Learning Japanese is certainly a challenge. With complex grammar, Hiragana, Katakana , Kanji , Keigo (polite language) and cultural customs to learn and understand it is understandable why Japanese is considered one of the most difficult languages in the world.

I remember my first few months of studying Japanese to be very frustrating and slow going. I was studying quite hard but felt I was going nowhere. That was 15 years ago. I created this website to help students progress quickly with their Japanese with free lessons and product recommendations and reviews.

I have produced several of my own Japanese language learning programs – an intermediate Japanese language learning program and practice test for the JLPT. I don’t usually recommend competitor products, but if you are a beginner student then you will get a lot out of the Rocket Japanese language course.

Click Here To Try Rocket Japanese

What I like About Rocket Japanese

What I like about Rocket Japanese is the fact that it was designed  teach you to learn and speak conversational Japanese. Unlike other courses, it really engages you to participate and practice what you learn. The online program builds on each lesson and there is plenty of revision so that you retain what you learn. The membership interface is well designed and easy to use. You can print out and download lessons easily. You can also keep track of your progress a progress tracker.

What is in the course?

The Rocket Japanese Premium course consists of 31 interactive audio lesson. The lessons are about 20min in length and focus on modern, everyday conversations. The structure of the lesson are friendly and engaging, sort of like a radio program. They are not false and formalized like most language learning programs are. In total you are looking at about 13 hours of great audio content. Also, you don’t need to be in front of your computer to listen to the lessons. You can pop them into you iPod or MP3 player and listen on the go.

Included in the course are simple, but effective quizzes that will help you build your vocabulary and reinforce what you learn with the audio program.  They are quite fun to do. And the best part is that you’ll know that you are making progress.

The help and Support section of the membership area ensures that you can get the most out of the course. I’ve never had any problems with Rocket Japanese to write a support ticket, but I have looked through the FAQ’s. Everything from how to download the Interactive Audio Course to upgrading to a Premium account is covered.

Rocket Japanese Community and Forum

Creating on online community is quite a commitment as questions have to be answered within 24 hours to keep members happy.  It is something I have been unable to do with my own products because I don’t have the time or resources to maintain an active forum, but Rocket Japanese does.  You’ll find that many of the questions or concerns you have about learning Japanese are already answered in the forum. You also find words of encouragement from other members which makes you feel that you are not alone in your desire to become a fluent speaker of Japanese.

Rocket Japanese Results

Rocket Japanese is the most popular online Japanese learning program on the web.  The program has helped hundreds of people achieve their learning goals.

“What a relief it was to hear friendly voices teaching a wonderful language in such an easy to follow, easy to learn format. Words cannot explain how simple it is to learn Japanese with this program…No more useless memorizations or boring drills, just the facts of what you need to know in an understandable format.”  - Lucas Broadway 
Kentucky, U.S.A

“I have wanted to learn Japanese for a while now but never thought I would find something so amazing and rewarding to help get me through it quickly. Not only are the lessons easy to understand, but affordable.  They are set up in a way that is fun and easy to learn.  The games are also very helpful in learning certain words and characters. Whether you need to learn it for travel, or you just want to learn it for fun I think there is no better choice than the Rocket Japanese system. “ - Molly Arnold
 MO, U.S.A

Advantages of Rocket Japanese

• Over 13 hours of quality audio lessons
• Active support forum – your question are answered within 24 hours
• Course regularly updated – video lessons
• 60 day money back guarantee

Disadvantages of Rocket Japanese

• May be too basic if you have studied Japanese before
• At times too much revision in certain lessons
• Physical CD version quite expensive

Rocket Japanese make it really easy to order and access their Online Japanese Course! Even if you have never ordered or downloaded anything online before, it is super easy. When you click on their Red Button button below you’ll order form and enter your name and email address.

Get redirected to the Rocket Japanese online member’s area, where you have lifetime access to your Rocket Japanese Premium package!

 Final Verdict

If you are a complete beginner or are struggling to learn the fundamentals of the Japanese language I highly recommend this course. It comes with a no-hard feelings, no-hassle 60 Day guarantee. In fact, you can trail the program for 6 days completely free. So there is no risk for you to give this program a go. Go get started and take the trail now.

Click Here To Start Learning Japanese With Rocket Japanese

Learning to read Japanese is probably the most challenging aspect of studying the Japanese language. Most students find it far too confusing and time consuming to learn to read and give up. After spending a few months learning Hiragana and Katakana the prospect of learning a few thousand Kanji becomes too overwhelming.

However, learning to read Japanese doesn’t have to be a painful and confusing experience. A product called Read Japanese Fast has helped hundred of students become proficient readers of Japanese.

Most students make the mistake of learning to read Japanese in parts. First, students learn Hiragana, then Katanana. After this they learn a large number of grammar rules. Then comes learning hundreds of Kanji.  Doing all of this would take several months of considerable study time with little results.  Read Japanese Fast teaches students how to read Kanji in context in 30 days.

Try Read Japanese Fast

What is the Methodology Behind Read Japanese Fast

The methodology behind Read Japanese Fast is “You have to practice reading Japanese in order to become proficient at reading Japanese.” Rather than learn Hiragana, Katakana, grammar and Kanji in parts, it is far more effective to practice reading Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji in context progressively.

The creators of the program argue that  you need is to be shown how to read Japanese.  In their own words. “You need someone to guide you as you attempt to read. Think of it as like having a reading coach – who can explain cultural elements, confusing grammar and ambiguous wording.”

This is what Read Japanese fast is all about. They basically reverse what most Japanese teachers would have you do – “You don’t memorize kanji in order to read, you read Japanese in order to memorize kanji and vocabulary.”

What is Read Japanese Fast?

Read Japanese Fast is an online membership site dedicated to helping students learn to read Japanese, to the point where students can confidently read kanji in context.  The online course takes you through 20 pieces of writing word-byword, phrase-by-phrase with video tutorials. No other product does this.

Here is a sample of one of the “read Kanji in context” lessons

Does Read Japanese Fast Really Work?

You might be very sceptiacle of a product that claims it can have you reading Japanese in 30 days or less. However, the course is not aimed at complete beginners. It is for students of Japanese who have studied and attained a basic Japanese. To program challenges you to commit 1 hour a day for the first 10 days, and then at least 2 hours a day and for the rest of the program. You have to put in some focused study time to get results.

“In one week I learned how to apply my Japanese better than in all the many hours of memorizing grammar rules.  I would definitely recommend “Read Japanese Fast” to anyone who wants to learn and use Japanese…fast!”   - Paul Muscst Mesa, Arizona

“It’s a simple solution for learning Japanese by focusing on real-world reading & listening skills. Through a set of downloadable video, audio and text lessons it explores ways to master the complete Hiragana, Katakana alphabets and hundreds of Kanji.” – Yahoo Answers

Advantage of Read Japanese Fast

• You will be reading Japanese on completion of the course
• Expert insight on the cultural aspects of written Japanese
• Proven Advice To Read Japanese And Memorize Hundreds Of Kanji – By A Japanese Native And Language Expert

Disadvantages of Read Japanese Fast

• The videos can only be watched online in the members area. They can’t be downloaded
• After the first 10 days the course becomes very challenging requiring at least 2 hours of study per lesson.

The Final Verdict

Are you taking the Japanese Language Proficiency Test for the first time this year? If you are, the chances of you passing are not good especially if you are taking the test outside of Japan. Across all 5 levels only 36.6 % passed the July 2011 test. Only 36.6%! One of the biggest reasons why so many students fail the JLPT is because of the lack of quality study materials. Most students can only get there hands on grammar reference books, practice test books and kanji lists,. However, there is one product that can help you pass the JLPT – Japanese Proficiency Power.

If you are looking for JLPT study materials and are wanting to know if Japanese Proficiency Power will help you pass, then read this review to get all the facts on this multimedia study program.

Click Here To Try Japanese Proficiency Power

What Are Your Chances of Passing the JLPT?

Here is a screen shot of the breakdown of the percentage of students who passed the JLPT level by level. Note that failure percentage is much higher for students who took the test outside of Japan.

Why Students Fail the JLPT

The reason why less than 50% pass all levels of the JLPT is because of two min reasons:

• Students don’t get enough test practice under real test conditions
• Students have no real strategies to answer questions they have trouble with. They don’t know how to analyse questions and choose the best multiple choice option by a process of elimination.

What is Japanese Proficiency Power?

Japanese Proficiency Power is a multimedia JLPT practice program for level 4 and 5.  The program gives you three practice tests to take that are very similar to the JLPT test format.The real part of the program are the 40 screen caputre videos that go through all three practice tests teaching you how best to answer each question.

The teachers of the program are a husband and wife team. You get the perspective of someone who has taken the test and a native Japanese to explain the intracies of Japanese grammar and cultural.

Click Here To Try Japanese Proficiency Power

JLPT Results

“Nick’s program is perfect anyone taking the JLPT test. Having a native speaker to assist him makes the experience even better. I’ve already recommended it to my fellow classmates.” – Josh Gitter, Sunnyvale, California

“This isn’t for Japanese “newbies.”  This is a highly targeted program that is meant for people that know a bit of Japanese and they are preparing to take the JLPT exam. If you go through this material, you will be completely prepared for every sneaky curve ball that they try to throw at you.  You can use this program to easily pass this test now and move on with your life, instead of waiting for next December to come so you can try again.” – Billy Buchanan www.icanspeakjapanese.com

“Try Nicholas Kemp’s ‘Japanese Proficiency Power’, an innovative audio-video course for passing the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). … Since 1997, he’s been teaching students the best ways to ace the JLPT using his own custom designed courses and tutorials.” - Yahoo Answers

Advantages of Japanese Proficiency Power

• It is the only program that actually shows you how to answer JLPT questions
• Gives hints on things to watch out for with the multiple choice questions
• Offers mnemonic devices and unique ways to remember easily confused kanji and grammar rules
• Was created by a someone who has experienced and passed several levels of the JLPT – i.e they understand the test taker’s perspective.
• Comes with a 60 day money back guarantee

Disadvantages of Japanese Proficiency Power

• The program only covers levels 4 and 5
• The program doesn’t cover the listening section in great detail, but instead provides a list of useful resources and some sample conversations.

The Final Verdict

Thanks for landing here. If you want to learn Japanese you have come to the right website. My wife and I have been teaching Japanese online for since 2006. We have a Learn Japanese Youtube channel with over 4000 subscribers, and have helped hundreds of students pass the JLPT and read Japanese with our products, Japanese Proficiency Power and Read Japanese Fast.

Talksushi.com is an online resource for people wanting to learn Japanese, discover Japanese culture and find some unbiassed Japanese language product reviews. If you want to learn Japanese fast then stick around. Learning Japanese can be life changing. You’ll never know what can happen.

Many thanks,

Nick & Kaoru

During my ten years in Japan I lived in a number of cities and smaller towns. The hardest thing I found was deciphering the different local dialects and colloquialisms. This made learning Japanese interesting yet laborious. At times I found it almost impossible to understand the local country bumpkins in my neighbourhood. Unfortunately, this meant most of my wife’s family.

Why You Should Learn Japanese Slang

Like with most languages, you’ll only discover Japanese slang in Japan. While there are books and websites dedicated to the subject, you need to see Japanese slang in use in order to understand it. I don’t think I knew a word of Japanese slang before I left for Japan many years ago. Now, I find most of my Japanese conversations are littered with slang words. My wife is so funny! She’ll be speaking slang all day for months to me and my son, but whenever she she meets a Japanese person for the first time she is all polite and bowing like a chicken.

Learn Japanese Slang

You should learn Japanese slang. It will really do wonders for you conversational ability and impress Japanese. Most Japanese slang isn’t rude language, it is just very casual and expressive language. I must say I miss listening to the many hundred’s of colloquialisms and slang words Japanese say and invent. Also, learning Japanese slang will give you a better understanding of the Japanese mindset and how certain social situations require a certain different language.

Examples of Japanese Slang

Here are a few Japanese slang words you must know. Just be careful of when and who you say them to.

Baka = A fool / idiot / imbecile
Dasai = Nerdy, out of fashion
Darui = Sluggish
Busu = An ugly looking girl
Debu = A fatso
Kakkoii = Cool

Sugoi  = Cool, fantastic, wow!

Pittari = A perfect fit
Maa maa = So so
Kusojiji = An old fart
Kusotare = A shithead
Ijiwaru = Cruel
Mechakucha = Huge / extremley
Shibui = Smart, fancy
Chikushou = Shit!
Hentai = Pervert
Sukebe = pervert

Japanese Slang Expressions

Damare! = Shut up!

Baka yarou! = You are really stupid!

Masaka! = No way! / That can’t be!

Yatta! = I did it!

Kusoooo! = Shit!

Chikushou! = Shit! / Damn it!

Shimatta! = Damn it!

Hayaku shine! = Drop dead, bastard!

Uso tsuki! = Liar!

Busu! = You’re so ugly!

Bikkuri shita! = WOW! (Total shock or surprise)

Hottoke! = Lay off! / Stop bugging me! / Bug off!

Baka!  = You idiot!

Baka mitai! = You really look stupid!

Gaman dekinai yo! =I can’t stand it!

Nani sun da yo! = What the hell are you doing?

Tanoshimi yo! = Let’s Party!

Well, that should be enough to get you started. Learning and using Japanese slang is lots of fun. Enjoy!

For someone starting to learn Japanese in this century, there is an abundance of Japanese learning programs giving students of the language a choice to study what they want. Back in the 90′s there was very little in the way of quality Japanese audio courses. Most of them were still on tape and cost several hundred dollars. Now you can learn Japanese for free with the many Japanese language podcasts on  iTunes and hundreds of Japanese lessons on Youtube. The problem is no longer a lack of choice, but an over abundance of resources.

The Best Japanese Audio Lessons

The old expression “you get what you pay for” holds true with most online content for learning languages. While there are some great free audio lessons and podcasts out on there web, most fall short of providing what students really need – quality audio lessons that build upon each other in sucession. For example, you’ll find most Japanese youtube lessons are just random monologues of people sharing what they know of the Japanese language. I haven’t found a Youtube channel that provides concise lessons that build on each other.

There are a number of paid programs which I have tried including:

• Rocket Japanese
• Pimsleur Japanese
• Rosetta Stone
• Japanese Podcast 101

Rocket Japanese Audio Lessons

Rocket Japanese, in my opinion, still remains as the best paid Japanese audio program on the web. The lesson build on each other and reinforce past learnings. If you like talking your lessons on the go then you will be very happy with Rocket Japanese.

The product is unpdated often and has a great support forum where your questions about the Japanese language will be answered within 24 hours by the moderators.

There are also games and quizes with the program and a very helpful progress tracker.You also learn about Japanese culture and how it relates to everyday lagnuage and conversation.

Here is how Rocket Japanese compares with other competitors.

Visit Rocket Japanese Now and Take Advantage of Their Special Offer – an exclusive Rocket Japanese Survival Kit
worth $79.90, FREE with your order!

Free Japanese Lessons

If you are wanting some quality free Japanese lessons then check out NHK World’s Yasashi Nihongo Lessons. You can download the audio and text of each lesson free. No sign is  up required. They update their site with a ten minute lesson every week. The lessons are top notch and well worth your time. Like with most things in life, we tend to undervalue what we can get for free.

Why You Should Check Out NHK World

• The lessons are free and you can learn Japanese whenever you want.
• The lessons are concise and easy to understand so even kids can learn without getting bored.
• You learn Japanese from native speakers – it’s important to listen to the pronunciation of native speakers and practice by imitating the way they speak
• MP3 Downloads – You can download lessons onto your MP3 player and listen to them on your way to work or school.
• PDF textbook –  you can read the contents of all the lessons at once.

If you are a beginner and are not want to spend any money on online lessons then you’ll find more than enough resources at NHK World.

SU-MI-MA-SEN is a great power word. This one word has three meanings. It can be used to say;”Excuse me”, to get someone’s attention, “I’m sorry”, to apologise or “Thank you”, to express appreciation.

How to say sorry in Japanese

Most Japanese take “sorry” to mean SU-MI-MA-SEN. This is the reason why Japanese will often say “I’m sorry” instead of “Excuse me” or  “Thank you”. I consider SU-MI-MA-SEN a power word because of  its versatility, social and cultural importance and colloquial nature. You will be scoring big points with your Japanese friends if you can use SU-MI-MA-SEN to express the three meaning I explained earlier.

More Common Japanese Words

Japanese can communicate a lot with few words. I strongly believe in learning vocabulary from Japanese rather than textbooks. Text books generally go into the grammar to much. It is somewhat typical and and very “Japanese” that many Japanese authors teach how the the Japanese language should be spoken rather than how it actually is spoken. Text books generally avoid colloquial Japanese and go for polite “textbook” language and grammar. Japanese Grammar is very confusing and difficult to learn for the beginner. So if possible make some Japanese friends and get them to teach you heaps of vocabulary.

The Japanese language has some single word expressions will that translate to phrases in English. These words are amazing as they can express the speaker’s feelings, thoughts and intentions without being direct. This is the real spoken language. Japanese teachers and authors will generally teach phrases with the subject and polite verb forms. This is not how Japanese genrally speak when relaxed with friends. Japanese teachers feel compelled to teach “correct Japanese” with a strong emphasis on grammar. Here are some one word phrases you would learn from your regular Japanese guy or girl.

Most students learn Japanese the wrong way for several months or even years. Text book lessons at school and university can only give you a basic understanding of the Japanese language – grammar structure, vocabulary, the kana syllabaries and maybe a few hundred kanji. Learning how to speak Japanese involves a lot of cultural understanding and social conformity.

Japanese use very few words to express their thoughts and feelings. You’ll hear Japanese say the same things all the time. More often than not Japanese express interest, surprise, happiness and other emotions with only a few quirky phrases and sometimes with wordless cries and grunts. If you watch a game show you’ll audiences scream out the same wordless expression in unison when something shocking is presented to them. Very bizarre.

You’ll discover that for the most of their time Japanese don’t speak politely at all. For example, Japanese has no equivalent for “Pardon”. Instead when something is misunderstood in a conversation the confused listener will just blurt out “Ha!”. Sometimes my wife speaks to me and I have to control myself from feeling a little abused or offended. She’ll “rudely” blurt out one word and expect me to understand whatever it is she is trying to tell me. I used to get home from work and the first thing she would say to me as I walked in the door would be an aggressive “Gohan ha?”. This basically means something like “Do you want dinner?” or “Have you had dinner?”. However, if you translated the expression it would be just “Dinner!!?” . It would often give me the impression that my wife wasn’t happy to see me return home and that getting dinner was something she wanted to get quickly out of the way.

To be Japanese you got to do what everyone else does. I am often amazed at how easily Japanese can be assimilated and culturally conditioned. The peace sign is a classical example of this. Every time a Japanese has a photo taken of themselves they will do the peace sign. I found this to be extremely frustrating when having photos taken with Japanese. I went to great lengths to prevent my 4 year old son from being peace sign brain washed while he attend kindergarten in Japan.

How To Speak Japanese Like a Native

To speak Japanese like a native you’ll need to have a split personality. You can be yourself for most of the time, but when you meet acquaintances or work colleagues you will have to put on a bit of an act and meet certain social criteria – being polite or ass kissing.

And finally speaking Japanese will mean you won’t be able to say what you feel or believe for part of the time. The worst thing you can do is cause any kind of conflict or trouble for anyone. So you have to learn to hold back your real thoughts and bite your tongue. So the challenge for speaking Japanese is learning who Japanese are and how they behave. Accepting the culture and learning not to be always yourself is what  it takes to be a good speaker of the Japanese language.

 Japanese Conversation Example

A: あの、アメリカじんですか
B： はい。そうです。
A: しゅっしん　は　どこですか
B: ニュウヨーク です
A: りゅうがくせいですか
B: はい。
A: にほんはどうですか
B: だいすきです。

The first question is something I am asked all the time in Japan despite the fact that I am not American. Japanese are generally ignorant of the other countries. They assume most white foreigners in Japan are American.

アメリカじんですか – Are you American? じん means person or people. Adding じん to a country name gives you the nationality.

The reply はい。　そうです means “Yes. I am.”

The next question is asking where your place of birth or hometown is. しゅっしん means hometown. どこですか is the question phrase “Where is..? You reply dropping the subject and just stating New York with です。

The third question りゅうがくせいですか is asking if you are an overseas student. がくせい means student. Adding りゅう　can mean exchange, overseas or international student.

Finally the last question is asking your opinion of Japan. どうでか　basically means “What do you think of……? So にほんはどうですか translates to “What do you think of Japan?”

You love Japan so your answer is だいすきです. Notice again how you don’t need to state the subject which in this case is Japan.

Also notice how each line of this conversation ends with either です　or ですか

Here is the conversation in English

A: あの、アメリカじんですか
B： はい。そうです。
A: しゅっしん　は　どこですか
B: ニュウヨーク です
A: りゅうがくせいですか
B: はい。
A: にほんはどうですか
B: だいすきです。

A: Um…… Are you American?
B: Yes. I am.
A: Where is your hometown?
B: New York
A: What do you think of Japan
B: I love (Japan)

Japanese Phrases Lesson

In this lesson you will learn how to ask and answer questions relating to hobbies. We have upload many videos to youtube. Video language lessons are a great way to learn Japanese. We hope you like this one. This is a basic Japanese lesson, but hopefully you will learn something.

Structure

私のしゅみは……………です。

Watashi no shumi wa……desu.

My hobby is………………

My hobbies are………….

Vocabulary

Grammar Note

verb　+　こと

Adding “koto” will nominalize the verb; change it into a noun.

たべる　－　Eat  ;   たべること 　－  Eating

After watching the video try to read the sentences and questions below.

（あなたの）しゅみは何ですか。

わたしのしゅみは、すしをたべることです。

私の趣味はらくがきをすることです。

私の趣味はかるく、うんどうすることです。

私の趣味はギターをひくことです。

私の趣味はピアノをひくことです。

趣味はないですよ。

趣味のじかんがない。

趣味とまではいかないけど、どくしょがすきです。

ねることがわたしのしゅみです。