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How to learn Japanese, living in Japan, work scenes, and culture. Short, calm reads gathered slowly over time.
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We've Published Article Content — On How to Learn Japanese and How to Live in Japan
We've added 25 articles on how to learn Japanese and how to navigate life in Japan to Nihongo Tomo. Use them alongside the word flashcards in the gaps of your day.
Recent articles
Complete JLPT Roadmap N5 to N1: Vocabulary, Hours, and Real-World Levels
JLPT runs from N5 to N1 in five steps. Which level should you start with, how many hours will it take, and what can you actually do at each stage? Having the full map first saves you from wandering.
How to Memorize Kanji Efficiently: Conquering 2,000 Characters with Radicals, Phono-Semantic Composition, and SRS
'2,000 kanji' sounds dizzying, but 80% of kanji are 'radical + sound component' combinations. Knowing the structure first dramatically reduces the memorization load. Three weapons — phono-semantic compounds, SRS, and read/write separation — for tackling 2,000 characters.
Japanese Study Habits That Actually Stick: The Three Principles of Tiny Units, Visibility, and Recovery
If you've quit 'on day three,' the problem isn't your willpower — it's that you're pushing forward with a design that's hard to sustain. Three things people who actually keep going do without thinking: tiny units, visibility, and recovery — laid out so you can copy them today.
How to Break Through the JLPT N3 Wall: A 90-Day Plan for the 1,500→3,750 Vocabulary Jump and Abstract Grammar
Many learners cruise to N4 and stall at N3. The cause is four things: 'vocabulary 2.5×,' 'sudden abstract grammar,' 'longer reading passages,' and 'natural-speed listening.' Each barrier has a fix — and a 90-day plan to clear N3.
Complete Shadowing Guide: A 15-Minute-a-Day Routine That Trains Ear and Mouth Together
Shadowing means following audio with your mouth in real time. Originally a training method for simultaneous interpreters, applied to language learning, with research-backed effects on listening and pronunciation. Done wrong, it backfires — so here's the right staged approach in a 15-minute daily menu.
Apartment Living in Japan: Unspoken Rules to Avoid Trouble with Neighbors
Japanese apartments often have thin walls, and noise, garbage, and shared-area use are the top causes of neighbor disputes. This guide walks you through the "unwritten rules" of apartment living in Japan — from your first apartment viewing to your move-in greeting — so you can live comfortably without friction.
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JLPT preparation, memorization techniques, and how to keep going.
City hall, housing, healthcare, disasters, raising children — Japanese for daily life.
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Seasonal traditions, food, anime, and net slang — readings to savour Japan.
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