Japanese Hobby

Katsura Hashino talks Persona 5, life and his new project

<div>I waited so long for Persona 5 to finally hit the stores and when it was there I only played it for about 35 hours. Which is nothing for a Persona game. The series director Katsura Hashino directed all of the main entry Persona games so far. Each one with a touch of genius. No other game touched me in the way any of the Persona games did. With one exception which isn’t really one: Catherine. The twisted tale about love and temptation couple with a hardcore puzzler. It’s not really an exception because it was made by Katsura Hashino as well.<a href="https://www.japanesetease.net/youtube-channel-dedicated-young-japanese-artists-wish/">Toco Toco</a> met him, talked about his new project and had a couple of drinks with him in the SKY lounge of Carrot Tower in Tokyo. I usually don’t watch everything on the Toco Toco channel anymore (even if it’s highly recommended) but just took a long bath and caught up on their latest episodes alongside the one about Katsura Hashino. Make sure to watch the one about manga creators <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWp4EjZtxdw">UME</a> as well (their biggest hit so far was Tokyo Toy Box which I definitely have to read after watching this). I’m still not sure if this manga team is actually a couple as well, regardless I checked their other projects as well and will probably pick up some new Japanese manga soon.Hashino mentioned one thing that sets his games apart from the rest. He always aims to give you something more than just plain fun when playing his games. Something like a take-home message or some greater “wisdom”. And his games definitely deliver that experience. Now he only needs to make one for the Switch.</div>

Katsura Hashino talks Persona 5, life and his new project

I waited so long for Persona 5 to finally hit the stores and when it was there I only played it for about 35 hours. Which is nothing for a P...

How and where to buy Japanese bar tools directly from Japan

<div>Weddings are always a blast. Meeting old friends you haven‘t seen for years, good food and drinks. I met a longtime buddy of mine who always had a sweet tooth and a special interest in making cocktails. His twin sister is a chef in a thai joint in Oslo and there was always a little rivalry going on between the two of them. They love discussing over ingredients and the perfect way of preparation. Lately, he found is own obsession though: The art of making drinks.I‘ve always been interested in making cocktails and of course, never said no to a good drink. But who does, right. After the wedding, I wanted to get more serious about making drinks and searched the web form the right cocktail gear. I eventually came across the Japanese brand Yukiwa which stood up from the crowd. High level of quality, good design, and craftsmanship. All the qualities you are used to from Japanese brands.Talking with my buddy confirmed that Yukiwa definitely is delivering top quality items and so I decided to buy my first bar essentials by Yukiwa. Their products are pretty pricey in Europe or the States so I searched the Japanese web for some good places to pick up some bar gear.I came across <a href="http://www.naranja.co.jp/bar">naranja.co.jp</a> where you can find the whole product line by Yukiwa and all the other sought-after Japanese bar tool brands like BIRDY, Mr. Slim, and Yamachu. You can usually find the same items a tad cheaper at Yahoo Auctions or Rakuten but the selection is still superior at the specialty shop and browsing is way more easy and comfortable.Ordering the items from outside of JapanI already wrote a pretty extensive article about <a href="https://www.japanesetease.net/ultimate-guide-buying-japan/">ordering items from Japan</a> but I wanted to make a special post solely focused on Bar and Cocktail gear. To make things short: Use <a href="http://www.fromjapan.co.jp/?afid=Z21421">Fromjapan</a> as your proxy to order the items for you. Their rates are the cheapest, their packaging is awesome and they are fast as f… (use my link for sign-up and we’ll both receive a 500¥ present by <a href="http://www.fromjapan.co.jp/?afid=Z21421">fromjapan</a>) I used their service countless times over the years and have yet to be disappointed.Like always, if I discover other worthwhile brands for importing or some better shops I’ll update this post accordingly. But for now, Naranja has been my main choice. They offer free domestic shipping for orders above 10.500¥<h3>Japanese bar tool brands to watch out for</h3>There is a variety of brands in Japan who make quality bar gear. Glasses are usually imported from Riedel (Austrian brand) or Schott Zwiesel (German brand and the glasses I use in my home).Yukiwa | ユキワ – <a href="http://www.naranja.co.jp/bar/searches?search_keywords=%E3%83%A6%E3%82%AD%E3%83%AF">Naranja</a>The most well-known brand for Japanese bar gear and home of the Baron shaker (which really is a beauty) . Apart from their Cocktail selection, they offer coffee drip pots which are highly regarded in the scene. I’m a little part Italian though and am used to my classic pressure Espresso machine so I have no experience with preparing coffee that way.Birdy | BIRDY – <a href="http://www.naranja.co.jp/bar/searches?search_keywords=birdy">Naranja</a>A brand with probably the best back story in cocktail shaker history. Tetsuya Yokoyama was struggling to come up with a new product for his families struggling car part manufacturing business. Struck by fate he decided to try making the worlds best shaker and after meeting the cocktail artisan Erik Lorincz they came pretty close to it. Their <a href="https://www.birdy-erik.com/technology">website</a> explains the whole technical aspect of the shaker in detail. It all boils down to the fact that due to a special inner coating, the ingredients will move even faster and so-called “air bubbles” will be added to the mix.Be that as it may, the whole BIRDY collection looks and feels pretty great and if you’re into the look why not treat yourself to some new special cocktail gear.Mr. Slim | スリム – <a href="http://www.naranja.co.jp/bar/searches?search_keywords=%E3%82%B9%E3%83%AA%E3%83%A0">Naranja</a>Probably the best looking and most handy jiggers around. The inside of the openings sports a small line which lets you separate each volume and gives you an additional jigger size. They also have a pretty niceYamachu | ヤマチュウ – <a href="http://www.naranja.co.jp/bar/searches?search_keywords=%E3%83%A4%E3%83%9E%E3%83%81%E3%83%A5%E3%82%A6">Naranja</a>The Japanese ice pick maker and even if you didn’t use one before just looking at these beauties makes you want one.Here are some pictures of my last order I made at Naranja and was proxied by fromjapan. Japanese packaging is just the best, wish I could receive domestically shipped goods in that condition.<img alt="yukiwa cocktail baron shaker" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8469" height="683" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1024"><img alt="yukiwa cocktail baron shaker" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8469" height="683" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/DSCF2512-1024x683.jpg" width="1024"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8470" height="683" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1024"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8470" height="683" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/DSCF2513-1024x683.jpg" width="1024"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8472" height="683" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1024"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8472" height="683" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/DSCF2515-1024x683.jpg" width="1024"><img alt="yukiwa bar spoon " class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8473" height="683" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1024"><img alt="yukiwa bar spoon " class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8473" height="683" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/DSCF2516-1024x683.jpg" width="1024"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8474" height="683" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1024"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8474" height="683" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/DSCF2517-1024x683.jpg" width="1024"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8475" height="683" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1024"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8475" height="683" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/DSCF2518-1024x683.jpg" width="1024"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8476" height="683" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1024"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8476" height="683" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/DSCF2519-1024x683.jpg" width="1024"><img alt="yukiwa cocktail baron shaker" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8479" height="683" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1024"><img alt="yukiwa cocktail baron shaker" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8479" height="683" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/DSCF2522-1024x683.jpg" width="1024"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8478" height="683" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1024"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8478" height="683" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/DSCF2521-1024x683.jpg" width="1024"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8480" height="683" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1024"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8480" height="683" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/DSCF2523-1024x683.jpg" width="1024"><img alt="yukiwa strainer" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8481" height="683" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1024"><img alt="yukiwa strainer" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8481" height="683" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/DSCF2524-1024x683.jpg" width="1024"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8482" height="683" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1024"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8482" height="683" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/DSCF2525-1024x683.jpg" width="1024">And if you haven’t done so already, really check out the Japanese youtube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMNI_wdyMJeWxrbxkiZVoVQ">BAR-TIMES</a> (their website is also pretty amazing). Watching these artisans prepare cocktails just has a hypnotic quality to it. They have their own web-store as well (shipping directly from Japan) but their prices are nowhere near competitive comparing them to ordering directly from Naranja or some seller over at Rakuten/YahooAuctions.</div>

How and where to buy Japanese bar tools directly from Japan

Weddings are always a blast. Meeting old friends you haven‘t seen for years, good food and drinks. I met a longtime buddy of mine who always...

Nihongo fun and easy – if you travel to Japan that’s the quick guide to everyday conversations

<div>There are a bunch of different textbooks for learning Japanese and if you really want to start studying my main recommendation will always be <a href="https://www.japanesetease.net/how-i-learn-japanese-my-essentials/">Genki</a>. But it takes a while until you will be able to communicate if you go down this route. This systematic approach towards the language is giving you a step by step overview about the language. You will learn grammar, vocab and kanji not after daily usefulness but more selected by difficulty and how they build up on one another (which is especially true for Kanji and thus the vocab you’ll learn).And that’s exactly the problem why so many Japanese learners get discouraged from learning so quickly – because it can take ages until you will be able to actually use some of the Japanese you studied so hard for. Especially when you’re planning to visit Japan you want to be able to instantly use the stuff you learned. I vividly remember the time when I first went over to Japan. Studied by myself, went through the Kanji (still using the Heisig method back in the day) and couldn’t even order a meal. Maybe it was just me but I would’ve loved to get my hands on a book that’s so focused on daily usage like Nihongo fun and easy.This book was made for Japanese beginners who’re planning to visit Japan and want to be able to function in daily conversations. No fancy grammar points or vocab. Just every day problems like asking for the next ATM around or ordering in a restaurant. Things you definitely want to do and how awesome is it if you can directly use that Japanese that you just studied (granted, you have to be in Japan for that). The first couple of pages are in full color and I instantly loved the food pictures which will come in quite handy if you’re heading out to grab your first couple of meals in Japan.Just have a look at the pictures to get a feel for the individual lessons. I initially bought this for my next trip to Japan when you just want a quick view on how to do some daily things and don’t sound like a complete dork. And I think it’s a great book to have if you’re with someone who isn’t studying Japanese but is interested in the language. What better way to dive directly into that foreign language and try yourself ordering the next meal at the Izakaya nearby.<ul><li>Buy Nihongo fun & easy at <a href="http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/aff/click.cgi/PytJTGW7Lok/4756/A148868/product%2FNEOBK-883715">CDjapan</a> (If you buy the books through my links, I’ll get a small referral fee which will be used to buy even more awesome books for review)</li></ul><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8230" height="800" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1200"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8230" height="800" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/nihongo-fun-and-easy-21.jpg" width="1200"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8231" height="800" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1200"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8231" height="800" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/nihongo-fun-and-easy-22.jpg" width="1200"><ul><li>Buy Nihongo fun & easy at <a href="http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/aff/click.cgi/PytJTGW7Lok/4756/A148868/product%2FNEOBK-883715">CDjapan</a> (If you buy the books through my links, I’ll get a small referral fee which will be used to buy even more awesome books for review)</li></ul></div>

Nihongo fun and easy – if you travel to Japan that’s the quick guide to everyday conversations

There are a bunch of different textbooks for learning Japanese and if you really want to start studying my main recommendation will always b...

Review: Nihongo so-matome JLPT reading comprehension

<div>I’ve never been interested in taking one of the JLPTs but I was kinda interested what their difficulty level for reading comprehension would be. So I just bought one from the well known JLPT preparing book series called <a href="http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/aff/click.cgi/PytJTGW7Lok/4756/A148868/products?term.media_format=&q=Nihongo+so+matome">Nihongo so-matome</a> (日本語総まとめ). They offer a platora of books covering the whole range of JLPT difficulties from N5 to N1. For some people this definitely is a nice way to boost up their learning morale always knowing that they registered for the test and have to prepare. When I think about this more now maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to register myself but it’s just not in the cards to do that much Japanese studying among all the other stuff I have to do for university. Regardless, I just picked this one up to get a little more Japanese practice in and have a look at the difficulty of the N3 level.Unfortunately there are no real translations of all the texts in the book, just the ones for the key points which can be found in the back of the book. What I really like are the different sets of text which are all dedicated to a specific theme. Advertisements were one of the more exciting ones and it really makes sense to have some for translation. They’re shot, easy to understand and you can instantly use your new knowledge when you pick up a <a href="https://www.japanesetease.net/buy-japanese-magazines/">Japanese magazine</a> or wander the streets of Japan (in that case, lucky you).I already have a couple of books by Ask Publishing (like <a href="https://www.japanesetease.net/review-understanding-basic-japanese-grammar/">Understanding Japanese Grammar</a>) and really like their stuff. Nice artwork and content. Always neatly organized and presented. Like always just have a look at the pictures and choose for yourself if this title might be something for your Japanese learning repertoire. It’s especially a tough one this time because I have nothing to do with the JLPT itself for what this book is especially made (for the reading comprehension part at least).<ul><li>Buy Nihongo so-matome at <a href="http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/aff/click.cgi/PytJTGW7Lok/4756/A148868/products?term.media_format=&q=Nihongo+so+matome">CDjapan</a> or <a href="http://shop.whiterabbitjapan.com/search?q=Nihongo+So-matome&rfsn=27572.9913d">WhiteRabbitJapan</a> (If you buy the books through my links, I’ll get a small referral fee which will be used to buy even more awesome books for review)</li></ul><img alt="nihongo so-matome n3-2" class="wp-image-7848 aligncenter size-full" height="800" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1200"><img alt="nihongo so-matome n3-2" class="wp-image-7848 aligncenter size-full" height="800" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/nihongo-so-matome-n3-2.jpg" width="1200"><img alt="nihongo so-matome n3-17" class="wp-image-7863 aligncenter size-full" height="800" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1200"><img alt="nihongo so-matome n3-17" class="wp-image-7863 aligncenter size-full" height="800" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/nihongo-so-matome-n3-17.jpg" width="1200"><ul><li>Buy Nihongo so-matome at <a href="http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/aff/click.cgi/PytJTGW7Lok/4756/A148868/products?term.media_format=&q=Nihongo+so+matome">CDjapan</a> or <a href="http://shop.whiterabbitjapan.com/search?q=Nihongo+So-matome&rfsn=27572.9913d">WhiteRabbitJapan</a> (If you buy the books through my links, I’ll get a small referral fee which will be used to buy even more awesome books for review)</li></ul></div>

Review: Nihongo so-matome JLPT reading comprehension

I’ve never been interested in taking one of the JLPTs but I was kinda interested what their difficulty level for reading comprehension would...

Easy stories in Japanese which you can read in 10 minutes

<div>Unfortunately this post has been lost in the latest restore of Japanese Tease which may explain why the text differs a little from the one you may have read before. I picked these books up a while ago to have some more light reading material and even ordered some of the lower grades to give them away as presents. The <a href="https://www.japanesetease.net/japanese-graded-readers/">Japanese Graded Readers</a> series is just awesome hands down but it never hurts to try out some alternatives especially if they’re as charming as these little storie here.Easy stories in Japanese which you can read in 10 minutes (１０分で読めるお話), the title of the book explains it all. You don’t a CD with the spoken text here (like with the graded readers) but each book just goes for the cost of a normal manga (700¥) so you can’t complain. In between the pages are some light color drawings thrown in and the protective wrapper gives the whole package a nice quality feel to it. I made pictures of all the books I bought. From grade 1 up to grade six. just have a look for yourself and decide how you enjoy the stories.There is nothing more discouraging than a never ending story in Japanese. You really want some manageable pieces to read especially when you’re still constantly looking up new words. The Easy stories to read in Japanese series has several different sub lines as well. I picked up one of the stories which’er supposed to read with a friend of yours. I thought there would maybe be some back and forth dialogue in there but this edition is just centered around stories about friendship.<ul><li>Buy １０分で読めるお話 directly from Japan at <a href="http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/aff/click.cgi/PytJTGW7Lok/4756/A148868/products?term.media_format=&q=10+Fun+De+Yomeru">CDjapan</a> or from the US at <a href="http://shop.whiterabbitjapan.com/collections/japanese-language/products/10-pun-de-yomeru-ohanashi-stories-you-can-read-in-just-10-minutes?rfsn=27572.9913d">WRJ</a> (If you buy the books through my links, I’ll get a small referral fee which will be used to buy even more awesome books for review)</li></ul><img alt="japanese stories you can read in 10 minutes-2" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7764" height="800" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1200"><img alt="japanese stories you can read in 10 minutes-2" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7764" height="800" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/japanese-stories-you-can-read-in-10-minutes-2.jpg" width="1200"><img alt="japanese stories you can read in 10 minutes-5" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7767" height="800" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1200"><img alt="japanese stories you can read in 10 minutes-5" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7767" height="800" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/japanese-stories-you-can-read-in-10-minutes-5.jpg" width="1200"><img alt="japanese stories you can read in 10 minutes-8" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7770" height="800" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1200"><img alt="japanese stories you can read in 10 minutes-8" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7770" height="800" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/japanese-stories-you-can-read-in-10-minutes-8.jpg" width="1200"><img alt="japanese stories you can read in 10 minutes-9" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7771" height="800" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1200"><img alt="japanese stories you can read in 10 minutes-9" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7771" height="800" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/japanese-stories-you-can-read-in-10-minutes-9.jpg" width="1200"><img alt="japanese stories you can read in 10 minutes-10" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7772" height="800" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1200"><img alt="japanese stories you can read in 10 minutes-10" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7772" height="800" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/japanese-stories-you-can-read-in-10-minutes-10.jpg" width="1200"><img alt="japanese stories you can read in 10 minutes-11" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7773" height="800" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1200"><img alt="japanese stories you can read in 10 minutes-11" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7773" height="800" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/japanese-stories-you-can-read-in-10-minutes-11.jpg" width="1200"><img alt="japanese stories you can read in 10 minutes-13" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7775" height="800" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1200"><img alt="japanese stories you can read in 10 minutes-13" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7775" height="800" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/japanese-stories-you-can-read-in-10-minutes-13.jpg" width="1200"><img alt="japanese stories you can read in 10 minutes-14" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7776" height="800" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1200"><img alt="japanese stories you can read in 10 minutes-14" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7776" height="800" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/japanese-stories-you-can-read-in-10-minutes-14.jpg" width="1200"><ul><li>Buy １０分で読めるお話 directly from Japan at <a href="http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/aff/click.cgi/PytJTGW7Lok/4756/A148868/products?term.media_format=&q=10+Fun+De+Yomeru">CDjapan</a> or from the US at <a href="http://shop.whiterabbitjapan.com/collections/japanese-language/products/10-pun-de-yomeru-ohanashi-stories-you-can-read-in-just-10-minutes?rfsn=27572.9913d">WRJ</a> (If you buy the books through my links, I’ll get a small referral fee which will be used to buy even more awesome books for review)</li></ul></div>

Easy stories in Japanese which you can read in 10 minutes

Unfortunately this post has been lost in the latest restore of Japanese Tease which may explain why the text differs a little from the one y...

Learn tons of new Japanese words in context with iknow.jp

<div>No matter what field you’re in no matter what you’re trying to learn from Physics to law to anatomy. What matters most when studying is sticking to a routine. A daily routine at best. I’ve already written at length about the books and tools to <a href="https://www.japanesetease.net/how-i-learn-japanese-my-essentials/">get you started to learn Japanese</a>. But if you mastered the basics there was no really comfortable way to learn new vocabulary. And you really need to learn a lot of vocabulary when you want to be able to read Japanese.I used Anki for quite a while and just wrote down all the unknown words I encountered when reading some manga or stuff in general. Not a bad way to get introduced to new words but a stressful one. After all, writing everything down in Anki takes time and if you want to do it the right way you should actually write down the whole sentence the unknown word appears in.And that’s where iknow.jp comes into play. Formerly known for its once free Japanese core sentences you learn all Japanese by (you guessed it) sentences. Always coupled with a fitting picture to give you an image to think about as well. Everything is fully voiced, did I mention that? And after <a href="https://www.japanesetease.net/japanesepod101-give-your-listening-comprehension-a-boost/">using Japanesepod101</a> for quite a while I really noticed how important it is to train your listening comprehension as early as possible.When I wrote about <a href="https://www.japanesetease.net/probably-best-app-learn-japanese/">Kanji Box being a neat app</a> to practice your grammar skills a reader recommended iknow.jp to me. I had a quick look at their site and just did their placing test to see how things are going and where I would be able to start. Nice feature, that you don’t have to start again with the very beginnings. Sometimes it’s not a bad way to start again, to repeat the basics but on the other hand, nobody wants to go through all the more common words again and again if you already know them by heart.Not having the feeling of making any real progress for yourself can be frustrating and that’s exactly what we don’t want to happen. To feel frustrated or annoyed by learning Japanese. After all, we’re in it for the long run.<img alt="iknow japanese vocabulary app-4" border="0" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6742" height="800" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1200"><img alt="iknow japanese vocabulary app-4" border="0" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6742" height="800" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/iknow-japanese-vocabulary-app-4.jpg" width="1200"><h4>The power of learning words in the context of a sentence.</h4>Each language is a little different in the way you express certain things or react to different situations. This has a lot to do with different cultural backgrounds, different politeness levels and overall how various events are treated differently by different cultures. Apart from that, there are just some languages who don’t have several words to express nuances in an action.German (my mother tongue) for example has a highly complex grammar but only a pretty small amount of vocabulary in comparison to English or, in our case here, Japanese. So when learning a new word it’s difficult to put it into place in your mind and really understand the meaning of it when not seen in context. That’s where iknow really shines. Helping you to give a newly learned word some real meaning inside your brain.<img alt="iknow japanese vocabulary app-3" border="0" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6741" height="800" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1200"><img alt="iknow japanese vocabulary app-3" border="0" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6741" height="800" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/iknow-japanese-vocabulary-app-3.jpg" width="1200">Nothing better than to couple learning new vocab with a corresponding sentence. The sentence is spoken out loud by a native, plus a picture to look at which sums up the action. Neuroanatomy and the ways the brain really works are still pretty much unknown to humankind.There are a lot of theories. Some are even proven up to a certain point but we’re still miles away from really comprehending the abstract ways our brain is working in. There are probably some of you how could explain this a lot better than me but I’ll still try to give you a very basic idea of how our brain is working. I think this helps immensely to understand why certain approaches are just so much more effective.<h4>There are different areas in our brain-cortex which control different aspects of our behavior and actions.</h4>The main idea behind trying to stimulate our learning process by triggering as many different “senses” as possible is to activate as many different cortex areas (outside areas of our brain) as possible. For example one is processing visual stimuli one is responsible for auditory stimuli and so on. Around 1940 a guy named Papez discovered that certain parts of our brain or better certain small structures who are connected and build a circle (where information is processing through again and again) are responsible for the control of emotional expression. I wrote this like it’s a fact but these are all just theories.Another guy came along and defined the Papez neuron circle and called it the limbic system and said that the frontal part of your brain is responsible for processing all these kind of information which got an emotional connection. But now comes the fun part: Today’s science is thinking that the so-called “limbic system” is not only responsible for controlling and processing emotions but also an integral part of our memory. Or better how memory develops.To cut things short. Even if these are more or fewer theories (of which some points have been proven to a certain degree) we know that the part of our brain that is responsible for creating memories is also responsible for controlling emotions. And that’s why it is much easier to learn something when you can get an emotional connection to it. Or rather to a memory. And that’s why iknow is so effective because they do exactly that.<img alt="iknow japanese vocabulary app" border="0" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6744" height="800" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=" width="1200"><img alt="iknow japanese vocabulary app" border="0" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6744" height="800" src="https://www.japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/iknow-japanese-vocabulary-app.jpg" width="1200"><h4>Each sentence tells a little story.</h4>There are 6000 sentences in total graded after common usage. So the first 1000 are for the beginners and while progressing the material gets more advanced. Sound reasonable, right. The vocabulary used in each pack (which consists of 100 new words) is used to construct the sentences. Which means that a learned word will appear in a sentence where you’ll learn another one. Pretty clever.The great part is that every sentence tells a small story and with the way the speakers recorded it and the corresponding picture you can feel a certain emotional tone which each one. At least I do. And because of this, we’re much more likely to remember the taught vocab.<h4>They really encourage you to stick to it.</h4>I’m a sucker for statistics and that’s why iknow is so motivating for. You set yourself a study goal for the time you want to study each week. I put down a reasonable 90 minutes because nothing is more frustrating than setting your goals too high. Each day you study will be marked in a virtual calendar and of course, you want every single day to have that mark. Along with that, you can see exactly how much time you spent with each course and a total as well. Isn’t this great to know that you learned 300 new words in maybe 10 hours.But again, I love statistics. Completely forgot that the consecutive days of studying are counted. I set myself the goal to study every single day even if it’s just a burst of 10 words until I <a href="https://www.japanesetease.net/lets-visit-japan-summer/">visit Japan again in August</a>. All these features make it ridiculously easy to stick to a daily routine.<h4>The pricing, the incredible App, and the coupon.</h4>I’m a huge fan of my iPad and am doing the big part of my Japanese studying <a href="https://www.japanesetease.net/tag/app/">with Apps</a>. And this is where iknow really shines, their iOS Apps. They are intuitive well working and looking plain gorgeous. A friend of mine Sebastian even met the guys at a developer conference in Tokyo and had to say a lot of positive things about them. But when you’re using the App don’t purchase your subscription (if you’re interested) with it. It’s more expensive (through Apple’s fees) than just registering online. I even got in touch with the iknow team and got you a 1-month free coupon. Just register for a free account and redeem it afterward.Our special coupon code: iKnowJapaneseTease Update: The coupon expired and the folks over at iKnow didn’t want to extend its validity.If you should think about making a 12-month subscription <a href="https://iknow.jp/referrals/2ww7s245eeizmojae94lrowf0ux1zxgs/signup">use this link</a> and we both get 3 additional months for free!I highly recommend using <a href="https://www.japanesetease.net/japanesepod101-give-your-listening-comprehension-a-boost/">Japanesepod101</a> in conjunction with iKnow. Together they make the perfect team for learning Japanese. This way you get in some essential vocabulary and sentences with iKnow and some proper listening comprehension and grammatical explanations with Japanesepod101. Coupled with a solid textbook (<a href="https://www.japanesetease.net/how-i-learn-japanese-my-essentials/">like Genki</a>) it’s probably the most efficient way to start learning Japanese.Let me know what you think about the iknow App. I’m sure some of you are using it already. I think the pricing is pretty fair and it’s currently the main tool I use for my Japanese studies. Actually, I even quit WaniKani because I just couldn’t manage to do both iknow and WK at the same time. Looking forward to your feedback.</div>

Learn tons of new Japanese words in context with iknow.jp

No matter what field you’re in no matter what you’re trying to learn from Physics to law to anatomy. What matters most when studying is stic...