Top 5 Japanese YouTube Channels That Are Actually Worth Watching
You’ve reached the point in your language journey where you want to dive into the world of "authentic" Japanese content—the stuff made by natives, for natives. YouTube is a great place to start, but how do you find high-quality content that Japanese people are actually watching?
Why It’s So Hard to Give Good Book/Manga Recommendations
One of the primary goals of this site is to introduce you to great Japanese-language content, and two of my favorite things to recommend are manga and novels. As someone who has been voraciously consuming content for decades now, however, I can tell you writing recommendations is inherently problematic.
Radio Dramas: The Secret Weapon for Boosting Your Japanese Listening
In simple terms, a radio drama (sometimes called "audio drama" or "radio theater") is just like a movie, but without visuals—only sound. The entire story is told solely through the voices of the characters, often with a bit of sound effects and atmospheric background music thrown in.
Mangaka Review #1: Adachi Mitsuru
In this series we honor, recognize, and review mangaka who are known for putting out multiple quality series.
Why You Should Consider Personal Development Books for Your First Books in Japanese
People often ask me what they should read for their first “real” books in Japanese. You’ve gone through the textbooks, mastered the apps, and now you’re feeling ready to tackle native Japanese material.
Must-Read Short Stories from Akutagawa Ryūnosuke
If you were asked to name the top five must-know authors of modern Japanese literature, Akutagawa Ryūnosuke’s name would certainly be near the top of that list. Along with Natsume Sōseki and Dazai Osamu, he is celebrated as one of the greatest and most well-known writers of fiction the country has produced.
Grammar Hammer
Hammer Japanese Grammar into your Skull
Kanji Driller
Drill kanji readings deep into your brain
Vocab Wrench
Crank up your vocabulary
Speed Saw
Learn to cut through Japanese reading and listening exercises with ever increasing speed