JapanesePod101.com Blog

Back in November, Dr. Matt Wachsman contacted us about his mnemonic system for learning Kanji using captivating and enjoyable flash movies. These movies involve multiple parts of the brain simultaneously, reinforcing memory linkage with visual associations, sequence associations, humor and rhymes. We hope these will appeal to people with a variety of learning styles and that you enjoy them. We plan to introduce about 6-12 new Kanji per week to cover the Kanji taught in the first 6 years of school in Japan and the JLPT levels 4 and 3. This week's animation is titled Eyes!

Quick Links Welcome to Kanji Curiosity | The Basics | Glossary Last week we saw how the 約 in 約束 (yakusoku: promise, promise + to bind) can imply a binding contract. I don't usually associate contracts with any sense of contracting, which is to say "shrinking." But just as "contract" has these two meanings, so does 約, strangely enough. "Contract" in English (and Latin) ... In fact, Halpern says that "shortening" is the original meaning of 約. When does 約 convey a sense of shrinking? I can think of no better example than this one: 括約筋 (katsuyakukin: sphincter)     to constrict + to shrink + muscle Oh, come now. There are several sphincters in the body! What's With the Breakdown of 括?! ... Whereas... Show more

Thank you for all the name entries, for all the votes, and of course, we can't forget the feedback. This has been a very interesting contest, not without its challenges. We apologize for the delay in posting this prize announcement, but the logistics of a contest of this scale do not allow for a very quick turnaround. We've decided to award the first place prize, a lifetime subscription to all of our existing sites, to all 8 finalists. We will be contacting all winners by email with the next step. In addition, for everyone who submitted an entry, we are offering a FREE 1-Month Premium Subscription to JapanesePod101.com + a very special coupon. Look for a follow-up email in the next few days with details on how to claim your prize.... Show more

Back in November, Dr. Matt Wachsman contacted us about his mnemonic system for learning Kanji using captivating and enjoyable flash movies. These movies involve multiple parts of the brain simultaneously, reinforcing memory linkage with visual associations, sequence associations, humor and rhymes. We hope these will appeal to people with a variety of learning styles and that you enjoy them. We plan to introduce about 6-12 new Kanji per week to cover the Kanji taught in the first 6 years of school in Japan and the JLPT levels 4 and 3. This week's animation is titled Nose!

Quick Links Welcome to Kanji Curiosity | The Basics | Glossary In the past, we've encountered kanji that embody opposite meanings—namely, 出 and 追. Well, I’ve found another culprit: 約 (YAKU)! A Note on the Yomi ... In one side of its split personality, this is the laid-back kanji of approximations; when you don't know a precise number, you can precede it with 約 to express the idea of "about" or "circa" or "kinda sorta like that." For instance, you might use 約 to say "about half": 約半分 (yaku hanbun: about half)     about + half (last 2 chars.) The full breakdown is about + half + part. When I wrote an article about the soon-to-be-unveiled Shibuya Station, I asked a project architect for its... Show more

We just rolled out a handy little feature that will make it possible for you to see the 5 most recent posts in this blog and our forum from the lessons page of the main site. Here's a screen shot of the functionality. Let us know what you think. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

Sign up for our Premium 12-Month subscription TODAY and we'll ship you our top-selling "Japanese Kanji Flashcards" for FREE (a $35 value). If you really want your Japanese learning to start with blazing speed then you must have a set of Kanji Flashcards. Not just the digital kind, but the hard, hold-in-your-hands cards that will speed up your learning and recall by at least 250%. Click to sign up for a 12-Month Premium subscription TODAY! * Can't be combined with any other offer or coupon. Prior subscriptions are not eligible for offer. Limit one per customer, non-transferable. Only while supplies last!

Back in November, Dr. Matt Wachsman contacted us about his mnemonic system for learning Kanji using captivating and enjoyable flash movies. These movies involve multiple parts of the brain simultaneously, reinforcing memory linkage with visual associations, sequence associations, humor and rhymes. We hope these will appeal to people with a variety of learning styles and that you enjoy them. We plan to introduce about 6-12 new Kanji per week to cover the Kanji taught in the first 6 years of school in Japan and the JLPT levels 4 and 3. This week's animation is titled Throat!

We would like to start with a big, make that a very BIG, "Arigatou gozaimasu!" In total we received over 5,000 submissions! We were blown away by the incredible response to our request for help. We would like to thank everyone who submitted a suggestion, and also would like to let you know we'll be sending along a very special e-mail for you in the near future. Please keep an eye out for it. Below are the finalists. After 7 straight days of analyzing, testing, comparing, brainstorming, and more, below are the finalists. We would like to ask you help one more time, as we would truly appreciate a vote for your favorite. Thank you everyone for voting. The final results are below: Thank you again. It is you, the listeners,... Show more

Quick Links Welcome to Kanji Curiosity | The Basics | Glossary I've never liked the term "passing away," perhaps because it's euphemistic or ... I don't know. I've just never liked the way it sounds. But this week, as my grandmother has been lying in a semi-conscious haze, close to death, I've taken comfort in the idea of a passage. That is, I like to think that she's not passing away but rather passing through. I imagine that she's going through a tunnel. Much as we come into this world through a birth canal, I choose to believe that she's working her way down a "death canal." And that somehow makes the idea more palatable. Death is about stopping: 止. It's about going no farther. But if she's in a passage, then she's still... Show more