Learn Japanese

This lens is designed to help pinpoint useful resources on the internet that will help you to practice learning the Japanese language (with an emphasis on reading). Whether you need to practice reading kanji, hiragana, or katakana, this is your one-stop resource for useful websites.

Useful Links

The best online resources. Take it from me: this is one-stop shopping.

Jim Breen's WWWJDIC Server: Look up any kanji radical at this incredibly useful resource.
POPjisyo.com: Alex Schonfeld's useful resource allows you to visit website pages written in Japanese, scroll over words, and get translations in English (and
vice-versa, of course).
Rikai.com: Todd Rudick's earlier version of the same type of Java-enabled system.
jeKai: The jeKai Japanese-English dictionary project - a great resource from many contributors.
Joe's JLPT Page: This is a great site for those preparing to take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (yes, JLPT).
JGram - The Japanese Grammar database: I think the title sums up this website nicely.
Kiki's Kanji Dictionary: Also from Nuthatch, this site combines Jim Breen's excellent KANJIDIC and EDICT dictionaries.
English words of Japanese origin: As you begin your langauge studies, you may be surprised at how much Japanese you know already...
TheJapanesePage.com: It was only a matter of time before someone bought this domain name.
Kanji Alive: A searchable, web-based tool to help learners read and write kanji.
Learn Amazing Japanese: This is a blog about learning the language. Contains some useful insights..

Software to help you Study

Mayjay: Excellent download that you should have on your computer. Available for Mac/Windows/Linux, free and easy to use. A truly essential resource.
Japanese for your Mac: Resources to add JL functionality to Macintosh comptuers.
Kotoba: Software for your Macintosh (not available for Windows).
Ocha no Kanji: Another neat-looking piece of software I have yet to try.

Reading Practice

The ebst way to learn how to read Japanese is to try! Using POPjisyo, Rikai, Mayjay the WWWJDIC or any of the other utilities already mentioned, go to one of these sites and begin...

eigoTown: This is the number one destination for English learners in Japan.
Eigo KyoIku News: Also from eigoTown, read up on the latest trends in language education in Japan - in Japanese!
Eikaiwa School Japan: Read on the opinions of eikaiwa (conversation school) students in Japanese.
Eikaiwa Nabi: Another site similar to the one listed above. There are lots of sites like these in Japan.
Nikkei: News from one of the more popular sources in Japan.