How to win at the JLPT

Don’t just take it, plan for the day after. What are you going to do after the JLPT? If you are thinking “Take a few days off”. Stop. Right. There. No, taking time off from studying would be a bad idea! Why? Let me explain… You have been...

Learn Japanese backwards

Learn backwards to move forwards. Do you know how to learn a language backwards? Ok, it doesn’t actually mean learning the words backwards – although you can if you like, if that works for you 😉 It means learning the language by using English language...

Fun language challenge

There are so many different ways to learn Japanese but today I am going to give you just one tip to get your teeth into, Pinterest. If you were not aware, Pinterest is basically a Search Engine, so you can search Japanese or  日本語 and find plenty of resources to keep...

JLPT Bootcamp 2017 – The review

We did it! We ran our second JLPT Bootcamp from Friday 17th November until Sunday 19th November. It was intensive Japanese! It was a lot of fun! But most of all, there was a real amount of learning achieved! Mistakes were made which was fantastic! Yes, you read that...

Are you healthy?

At this time of year (and where I am in the Northern hemisphere), it is natural for conversations to gravitate towards health. I have heard health vocabulary a lot in recent weeks. I list a few in my video but there are more here… Of course, this one is also...

How to start a Japanese Conversation Club

I have had a few people ask me how my Japanese Conversation Club began. In this video, I explain the steps to take to start a group for yourself. Find a few friends of a similar Japanese level who also want to increase their Japanese fluency. Find a suitable time and...

What are the best ways to remember vocabulary?

There are many ways to remember vocabulary. What works for you? In this video I talk about the following approaches: Apps Train your tongue and lips to help you to remember Visualisation Use on the street Create resources on the go Post-it notes Find a speaking...

For kids? For adults too!

Our Edinburgh-based group Nihongo Scotland (part of online group Nihongo Connection) was recently given a selection of children’s books. These are a great resource for Japanese language learners and have already found a few fans at our Friday study club in...

What is that weird katakana word in my manga?

Pow! Bang! Whack! Yes, those are the English equivalents, but they are not the only onomatopoeia that we use. There are words that represent the voices of people and animals, the sounds of things, conditions, actions, feelings and emotions. Don’t freak out,...
Planning for your trip to Japan

Planning for your trip to Japan

When planning your trip to Japan, do you check what you can and cannot take into the country? Did you know that there are certain medicines that are prohibited and controlled in Japan? The prohibited and controlled medicines are namely those that contain stimulants...