There are many books and Japanese language resources to choose from, especially when your first starting out. As you can see, I own a size of Japanese materials that could fall over and make mashed potatoes out of Mr. Potato Head. The following resources below are the best of the best.
Some of the pictures and titles below contain Amazon affiliate links. If you click on them you will be taken to amazon and if you buy something, at no extra cost to you, I will receive cheap knock-off beer and instant ramen money.
Anki
I can’t imagine studying Japanese without this spaced repetition flash card program. It’s the only resource I use to study kanji, and thanks to it, I can read Harry Potter. Put your vocabulary in context.
Pimsleur Audio Course
You’ll obtain a basic command of the language by learning a lot of vocabulary and sentence structure. The complete course includes 3 phases with 45 hours of spoken language practice. The targeted language is very touristy and formal, but it’s a good place to start. When I tackle Spanish in the future, this is what I’ll start with. This course is expensive, pirating it is an option if you’re a pirate.
The Genki Series
Best book I’ve ever studied from. Completing Genki 1 and 2 was a huge turning point in my Japanese ability. After completing them I was able to talk endlessly on dates with Japanese girls who couldn’t speak English. The first two books cover what you would learn in 8 months at an average Japanese language school with the Minna Nihongo books.
Making out in Japanese
It’s a cheap book full of slang and hilarious phrases to use in conversation. An entertaining read, even for people who have no interest in going to Japan. If I had this book laying around people would always open it up and start calling me names or asking if I was pregnant. Small enough to carry in your back pocket.
A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar
There are 3 books in the series. The yellow one is essential. Two good friends of mine call it the bible. It contains essential grammar points with detailed descriptions and does a good job of explaining the difference between those that are similar. Carry it with you wherever you go. I soaked it all up on my commute to work and time spent sitting on the toilet.
Kanzen Master
The Kanzen series is the best material I’ve found for intermediate and advanced learning. Because of them I passed level 3 and 2 of the JLPT exam. Start tackling them after completing the Genki books.
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