It's been too long. I've been very busy at work, and unfortunately I haven't had much time to update this site.

Thankfully, I was able to find some time this weekend, and I did a bit of spring cleaning. The forums are now closed, as they weren't getting much use anyway. The main site is quite popular, but it doesn't seem like there's a lot to discuss, so I have now shut down the forums.

I also reorganized and resigned the store. It looks much more like a typical net shop now.

Also, I am now selling Japanese Microsoft Points in the store. For all of you gamers out there, I'm happy to be at your service.

Cheers,
Kaeru

Today I posted my review of the ATOK Japanese Input System here:
http://www.nihongoperapera.com/typing-in-japanese/atok-system.html

I highly recommend ATOK for advanced learners (but only advanced learners) of Japanese. It can vastly improve your writing through its easy access to dictionary lookup.

I've also added mini-reviews of Heavy Rain and Uncharted 1 + 2 from the standpoint of Japanese students.
http://www.nihongoperapera.com/videogames/ps3-japanese.html

Wow! It's been just a little over two years since I started this site. I hope I can continue it for many more years to come.

The big addition today is a rough guide to teaching English in Japan-
http://www.nihongoperapera.com/jobs/teaching-english-in-japan.html

Also, I updated the keyboard shortcuts tables to include the most common shortcuts for Mac OS X:
http://www.nihongoperapera.com/typing-in-japanese/windows-keyboard-short...

And lastly, I added a review of Final Fantasy XIII:
http://www.nihongoperapera.com/videogames/final-fantasy-13-japanese.html

As always, I welcome any feedback you may have.

Cheers,
Kaeru

I know it's a little late but there are many exciting things in store for NihongoPeraPera in 2010.

Starting this week, I will be slowing adding pieces of my "How to find a job in Japan" guide as I complete them.

This will not be a comprehensive guide, as I do not have the experience to make such; rather, I will simply relate my experiences of searching for work in Japan and what went well (and what didn't) for me.

You can read the first article, which gives mini-reviews of the biggest job-hunting websites, here:
http://www.nihongoperapera.com/jobs/japanese-job-search-sites-reviews.html

Cheers,
Kaeru

A reader recently asked me about how to find an apartment in Japan. Well, to be honest I don't have much experience in the real estate area, but I can recommend Sakura House (in Tokyo) as a reputable company.

I wrote a short review here:

http://www.nihongoperapera.com/reviews/sakura-house-tokyo.html

Cheers,
Kaeru

This week I added a new section on typing in Japanese. I was quite surprised to discover that an old friend of mine, who writes Japanese rather well, didn't know some of the basics about inputting Japanese on an English keyboard. So, this week I have listed some of the most useful keyboard shortcuts when typing Japanese. You may already know most of them, but it never hurts to have a refresher.

http://www.nihongoperapera.com/typing-in-japanese/windows-keyboard-short...

Cheers,
Kaeru

This week I have returned to revise one of my older articles on the limits of spaced repetition software. I think that the most common misconception people have is that downloading card sets is a shortcut to language learning.

You can read more at the link below:
http://www.nihongoperapera.com/flashcards-insufficient.html

Regards,
Kaeru

I have posted my review of the electronic dictionary I recently purchased here:
Casio Ex-word 6900

I know the updates have been sparse recently but I was frantically looking for a job in Japan doing something other than teaching English. Thankfully, I got lucky and found one, and I have now moved to Tokyo from Tohoku and am starting a new life here. Now that I have some free time again, there should be more updates.

Cheers,
Kaeru

By reader request, I have written mini-reviews for five Japanese podcasts, some of which will help you for the JLPT, and some of which are just fun and can help with your conversational Japanese. You can find the update here-

http://www.nihongoperapera.com/itunes-japanese-podcasts.html

Soon, I will add a review of the Casio EXWord that I recently purchased, but in the meantime, you are welcome to suggest content addtions here-
http://www.nihongoperapera.com/contact

Cheers,
Kaeru

I know it's been awhile, but I'm happy to announce a large update today. First, I have completely revised the 1kyuu section, which can be found here-
http://www.nihongoperapera.com/jlpt/1kyuu.html

This covers all of the tips and tricks that I used to pass the 1kyuu. I hope you find it useful. As always, if you're unclear on anything, or want more information, please ask in the forums.

Also, for all of you gamers out there, I am now selling Japanese PlayStation Network Store cards on the site-
http://www.nihongoperapera.com/buy-japanese-psn-cards.html

This is a great way for you to practice your Japanese and play some great games at the same time. All you need is a PS3 or PSP (any region will work with a free Japanese account- more detailed instructions can be found by clicking the link above).

Regards,
Kaeru