonstrate the lead characters newfound superhuman brain
power. While we cant simply pop a pill like Bradley Coopers character to learn Japanese,
we can acquire enough of the language to start a relationship in a fairly short amount
time.
What do I mean by mastery?

First of all, mastery does not mean perfection, as such a thing does not exist when it comes
to languages. And even if it did, perfection would not be a S.M.A.R.T. (short, measurable,
attainable, relevant, and timely) language learning goal.
See How to Create Good Goals & Stick to Them for more info.
At the risk of getting into the sticky realm of sociolinguistics, here are some reasons why
perfection cannot exist in language learning:
Even native speakers sometimes struggle. We stumble over our words. We have a
hard time remembering that word hiding on the tip of our tongue. We confuse the
meaning of certain similar, uncommon terms. We forget how to spell things. All normal.
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Languages are constantly changing. Every generation that learns a language

changes it in small ways. What is considered correct or proper in one generation,
might sound old-fashioned, racist, or even ungrammatical in the next.
So if mastery does not equal perfection, what does it mean? I define mastery as follows:
The ability to use a language well for your communicative purposes.
Thats it. It is completely relative to your personal and professional needs.
If you are learning Japanese to work in Japan, then mastery would mean being able to
easily communicate with your boss, colleagues, and customers.
If you want a meaningful social life in Japan, then mastery will mean being able to
understand and contribute to casual conversations at an izakaya ().
If you are an anime () addict, then mastery for you might mean being
able to understand an episode of your favorite show without relying on English or even
Japanese subtitles.
If you are a hitherto monolingual Japanese-American, perhaps mastery entails finally
being able to talk with Japanese relatives in their native language.
If you want to work as a Japanese translator, mastery means amassing a wide
vocabulary in both Japanese and English, with specialized knowledge of one or more
specific fields like automotive engineering, video games, medicine, etc.
If you want to be an interpreter, mastery means the same as that for translation, but
with the added need to know Japanese-English equivalents at lightning speed, and
developing the ability to speak one language while simultaneously thinking in another.
What mastery does not entail is learning every last word you may hear or read. Even native
Japanese speakers come across words they dont know the meaning of, or encounter kanji that
they forget how to write or pronounce. The key is to know enough Japanese that you can ask
about the meaning of an unfamiliar word and then actually understand the answer.
You should of course strive to constantly expand your vocabulary, but your focus should always
be on quality over quantity. Just as in martial arts, having lots of moves is not as important as
mastering a small set of techniques.
I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000
times. ~Bruce Lee
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How long will it take to learn Japanese?

This is one of the most common questions I hear, and happens to be
one of the most difficult to answer. How long it takes you to get there
will ultimately depend on where there is, not to mention how
badly you want to get there, and what mode of transportation you
use. Obviously, learning how to speak, read, and write fluently
on a wide range of topics is going to take longer than just being
able to have casual conversations on a small set of topics. The
former will likely take a few years or more, while the latter can
be attained in a few months if you bust your ass.
But on this note, progress toward your goals should be
measured in how many hours you spend actively listening,
speaking, reading and writing, not months, years or school terms.
Just as you can spend many hours a day on Japanese and progress
like an avalanche, you can just as easily spend only a few hours a
week (like most college or language school students) and
progress at a glaciers pace.
Unlike Japanese language schools, textbooks, or proficiency tests like the nihongo nouryoku shiken (
, Japanese Language Proficiency Test), I will not
give you exact milestones of how far you should have progressed after a given numbers of hours.
Such milestones are bogus for a number of reasons:
They are designed by and for language schools. Having been a manager in a
language school, I can assure you that most administrators and teachers have no idea
what those vague proficiency descriptions hanging on the wall actually mean. But this
does not stop them from quoting the levels in their largely meaningless and artificial level
assessments, which are used more as a sales tool than actual assessments of your progress.
You really need to pay for another 10 units so you can progress to the next level on this nifty chart here.
They do not take into account individual goals. Every learner is unique. We each
prefer certain colors of underwear, and more importantly, we all have different paces,
preferences, and purposes for learning Japanese. One-size-fits-all proficiency charts
ignore these differences.
They dont reflect how the brain works. Linguists have spent a lot of time and
research grant money trying to figure out the order we acquire certain language
structures. Though they have nailed down some of the basics, there are still more
questions than answers. Even if its allegedly supported by research, attempts to order
various grammar structures on a syllabus usually entail more guesswork than actual
science.
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The Master Japanese Road Map

While I dont believe in formal milestones or proficiency levels, I do think its useful to break the
language up into a few major phases with different tasks, tools, and materials for each.
However, only you will know when its time to move onto the next phase, not some teacher,
textbook, vague progress chart, standardized test, or language school motivated more by profits
than your progress.
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Master the Basics
Sharpen Your Sword
Get Your Black Belt
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Phase 1: Master the Basics

If you are just starting out in Japanese or have been studying for some
time without any real progress, I recommend that you follow the
tasks in Phase 1. No matter how long youve been learning
something, its always helpful to go back to the basics.
Dont be in a rush to move on to more advanced materials, but by
the same token, feel free to get in over your head if you still
enjoy yourself. The key at this stage is to build a strong
foundation on which to place more advanced words and
structures. Just as Ive observed in martial arts training,
new learners are often too eager to skip what they
perceive as easy or simple and jump ahead to the
flashy stuff. Dont wait until you get kicked in the face to
realize how important the fundamentals are!
Learn kana. If you want to learn to read and write Japanese, it all starts with kana (
), the Japanese alphabet system; technically called a syllabary since its made
up of syllables. Even if you only want to understand and speak Japanese, it is still a good
idea to learn the kana as they will help familiarize you with the sounds of the language
and make it easier to look words up in the dictionary. Each kana symbol represents a
distinct vowel a, i, u, e and o (, , , , ) or a consonant-vowel combination like ka,
ki, ku, ke or ko (, , , , ). There are two separate sets of kana symbols, hiragana
() and katakana (), but both represent the same
sounds. The difference is how they are written and when they are used. Hiragana is used for
verb and adjective endings, particles, words with rare characters outside of jouyou kanji (
, standard use kanji), and for denoting kanji
pronunciations of Japanese origin in dictionaries. Katakana, on the other hand, is used to
represent foreign loan words like kouhi (, coffee), foreign names like jonson
(, Johnson), sound effects in manga (), and for denoting kanji
readings of Chinese origin in dictionaries. Since you will encounter hiragana more often, I
suggest learning that set of symbols first, but dont make the mistake of taking a break
after hiragana as many learners do and end up never mastering katakana. You need both
for full literacy in Japanese, so dont delay.
See the Japanese Sounds section for more about Japanese kana.
Begin learning standard use kanji. Although many teachers, schools, and
textbooks advise learners to hold off on kanji, I think this is bad recommendation. First of
all, learning Chinese characters can be quite easy if you follow the advice in this guide. It
will of course take time, but wont come with the nasty side effects faced by students
learning by rote memory alone. Secondly, the sooner you begin learning kanji, the sooner
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you will be able to read and enjoy authentic Japanese materials, greatly expanding the
pool of potential learning tools and the enjoyment that goes with it.
See the Recommended Kanji Learning Tools section for more info.
Learn basic structures and common greetings. Buy a good phrasebook and try to
complete at least a page a day. I suggest Lonely Planets Japanese Phrasebook &
Dictionary and The Ultimate Japanese Phrasebook.
Learn the most frequent 1,000 Japanese words. Mastering just the most frequent
100 words in Japanese accounts for over half of written materials, while 1,000 words
takes you to over 75%.
See the Master High-Frequency Vocabulary section for more info.
Get your brain and body used to the sounds of Japanese. Borrow, buy, or barter
for a copy of a basic Japanese audio program like Start Japanese with the Michel
Thomas, Pimsleur 1, or Shadowing: Lets Speak Japanese (Beginner to Intermediate
Edition). Aim to complete at at least one lesson a day. Dont worry about knowing the
meaning of every word you hear; your goal at this stage is to get your brain and body
used to the sounds and intonation of Japanese, all the while learning common words and
phrases you can use to strike up conversations with native Japanese speakers, and getting
used to the underlying structures of the language.
See Recommended Audio Courses for more about Michel Thomas, Pimsleur, and the Shadowing series.
Listen to basic, language-learner specific podcasts. Jumping right into authentic
content works for some, but is probably a bit overwhelming for most learners. As Yoda
would say (with surprisingly Japanese-like grammar), Frustration, a path to the Dark
Side it is. To avoid going Anakin, I suggest that you find some good newbie level
programs that have a format and host you like.
See Recommended Japanese Podcasts for my recommended shows.
Watch Japanese anime, TV shows, and movies with English subtitles turned
on. Language learning Nazis will tell you that its sink or swim in a language, and that
English sub-titles are for sissies. Ignore them, they just have daddy issues they are playing
out in the form of mis-guided language learning advice. Remember: enjoyment trumps
all. And watching a Japanese movie with little to no Japanese ability is probably not a very
enjoyable experience for most. You will graduate to Japanese sub-titles soon enough,
followed soon thereafter with no subtitles at all.
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See Recommended Japanese Anime, Recommended Japanese TV Shows, and Recommended Japanese Movies.
Get a basic Japanese grammar book. As you have probably guessed by now, I am
not a big fan of formal grammar study. But I do think that some cursory review of
Japanese grammar can be helpful so long as it does not replace what really makes the
difference: spending enough time listening, speaking, reading and writing the language. If
you do enough of these four activities, even with no formal grammar study, you will
eventually internalize all key Japanese structures. Thinking about Japanese grammar
consciously is no substitute for this natural acquisition process, but it does seem to help
speed up the process a bit.
See Recommended Japanese Grammar Books, Sites & Apps for my recommended grammar books.
Phase 2: Sharpen Your Sword

Now that you have learned the basics, its time to sharpen your sword with lots of linguistic
sparring: using the words, phrases, and structures youve learned in heaps of oral and written
communication and eliciting feedback on the accuracy of your word usage, grammar, and
pronunciation.
Become conversationally fluent. Spend as much time as you can speaking with
native Japanese speakers via social language learning sites, Skype, local Meetup.com
conversation groups, or if you already live in Japan, just about anyone, anywhere. In
addition to furthering your motivation to keep learning, speaking also helps to show you
where your gaps are as Steve Kaufmann says. You probably wont realize you dont
know the word for refill until you try to get one at a caf.
See the How to Find & Work with JapaneseTutors section for more info.
Continue learning standard use kanji. By now, you have gotten the hang of
learning new characters, though you probably still have quite a few to go. Dont let
yourself get overwhelmed. Just keep laying one brick at a time and before you know it,
your kanji castle will be complete!
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Learn the most frequent 3,000 Japanese words. Once youve mastered the most
frequent thousand words in Japanese, its time to make the next jump to 3,000 known
words. When you accomplish this, you will be familiar with over 85% of the Japanese you
are most likely to encounter on a day to day basis.
See the Master High-Frequency Language First section.
Continue listening to language-learner specific podcasts. Learner specific
podcasts are probably still your best bet, though by now you will be able to move past the
newbie and elementary stuff to intermediate and upper-intermediate content.
Watch Japanese anime and movies with Japanese subtitles turned on. You
can choose new programs or re-watch films you already watched in Phase 1. It might still
be a little difficult for you, but try to watch with Japanesenot Englishsubtitles. This
will accomplish 3 tasks at once: Reinforcing the kanji you have learned so far,
Helping you to create a direct link between pronunciation and characters, and Getting
you to think in Japanese instead of translating to and from English (e.g. turning off crosstranslation).
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Phase 3: Get Your Black Belt

In martial arts, getting a black belt means that you should be able
to both apply and defend against all the basic techniques of your
style and are now ready to move on to more advanced material.
Contrary to popular belief, it does not mean you are now a master
or expert. Phase 3 in your Japanese language journey is much the
same. By this stage, youll have assimilated the basics and are now ready
to really learn Japanese.
Enjoy podcasts intended for native speakers. Its time to move
past the learner-specific podcasts and begin listening to programs
intended for native speakers of Japanese. At this level, the pool of potential
listening content expands significantly, with programs available for nearly every possible
interest. In the beginning stages of Japanese, you may have had to compromise and listen
to some less-than-thrilling content. At this stage, theres no excuse to listen to shows you
dont love.
See the Recommended Japanese Podcasts section for suggested programs.
Watch Japanese anime, TV shows, and movies with subtitles turned off. As in
Phase 2, you can repeat programs youve already watched so that there is a clear context
to stand on, or if youre feeling adventurous, dive head first into new content and figure
things out as you go! If you are watching something new, I suggest watching it first
without subtitles and then going back and watching it again with Japanese subtitles
turned on. This helps you get used to real-life communication where there are no subtitles
or speech bubbles, but still gives you the chance to confirm your understanding and
expand your vocabulary in a way not afforded in daily life.
See Recommended Japanese Anime, Recommended Japanese TV Shows, and Recommended Japanese Movies.
Begin learning upper-level characters. Once youve learned all the jouyou kanji (
, standard use Chinese characters), its time to move on to
upper-level characters. These will come in handy if you study at a Japanese university,
work for a Japanese company, or read any technical or industry-specific materials.
Check out James Heisigs Remembering the Kanji: Writing and Reading Japanese Characters for Upper-Level
Proficiency.
Read Japanese blogs, newspapers, magazines, and novels. You have probably
peeked at some of these materials in Phases 1 and 2 already, but now that you can
recognize the vast majority of the characters and words without reaching for the
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dictionary every 3 seconds, you can begin enjoying the writing for the writings sake and
forget that youre actually learning Japanese.
See Recommended Japanese Sites & Blogs, Recommended Japanese Newspapers, Recommended Japanese
Magazines, and Recommended Japanese Books & Literature.
Learn all levels of Japanese formality. Mastering keigo (,
honorifics) is the final step in becoming a full-fledged Japanese speaker, and will set you
apart from nearly all foreign language learners (few stick with Japanese long enough to
learn keigo) and even younger Japanese native speakers (who nowadays must often be
trained in proper keigo usage by their employers). This does not mean, however, that this
system of Japanese formality is difficult; it is just not used enough in daily speech to
become familiar as quickly as less formal language. You can see the same pattern in
English vocabulary: everyone knows the word dull but how many of you know
insipid without reaching for the dictionary?
See the Japanese Honorifics section for more about keigo.
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How to Immerse in Japanese Anywhere in the

World
Although living in Japan is the ideal environment to learn Japanese, you can actually immerse
yourself in the language anywhere in the world leveraging a little technology, creativity, and
personal discipline:
Your Devices. Changing the display language on your computer and smartphone
creates a mini Japanese immersion environment no matter where you happen to be. And
since most modern humans spend the vast majority of their day using on their computer
or mobile device, this can make a big difference in the long run. When you change the
operating system language, menu items and prompts will still be in the same place and
express the same meanings that you are already familiar with, allowing you to guess at
their meaning much more easily than if you were exposed to the same language out of
context.
See Change Your Devices to Japanese and Optimize Your Browser.
Your Home Office. This is of course the easiest space to control as its all yours. It
should not be too much trouble to implement all of the suggestions here. Do everything
you can to ensure that its quiet, distraction-free, well lit, fully stocked, and labeled in
Japanese.
Your Work Place. The work place is a little more difficult to optimize for learning as
you are of course expected to be actually working, not studying Japanese. A discreet
solution is to simply hang a kanji poster on your wall or under your transparent desk pad.
You can also try fitting in some Anki sessions on your computer or phone, but bosses may
assume you are Facebooking, not expanding your Japanese vocabulary.
Kanji posters are available from KanjiPoster.com or WhiteRabbit.com.
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Public Transportation. Like most Americans, I grew up completely reliant on cars for
getting around. After moving to Japan post college, I finally realized what I had been
missing all this time: public transportation rocks! It saves you money (gas, maintenance,
parking, speeding tickets, etc.), its better for the environment, it eliminates the hassles of
navigating traffic, finding parking, getting pulled over, etc., and best of all for our
purposes, it allows you to spend time completely focused on learning Japanese each day!
Just fill your smartphone with Japanese podcasts, Japanese language apps, SRS decks, etc.
and away you go!
See the Recommended Japanese Podcasts sections for more info.
Your Car. While driving is not as ideal for language learning as public transportation,
you can at least make the most of your commute by listening to Japanese. Burn a CD of
Japanese podcasts, pop in a Pimsleur or Michel Thomas CD, or if your car supports it,
stream podcasts right from your device via Bluetooth.
See the Recommended Audio Courses section for more about Pimsleur and Michel Thomas.
The Living Room. Make sure to always have Japanese programs available so if you
must watch television, at least it becomes an immersion opportunity and not just a mind
numbing departure from reality. In addition to DVDs, you can also consider streaming
Japanese programs or podcasts on your Apple TV, xBox, or PS3.
Netflix, as well as many podcasts, can be accessed on Apple TV, xBox 360 and PlayStation 3.
The Throne Room. Ah yes, everyones favorite thinking place. I suggest placing a stack
of flashcards within reach (probably not ones you plan on using elsewhere...) or hanging a
kanji poster within view.
A good (though expensive) option is the Remembering the Kanji flaschcard box set.
Your Bedroom. Keep your copy of Remembering the Kanji on the nightstand and go
through a set number of new characters just before bed and review them upon waking.
You can also hang a kanji poster on the ceiling or wall if its within view. If theres a TV in
your bedroom, keep a stock of anime DVDs on hand.
See the Recommended Kanji Learning Tools and Recommended Japanese Anime sections for more info.
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Fundamentals
Your Body. Wait, what? Yes, your body. Or rather, your clothing. If you wear
KanjiPoster.coms Mighty Kanji T (with kanji printed upside down on your chest), you
can get exposure to kanji throughout your day by simply glancing down.
The Mighty Kanji T is available from KanjiPoster.com.
Sample Immersion Schedule

By popular request, here is a sample immersion schedule employing the tips, methods, and tools
detailed in the guide. The schedule is based around a 9 to 5 job, but can be easily tweaked to fit
any lifestyle or work schedule. Keep in mind that this schedule represents a best-case scenario where
you use all possible opportunities to immerse yourself in Japanese. I dont expect that a normal
human being will do all these things every single day. Just try to do as much as you can most of
the time, and you will be on the right track.
7:30 am: Wake Up. I take three deep, conscious breaths to start the day off right. I remind myself
how excited I am to be learning Japanese, and how important learning the language is in my life.
I then spend 10 minutes playing a kana game on my iPhone.
See Recommended Kana Learning Tools for recommended kana tools.
7:40 am: Shower. Using the steamed-up shower door, I write out as many kana as I can from
memory. If the mood takes me, I also sing lines from Japanese childrens songs hoping that
nobody is listening...
See Recommended Japanese Music for recommended artists and resources.
7:50 am: Getting Ready. I play a Newbie level episode from the JapanesePod101.com podcast as
I get ready.
See Recommended Japanese Podcasts for more suggested podcasts.
8:10 am: Breakfast. I prop my iPad up on the counter and begin playing an episode of Cowboy
Bebop () with English subtitles turned on while cooking and eating
breakfast.
See the Recommended Anime Series & Movies section for more suggestions.
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8:30 am: Commute. As I contend with rush-hour traffic, I listen to an episode of Japanese with
Michel Thomas or Pimsleur, making sure to speak aloud when prompted. This works great since I
am alone in my car, but I would probably opt for listening to a podcast or reading manga if I were
on the bus or train.
See the Recommended Audio Courses and Recommended Japanese Manga sections for more info.
9:10 am: Morning Meeting. Yay, meetings! Everyones favorite. Instead of doodling, checking
email, or just zoning out, I instead use the opportunity to discreetly study. My colleagues think I
am looking at the same boring PowerPoint on my laptop that they are, when I am in fact going
through my Japanese Core 2000 deck in Anki.
See Recommended SRS Tools for more about Anki.
12:30 pm: Lunch. I read 5 pages from hodou no owaru tokoro (
, the Japanese translation of Where the Sidewalk Ends). I read first for understanding,
quickly highlightingbut not yet looking upany unknown words or structures. After Ive given
a page a once through, I then go back and look up any unknown words in the Midori app on my
iPhone or using Tangorin.com if my laptop is handy (the latter is preferable because you can
directly export saved words to Anki). If I want to look up any new structures, I first use
Tatoeba.org to see if I can figure the patterns out on my own, and then consult A Dictionary of
Basic Japanese Grammar if Im still unsure.
See the Recommended Japanese Dictionaries and Recommended Japanese Grammar Books, Sites & Apps sections
for more recommendations.
1:30 pm: Tutor Session. I go back to my car, fire up the Skype app on my iPhone, and have a 15minute chat with my tutor. I ask him questions about particular words, phrases, and constructions
that came up in that days listening and reading activities. I find this type of tutoring to be far
more effective for me since the entire session is focused only on what I dont yet understand, and
far easier for the tutor since they then dont have to prepare a lesson in advance.
See How to Find & Work with Japanese Tutors for more info.
1:45 pm: Anki Session. I go back to my desk and finish up my lunch break with a quick 10-minute
Anki session. I am pleased to hit the green button on some cards that proved more troublesome
this morning.
See Recommended SRS Tools for more about Anki.
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Fundamentals
4:30 pm: Afternoon Meeting. Oh boy, more meetings! Since the afternoon meeting is even more
worthless than its morning counterpart, I discretely look up some new words that came up during
my lunch-time tutor session.
See Recommended Japanese Dictionaries for my list of suggested print and digital Japanese dictionaries.
5:30 pm: Commute. I listen to the rest of the Michel Thomas CD from this morning. Again, I
make sure to actually speak aloud when prompted as passive understanding is far less important
than active recall.
See the Recommended Audio Courses section for more info.
6:30 pm: Gym. I re-listen to this mornings podcast episode as I warm up on the treadmill, and
then listen to some high-octane Japanese music as I hit the weights.
See Recommended Japanese Music for recommended artists and resources.
7:00 pm: Dinner. I wind down from the day with another episode of Cowboy Bebop or re-watch
this mornings episode if Im feeling extra motivated. The wonderful music gets my toes tapping
and head bobbing as I cook.
See the Recommended Anime Series & Movies section for more suggestions.
7:30 pm: Nightly Entertainment. I stream a Japanese movie on Netflix. To help prevent the blue
light from screwing with my circadian rhythm and making it hard to fall asleep later, I don my
geeky orange glasses, dim the lights, and turn the brightness down on my device.
See Recommended Japanese Anime, Recommended Japanese TV Shows, and Recommended Japanese Movies, and
make sure to install F.lux on your computer to automatically reduce your displays blue light after dark.
9:30 pm: Before Bed. I listen to another Newbie level episode from JapanesePod101.com as I
brush my teeth and get ready for bed.
See Recommended Japanese Podcasts for more suggested podcasts.
9:45 pm: In Bed. I crack open hodou no owaru tokoro (
) and re-read the pages I went through during lunch, and read another 5 pages.
See Recommended Japanese Books & Literature for more suggestions.
80

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Master Japanese

How to Learn Nihongo the Fun Way

Copyright 2013 by John Fotheringham

Complete Package Bonuses ................................................................................32

15% Off a JapanesePod101.com Account .....................................................................................................................38

The Master Japanese Road Map.........................................................................46

Myth: Itll Take You Decades to Learn Japanese ............................................................................................................63

How to Create Good Goals & Stick to Them .........................................................64

How to Make Time For Japanese .......................................................................70

How to Make the Most of Your Time ..................................................................73

How to Immerse in Japanese Anywhere in the World ...........................................76

Recommended Chrome Extensions ..............................................................................................................................86

Recommended Methods .....................................89

Learn Through Action .......................................................................................98

Use the Shadowing Method..............................................................................107

Use Spaced Repetition .......................................................................................111

Recommended SRS Tools............................................................................................................................................113

Master High-Frequency Language First ..............................................................120

Capture Notes in Japanese Whenever Possible .....................................................122

Recommended Materials & Tools .......................127

Recommended Japanese Dictionaries .................................................................132

Recommended Mobile Dictionary Apps......................................................................................................................134

Recommended Japanese Materials & Tools .........................................................137

Listening & Speaking .......................................142

How to Improve Your Japanese Speaking Skills .................................................144

How to Find & Work with Japanese Tutors .......................................................148

Recommended Japanese Audio Courses..............................................................154

Recommended Japanese Podcasts .....................................................................158

Recommended Media Podcasts..................................................................................................................................171

Recommended Japanese Video Games................................................................175

Recommended Video Tools & Sites ....................................................................184

Recommended Japanese Anime .........................................................................189

Recommended Japanese TV Shows ...................................................................193

Recommended Japanese TV Series.............................................................................................................................193

Recommended Japanese Movies ........................................................................196

Recommended Japanese Audiobooks................................................................205

Recommended Music Tools & Sites ....................................................................207

Recommended Japanese Music .........................................................................209

Reading & Writing .........................................215

How to Conquer Kanji......................................................................................217

Getting the Most Out of RTK.............................................................................224

How to Type Japanese ....................................................................................226

How to Improve Your Japanese Reading Skills ..................................................230

How to Improve Your Japanese Writing Skills ..................................................232

Write in Japanese Every Chance You Get .....................................................................................................................232

Recommended Online Reading Tools .................................................................235

Recommended Japanese Manga .......................................................................239

Recommended Japanese Newspapers ................................................................245

Recommended Japanese Magazines..................................................................249

Recommended Japanese Books & Literature ......................................................252

Recommended e-Book Apps ......................................................................................................................................252

Japanese Writing ...........................................................................................274

Japanese Punctuation ................................................................................................................................................275

Japanese Vocabulary ......................................................................................277

Japanese Honorics .......................................................................................279

Japanese Verbs ..............................................................................................284

Potential Verb Forms ..................................................................................................................................................310

Japanese Adjectives .........................................................................................315

Japanese Sound Symbolic Words ....................................................................322

Japanese Proper Names ..................................................................................331

Japans Regions, Prefectures & Top 100 Cities .............................................................................................................342

Japanese Particles ..........................................................................................351

Japanese Numbers & Counters .........................................................................392