This website is dedicated to those who want to study and master Japanese. Japanese is one of the more difficult languages in the world to learn. Fluency requires thousands of hours of study. If you're here for the long haul, you're in the right place.

I usually study on my computer, and a lot of my methods are software-based. This website covers useful software, the best books, and ways to practice speaking and listening. My focus is on self study. I am not an expert; instead, I'm sharing resources that have worked for me, many of which are free.

Quick Overview

After studying Japanese on and off for three years, I decided to take the 2kyuu in December of 2007. I studied for four months for four hours a day and passed with the help of some memory software (I now recommend Mnemosyne (free) for this purpose).

After the 2kyuu, I decided to round out my study of the kanji and learn to read the 1945 that are taught through high school in Japan. Using Mnemosyne and the Kanji in Context books, I was able to learn to read 1000 kanji in about four months.

I passed the 1kyuu in December of 2008.

I've added articles on many things I've found useful (and some I've found not so useful, so that you'll know) in my study of Japanese. If you have anything to add, please do so in the forums.

Shopping for Japanese stuff?

I am now selling Japanese PSN Store Cards and iTunes Japan Gift Codes. I deliver within 24 hours via e-mail.

About the Format

I keep this site like a traditional website because the blog format is terrible for first-time visitors. If you come here looking for something specific, you don't want to have to read through the history of my blog or a bunch of forum posts just to find the answer. But, for repeat visitors, or those who want to subscribe via RSS, I do blog updates to the site.