The Read More or Die Challenge

When I first set out on my learn Japanese challenge, one of my main goals was to one day be able to  read Haruki Murakami's South of the Border, West of the Sun in Japanese. But being able to read Japanese has proven much more difficult than I ever imagined. It's well over 2 years ago that I started learning Japanese, but apart from a few night classes, it's been a solitary challenge. Mostly I have concentrated on working through various text books, grammar books and kanji books. Reading Japanese texts has been such hard work that I usually give up after a few pages. So when I saw the Read more or die challenge on twitter I thought this is the perfect occasion to really sit down and read some Japanese.

The books I am concentrating on are the Japanese graded readers, Yotsubato, and finally the Read Real Japanese book that's been sitting on my bookshelf for ages.

Japanese graded readers

These are a great introduction to reading Japanese. I strongly recommend them to any one starting to read Japanese. Read through the whole story without a dictionary, almost always you will understand a word sooner or later through the context of the story.

よつばと

A manga that I often see recommended for beginners in Japanese reading. I do struggle a bit with reading manga. I bought the the first 4 volumes at the Kinokuniya bookstore in Shinjuku, (and was in heaven when they put book covers on them:-)). Yotsubato is the cutest 5 year old ever and well worth the struggle.

Read Real Japanese, 6 short stories by contemporary Japanese authors.

I have started on this book a few times, but quickly gave up. Now I have already read 2 of the 6 stories. I read the whole story from start to finish, without a dictionary or any form of note taking. Even if i don't understand I keep reading (often aloud) . I then read through the vocabulary explanations and notes section, which has great explanations of various grammatical points, then reread the story with a dictionary.

It's hard work but I really recommend this book to any one seriously wishing to learn to read real japanese.

When I was in Japan I bought a couple of glossy magazines and the Hiragana Times, all of which I am now trying to read from cover to cover! Thanks to @lordsilent for the great inspiration to finally sit down and read Japanese.

Setting up your Mac for Japanese studies (+ a few non-Mac tips)

• Make sure you can input Japanese 

System preferences – Language & text – input sources – select Kotoeri (kotoeri is the Japanese language input system for Macs)

•  Change shortcut to easily switch between Japanese and other languages

This allows you to use your keyboard to change between language input, insead of having to click on the menu at the top of your screen

System preferences – Language and text - Input sources – click on keyboard shortcuts

Tick the two bottom boxes, to make shortcuts to select previous and next input source. At first you will get a warning sign saying this shortcut is used by another action.

Click on the shortcut itself – This will allow you to edit it

Input the shortcut of your choice ( I chose ctrl z and ctrl x)

• Install a good Japanese dictionary 

My favourite is Tagaini Jisho - and it's free

• Install a couple of nice fonts 

See my blogpost on installing Anzumoji - a free かわいhandwritten font

Add useful extentions to Open Office

Japanese integrated learning tool This is a great add-on. Look up words in  dictionary, and add footnotes to explain the kanjis in your document.

日本語¹の勉強²は楽³しいです

1Edict 日本語 [にっぽんご] (n) Japanese language/
Edict 日本語 [にほんご] (n) Japanese language/(P)/

2Edict 勉強 [べんきょう] (n,vs) (1) study/(2) diligence/(3) discount/reduction/(P)/

3Edict 楽 [らく] (adj-na,n,n-suf) comfort/ease/(P)/

Japanese songs I bought with my Japan Itunes gift card

Japanese food - おいしいですね

One of the things I was really looking forward to on my first ever trip to Japan was the food. I've been to a few Japanese restaurants, both in Oslo and other cities, and I've tried to make Japanese food at home, with ingredients bought either at the only Japanese food shop in Oslo, or ordered online. But nothing compares with eating a country's food in its country of origin. 

SAKURA

I was really hoping to catch the cherry trees in bloom when I went to Japan. Luckily for me my trip coincided perfectly with Sakura season. The amazing thing with Japanese cherry trees is that they are everywhere, in parks and gardens, along river banks and train tracks,  infront of office buildings, almost anywhere you can  plant a tree.

Coming down from my Japan High

I had THE most fantastic trip to Japan - i am slowly coming down from the high, but I don’t want to! I want to remember and remember, every little detail! It was my first time in Japan and I had 13 whole days there, Tokyo, Nikko, Kyoto, Yokohama, Kamakura and more Tokyo... Could easily have had 13 more. I was non stop full time tourist, along with 1000s and 1000s of others, both Japanese and foreign visitors.

Planning my trip to Japan

After getting over the initial shock of suddenly going to Japan I set about planning my trip. My fascination with Japan has mostly been with the language, and my knowledge of Japan is not very extensive. I'll be going on my own and apart from one tour guided day trip all my days are self-planned!

I started searching the internet for information on where to stay and what to see when in Japan. I knew I wanted to go to Tokyo, Kyoto and Yokohama. From my research I added a day trip to Nikko and a day trip to Kanagawa.

I will be staying at two hotels in Tokyo, one near Shinjuku Station, one near Shinagawa Station. The idea was to be near a station so I could quickly get to the Yamanote line. Hopefully I'll learn quickly and not spend ages getting through the stations! When I booked I had now idea how huge these stations are!!
My first shock came when I discovered that over 3 million people pass through Shinjuku station (新宿駅) every day. I considered changing hotel.  But I love a challenge, so I studied a map of the station,  know that I have to find the East exit (東口) then turn left, and hopefully I'll find my hotel:-) 

Kotoba dictionary for iPhone recognizes my handwriting

One of my favourite Japanese English dictionaries for my iPhone is the Kotoba dictionary.

One great feature  is the ability to input  handwritten kanji via the traditional Chinese keyboard.

Under settings – general – keyboard – Chinese traditional choose handwriting

Now when using the dictionary use the Chinese keyboard to input a “handwritten” kanji.

If your kanji skills are a bit poor, as mine are, it might take a few attempts, but finally the kanji you are looking for will pop up on the right(1)

Click the correct kanji which then appears in the search box (2), click the blue search button, and you can look up your kanji (3) :-)

楽しいですね！

Kanjibox and kanji look alikes

Favourite kanji app of the moment and kanji look alikes

One of my favourite iPhone apps of the moment is  Kanjibox .

This app ties in well with one of  my goals for the next few months, to learn the jlpt level 3 kanji (new level 4?).

 I really fight with kanji look alikes, and am trying all sorts of different ways to remember which kanji is which. With this app I have one little method, which, together with several others, might help me get there in the end.

Studying Kanjibox in Kanji mode one is presented with  4 kanjis and one meaning. Very often the kanji presented are look alikes . Quite often I get answer wrong and and an angry red box at the bottom of the screen blinks back at me.

If I know the meaning of the kanji presented but not the look alike, I press the look alike.  I am, ofcourse, wrong, but both the kanjis are presented at the bottom of the screen and I can take the screen shot.

I download the screenshot to my computer, edit the picture.  and am gradually building up a  list of look alikes.

I've named each look alike set with a short phrase from the definition presented so it helps me remember the two look alikes.

Because counterfeit

Blow song

Family trip

Learn the following

Change work

New parent

Responsible official

Stretch building

Take along luck

Testing inaccessible place

Weekday laundry

Kairo and Kotatsu - staying warm the Japanese way

Two ways to stay warm - Kairo and Kotatsu

With the big chill making most of North Europe a frozen hell these past few weeks, I have been thinking about the perfect way to stay warm when its minus 20 outside and everything inside including keyboard and mouse feels cold. Two Japanese products come to mind, one I've tried and one I dream of.

懐炉　　Kairo

These are small pouches filled with some sort of chemical . Shaking the pouch starts a chemical reaction and the pouch heats up. Then either stick inside clothes, if the back is adhesive, or stick in your pocket. For the past two winters a Japanese friend of mine has sent me these and they are brilliant. They stay warm for hours and make waiting for trains and buses bearable in artic conditions. I understand that in Japan they are quite cheap and easy to get, and am wondering why they are not available everywhere in Norway.

炬燵  Kotatsu

Next Christmas I am going to ask Santa to bring me a kotatsu. Or I could try and make one. A kotatsu is a low wooden table covered with a duvet type blanket. Underneath is a small electric heater. I have never tried one but I think it would be the perfect place to sit, drink warm tea and study Japanese. I'd probably end up living under it from November to March.

(image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kotatsu-tastefulTN.jpg)