I finally got this podcast series into iTunes! If you search ‘Learn Japanese’ in iTunes it will pop up (not first of course ).  If you like it, please subscribe using the RSS feed button to the right (that is the feed just to this beginner podcast series).  Or you can subscribe in [...]

A brand new Video!

Even Monkeys Fall from Trees–One of the most famous Japanese proverbs.
猿も木から落ちる
saru mo ki kara ochiru
The example sentence (not to be taken too seriously), is more for intermediates:
猿も木から落ちるというけど、あんなに賢い国語の先生が、「一」という字を間違えたな んて信じられない。
As they say, “Even monkeys fall from trees,” but for such a brilliant Japanese teacher to mess up such a character is　hard to believe.
猿も [...]

My friend, Gary has a Youtube channel. If you like his music, please subscribe. He checks his view count (and subscriber count) constantly—probably obsessively.
He currently has 281 subscribers–anyone want to be #282?

We are working hard on the second (and final) part of our JLPT vocabulary 4 kyuu $5 download. It *should* be ready by Monday. This has been the most ambitious of our $5 downloads, but I hope one of the more useful too. We had to split the vocabulary packs into two downloads [...]

I just finished adding all the parts (and sound files) for Akutagawa’s short story Hana. If you are around the intermediate stage, please check it out! It’s about a monk named Naigu with a very, very long nose.
One line caught my eye and thought I’d share it with you. The story starts [...]

I just added three new chapters with sound and downloadable PDFs of Rich VanHouten’s wonderful ゆきの物語 story. It is really made for intermediates, but upper beginners can get a lot out of it.

Choose your chapter, hit play, sit back, and enjoy!  Or you can print out the PDF to read it off line.
If you [...]

I’m adding new podcasts to the TJP beginning conversation series. To see all of them, please go here. Here is #4:

Beginning Japanese Conversational Phrases #4: Food
Reviewed Phrases:
何か食べたいですか。 nanika tabetai desu ka. Would you like something to eat?
はい、何か食べたいです。 hai nanika tabetai desu. Yes, I’d like something to eat.
Vocabulary:
Here are a few common food names.
ハンバーガー [...]

I’m adding new podcasts to the TJP beginning conversation series. To see all of them, please go here. Here is #3:

Beginning Japanese Conversational Phrases #3: Drinks
Reviewed Phrases:
何か飲みたいです。 nanika nomitai desu. I’d like something to drink.
何か食べたいです。 nanika tabetai desu. I’d like something to eat.
The focus is on the ーたい which adds the [...]

While waiting for Yumi to do some banking, Baba (grandma), Makoto, and I visited a park near the Kencho. The Kencho is 県庁 kenchou the Prefectural Headquarters and should not be confused with 浣腸—not at all.

虫
mushi
Bug

This was in front of the city hall in Fukui today.  It is too bad the bug was obscured by so many azalea flowers in full bloom.  It was a very lovely bug.