This is a special edition podcast on the reading section for the N4 level only, so if you aren't study for that exam, you might want to go ahead and skip this podcast.  Don't go too far though, because I'll be going over each level of the test over the f

This is a special edition podcast on the reading section for the N5 level only, so if you aren't study for that exam, you might want to go ahead and skip this podcast.  Don't go too far though, because I'll be going over each level of the test over the f

Japanese reading is one of the two essential skills that the JLPT covers.  For N5 and N4, this section of the test isn't all that critical.  The reading is fairly short and straightforward.  If you study your vocabulary and kanji before hand you should

First of all, thanks to everyone who has written in over the last few weeks.  I enjoy reading your emails and it's always good to hear from my readers.  Keep the letters coming! Over the last 2 or 3 weeks I've been listening to a lot of Japanese podcas

Last week, I talked a little bit about why listening to music in Japanese could help you study Japanese and improve your listening.  This week I go over where you can find some good music at decent prices or even free (legitimately). To start off though

Quick Update about the Tohoku Earthquake As of March 21st, the Fukushima plant seems to be mostly under control.  They have reduced the temperature of the spent fuel ponds to below boiling.  The situation is getting more stable, but there is still some

The recent earthquake that hit Japan has been officially updated to magnitude 9.0.  It was the 4th biggest earthquake in the world.  The ensuing tsunami engulfed entire towns and washed away houses and whole lives. There are currently about 3,700 confi

Last week, I podcasted about Japanese podcasts and mentioned She Saw Mail.  I've started to get use to listening to the Japanese and trying to understand as much as I can.  Surprisingly, I'm starting to understand more and more from the podcasts. It's

Last week I announced my quest to become more and more immersed in the language.  I'm going to try to phase in as much Japanese as I can over the next couple of weeks.  This means going out and finding some good sources of material. To start off I want

I'm excited to get my results back and find out that I passed N3.  I was a bit surprised by my scores, but I'm going to use that to focus on what I need to focus on.  It's time to pass the N2 (and eventually the N1). To stay on track and pass the N2 th