Naruhodo!

A Better Way to Study Kanji (1)

2008-10-28T18:05:00.010+09:00

There's a million ways out there to learn kanji. Some people will tell you to throw a poster up on the bathroom wall and study whenever it's "convenient" while others focus on the importance of mnemonic devices. As for myself, I've often taken the "hard" road and opted for the brute-force method of rinse and repeat. As far back as my high school study days, I spent a lot of time writing out characters. I started with hiragana and katakana. I wrote and I wrote. Then I wrote some more. And you know what--it worked! I had the kana down pretty quick.

Then comes the behemoth-like enigma known as kanji. It sends chills running down the spine of many a student of Japanese and is the source of great controversy when it comes to learning methods. My six years in Japan (and 14 years studying the language) have taught me one thing about kanji: you can't learn them in a vacuum. This should come as common sense to most people who have spent a lot of time with the language. Kanji didn't pop out of nowhere. It's changed and grown along with the spoken language and the rest of the written language. Some characters come straight from China. Some have undergone some changes. Some were made right here in good ol' Nippon, too.

One thing I've always kept in mind is the components that make up a kanji character. With thousands upon thousands of characters to learn, the number may as well be infinite. But the components, my friends, are much more finite. They're also a lot easier to remember.

Let's look at a few characters. Some you may know. Some you may not.
設　投　股

At a glance, they might look a bunch of random characters tossed together. Many students of Japanese might approach these characters one by one, trying to remember them like "Okay, so first I draw four horizontal lines...then a square...then this hump sort of thing followed by a couple strokes that look like a table." Frankly, it's going to be pretty hard to tackle a few thousand (or even a few hundred) characters like that.

A closer look (at the right side) will show that they all have something in common: a ル on top of a 又(また). This little guy has a name, and not surprisingly, it's called るまた.

Did a spark go off yet? Now that you've got a name for part of the kanji, you can file that in your brain. るまた= ル on top of 又. That's a lot easier to remember than the above mess, right? Just categorize these pieces the same way you do あ(the character)=あ(the sound). It's easier than you think.

But where do I get started? How do I learn the names for all these pieces? Well a good place to start is a site like this or this that has a list of radicals. (If neither of those sites meet your fancy, just trying googling 部首 and 一覧 and see what pops up.)

Radicals, or 部首 in Japanese, are the components of a character that are traditionally used to classify them in dictionaries. Knowing the different radicals will give you a good working knowledge of the components that are out there to learn. For example, the below characters all share the common radical.

汗　泳　消　海　油

The radical is called sanzui and is the first three strokes on the left side. Just being able to recognize that this is a common component (and one that has its very own name!) will help expedite learning and systematize memorization.

Look forward to more on radicals, and other kanji components, in upcoming articles!

Brush Up on Your Brush Strokes

2008-03-04T21:01:00.003+09:00

Lacking confidence in your writing skills? Worried that your kanji look like chicken scratch? Aggravated that you know how to write a character, but can't write it well?

Then look to DS美文字トレーニング on the Nintendo DS for all your artistic needs. In comparison to the majority of kanji software out there on the market that test your writing skills for tests like Kanken, DS美文字トレーニング allows you to dot your is and cross your ts by learning the ins and outs of how to write kanji like a pro. For somebody like myself who was just considering some formal lessons that would round out to about 30,000 yen (about $300), this software package is a timely--and economic--alternative.

As you practice writing characters, you'll be shown the proper angle to draw strokes, how to line up radicals, and how to preserve a sense of balance. With over 3000 characters (including hiragana) packed in to practice, it looks like you'll be able to make good use of this software for quite a while.

DS美文字トレーニング also comes with some extra features like a dictionary showing the origin of kanji and how they've changed over time. You also get a cool brushlike stylus. Everybody's a winner.

DS美文字トレーニング hits shelves on March 13, 2008.

Tokoton 2 Review

2007-12-11T23:19:00.000+09:00

Tokoton 2 is a follow up to IE Institute's first kanji game, Tokoton. The sequel is largely unchanged from its predecessor but adds a couple new features here and there.

The game features two main options. The first is a 漢字チェック where you can take a 20-question quiz to test your ability at the different levels of the Kanken exam. Depending on how many questions you get correct and how quickly you solve the problems will determine what sort of orb you receive as a prize. Rainbow orb seems to be the best. You are tested on 4 different subjects from the test (writing, reading, four-kanji idioms, etc) with 5 questions in each subject. My first reaction here is that 20 questions is far too few to give yourself a good idea on how you would do on a real Kanken test, which has over 100 questions. I think you (and the makers) are a little optimistic to think that your performance on only 20 questions would be a good mark for how you would perform on the exam. The 20 questions don't even begin to cover all the different subjects that the test entails, a common feature found in Rocket Company's Kanken DS series.

The rest of the software is pretty straightforward. You can test yourself on the various reading and writing components of the Kanken exam at your leisure. These include 書き取り (writing), 誤字訂正 (correcting incorrect kanji), 送りがな (okurigana), 筆順 (stroke order), and 部首 (radicals). There are quite a few more areas, and you can test your skills from level 10 (the lowest) to level 1 (the highest level). The problem with these tests, though, is that once you've chosen the area you want to study and the level you want to work on, you only get to work on a 5-question set of problems. Once you finish these up and receive your score, you go back to the main menu--after waiting for a good 5 seconds of loading time that is unforgivable this late in the Nintendo DS's lifetime for a text-based game.

The small number of questions and irritating load time make the game a bit hard to handle in long sittings. If you just want to pop out a quiz or two while you wait for the bus or train it can be nice, but using it long-term for heavy study is not recommended.

The game contains a joyo kanji dictionary and four-kanji idiom dictionary, but these are mostly rendered useless by poor implementation.

The joyo kanji dictionary can only be searched by reading, number of strokes, and the level it appears in the Kanken. You can view the radical and number of strokes for a character, but the stroke order is strangely not included.

The stroke number and level searching is fine, but the reading search function is heavily flawed. You are only able to search for a kanji via the first character in its reading. So for example, if you wanted to look up 漢 (カン) and find out its radical, you would have to input カ and then scroll through ALL the kanji whose readings that start with カ until you reach カン, which appears near the bottom of the list. Since Kanken DS 2 included a search function where you could input the exact reading or even the character itself, it's surprising Tokoton 2 failed to do so.

The four-kanji idiom dictionary suffers the same sad fate as its little brother. The idioms can only be searched by reading or level, and the readings are based on the first part of the first character's reading. So let's say you wanted to look up the meaning of 弱肉強食 (じゃくにくきょうしょく), survival of the fittest. You'd have to input し and then search all the way down to the idioms starting with しゃ and じゃ. While this may be borderline usable by somebody familiar with many idioms and looking to just tweak their understanding, it makes it impossible for beginner and intermediate users to get much use of this.

Frankly, the proverbial ball was dropped on both dictionary functions. The kanji dictionary is painfully inferior to Kanken DS 2's dictionary.

There's also one boring minigame that you can unlock. I played it once or twice. It's not very fun.

So Tokoton 2 offers flimsy tests of your Kanken level, short quizzes bogged down by long loading times, and useless dictionaries. It's hard to think of who I would recommend this game to. Since the level tests aren't very accurate with only 20 questions covering just a bit of the test, I can't recommend this to people prepping for the test. Five question quizzes with five-second load times are aggravating for any gamer and make it difficult to study for more than a few minutes at a time. The dictionaries are not useful in any way whatsoever.

Tokoton 2 proves to be a rather lackluster game far into the life cycle of the Nintendo DS and outclassed by most if not all of its brother and sisters. Give this one a pass. I only played it long enough to write this review.

Upcoming Kanji Games

2007-11-03T10:41:00.000+09:00

Remember those days back when there was only one or two kanji games on the market? Well, it looks like they are over. We've even got sequels out already in the form of games like Kanken DS 2 and Tokoton 2. Are we heading for market saturation? I hope so. Without all these kanji games, I would have nothing to do with my Nintendo DS. Let's take a quick look at some upcoming games.

なぞっておぼえる大人の漢字練習完全版 is the sequel to なぞっておぼえる大人の漢字練習, which we reviewed here at Naruhodo! The first game is one of the best kanji games out right now, great for intermediate learners up. The first game paid careful attention to teaching each character within the Joyo set one by one, focusing on writing and readings. The sequel appears to use a similar format and has added an additional 316 characters, bringing the total number of kanji in its curriculum to 2261. It will also be loaded with loads of great features such as models showing the proper way to write each character and a useful light dictionary function. Looks to be packed with minigames as well. You can even change the color of your writing. Very slick.

なぞっておぼえる大人の漢字練習完全版 comes out November 22nd.

読めそうで読めない漢字DS looks to reinforce the diminishing kanji ability of native speakers due to the expanding use of electronic devices such as computers and mobile phones. With machines writing kanji for us, many of us have forgotten characters that have our ancestors turning over in their graves. The title looks to feature a number of drills aimed to help you remember how to read and write characters used in daily life and more difficult ones. (But somebody really needs to teach these guys how to make a user-friendly website.)

読めそうで読めない漢字DS comes out November 22nd.

陰山メソッド正しい漢字かきとりくん今度は漢検対策だよ！ is a follow-up to 陰山メソッド正しい漢字かきとりくん, which received a good amount of praise. The first game focused on teaching elementary school-level kanji and was extremely approachable even for low-level learners. The sequel, as the name suggests, turns its attention from elementary kanji to Kanji Kentei training. I haven't been able to track down the official website, so I'm not too certain of the details, but from screenshots the game is looking pretty nice and even seems to contain a dictionary with definitions.

陰山メソッド正しい漢字かきとりくん今度は漢検対策だよ！ comes out November 29th.

まる書いてドンドン覚える　驚異のつがわ式漢字記憶術～基礎学習編～ aka Tsugawa Method DS: The Basics is a follow up to まる書いてドンドン覚える　驚異のつがわ式漢字記憶術. Tsugawa Method DS featured a simple mnemonic device for remembering how to write troublesome kanji. All you had to do was draw a circle around the parts of the character you had trouble remembering. Then you spent a moment concentrating on it, after which you'd be able to write the character with no problem. The first game featured mostly difficult kanji, making it hard for low-level learners to get much use out of the software. The Basics, however, will feature kanji taught in the elementary and junior high school curriculum, making it much more beginner-friendly.

まる書いてドンドン覚える　驚異のつがわ式漢字記憶術～基礎学習編～ comes out December 6th.

Looks like there's a game for almost any learner in this batch.

Newest Edition of Kojien

2007-10-24T22:40:00.000+09:00

The long-awaited next edition of Japan's most famous dictionary, 広辞苑 (Kojien) is on its way. The Kojien 6th Edition will be released on January 11, 2008, ten years after the release of the 5th edition.

The sixth edition contains 10,000 entries over its last incarnation, totalling in at 240,000. And you thought the only word for delicious was おいしい?

Kojien is also packing modern terms such as ニート, ブログ, and うざい into its pages with this version.

Kanji Show for Kids

2007-10-20T16:57:00.000+09:00

漢字だいすき (I/We Love Kanji) is a television program that airs on NHK. While it is aimed at children, it contains a lot of useful information that any student of Japanese can appreciate. Each episode, about five minutes in length, concentrates on a single kanji such as 光 or 自. The origin of the character and its various uses and pronunciations are covered in a simple format.

Check out the first one below along with links to further episodes.

Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5

More Tokoton 2 Details

2007-10-10T23:21:00.000+09:00

As reported in an earlier article, IE Institute is releasing a sequel to its first Tokoton Kanji Kentei prep software this winter. A few more details have been released, and it looks like Tokoton 2 will be packing some excellent features.

-47,000 questions
-A joyo kanji dictionary with 2,230 entries (meaning it's not only joyo kanji, albeit its name)
-A 四字熟語 (four kanji compound idiom) dictionary
-The most absurdly long title of any game (anything!?) ever created:
財団法人日本漢字能力検定協会公式ソフト 250万人の漢検新とことん漢字脳 47,000＋常用漢字辞典四字熟語辞典

Now that's a mouthfull!

Plus, if you preorder at Amazon, you can get a nifty case for your DS Lite.

Kanken DS 2 Review

2007-10-10T00:17:00.000+09:00

I should have known that the only way for kanji software to surpass Kanken DS was for Rocket Company to tag a "2" on the end and release a sequel. They managed to take everything that worked in the first game, and combined it with a few polishes to create a masterful title that is an invaluable study tool.

The main feature of the game is in preparing users to take the official Kanji Kentei, a test taken by millions of people in Japan and worldwide. The test is covered in the game by taking mock tests or reviewing sample questions.

There are two types of mock tests, a 15 minute quick test, and a 60 minute test that reflects the exact format of the real examination. These tests are great for gauging your ability within a certain level and fantastic practice if you plan on sitting the test in the future. The 15 minute test is useful if you're just going to kill some time on the train or when you want to take a break from work or other studying. The 60 minute version is a good "test-drive" before taking the official test as the scoring, format, and time limit are exactly the same. Unlike the original, Kanken DS 2 allows you to take any test at any time. This means you can not only test your knowledge of the basics but can also take a peek at the higher levels and more difficult questions.

When you're done testing your level, you can review old or new material via a huge selection of sample questions. These questions are split up by Kanken level and by topic. These topics include 読み取り(reading), 書き取り(writing)、部首(radicals), 音訓(on/kun reading), and more. While these are the same problems that appear in the tests mentioned above, these problems allow you to practice in sets. Say you want a set of reading problems from level 5. All you have to do is select "level 5" and then "reading". Once you've finished, you can check your score before heading on to your next set of questions. One of Kanken DS 2's best features comes up here. Any problems that you miss during a review set are stored by the game, allowing you to try them again at any time. They'll stay stored until you get them right, too, which is great for those tricky questions that you keep on missing again and again.

Sometimes I like to re-take the questions I miss immediately, but it's great to have the option of knowing I can go back a week later on a set of questions I totally bombed on, and check to see if I've made an improvement.

Kanken DS 2's biggest improvement is the inclusion of a kanji dictionary featuring the 1945 joyo kanji . You can access the dictionary from the main menu allowing you to search for a character by writing the kanji or the reading. The other awesome feature is that you can view the relevant dictionary entries whenever you miss a problem during a practice test or sample question set. This lets you immediately review a kanji or two (in the case of a compound) that you failed to answer correctly. The dictionary allows you to check the readings, radicals, stroke counts, and stroke orders of all the joyo kanji. Even though the dictionary doesn't contain definitions for the characters, it's still a fantastic tool for reviewing most of the information the Kanken tests you on.

When you're done testing and going through sets of problems, you can also relax with a generous collection of kanji-based games. The games give you a chance to show off your kanji prowess in a variety of challenges revolving around reading, writing, stroke order, radicals, and more. The radical game features ninjas. If that doesn't convince you to pick up the game, I don't know what will. There's also three games to unlock, adding to the fun.

The game also keeps track of your progress as you advance in levels and tackle each of the 44,000 problems featured on the game card. You can check how many problems you've cleared or how you're faring in the different testing areas at each level. In the first Kanken DS, your stats seemed to reset every now and then, rendering the feature useless. Luckily Kanken DS 2 picked up on the problem and always gives you an up-to-date, overall report.

I should also mention that input recognition is fabulous. It's probably one of the most accurate pieces of software on the DS. I have almost no problems inputting hiragana, katakana, or kanji. Almost any time the game detects the wrong character, it's a mistake on my part. Just be sure to watch your stroke order with the kanji! Writing out a character, no matter how perfectly, with the wrong stroke order will baffle the software. Some people complain about this, but I think it's a great way of forcing learners to buckle down and learn the stroke order--it's important.

The game is wrapped up in consistent production values and (fairly) decent music, making Kanken DS 2 a fantastic title all around. If you're looking for software to test your kanji skills from start to finish, then you're going to want to pick up this title.

And did I mention the kanji game featuring ninjas?

Pick up your copy here at Amazon.

Kanken DS 2 released!

2007-09-27T21:01:00.000+09:00

Kanken DS 2 hit shelves today. This is the latest kanji training game from Rocket Company. Check out a demo version on their website by clicking where it says 漢検DS2/英検DS 体験版.

In the meantime, check out the commercial featuring sexy doctor Ayako Nishikawa.

Check back soon for an in-depth review!

Nintendo DS to hit primary school classrooms

2007-09-21T11:28:00.000+09:00

In the past, I have reported on Nintendo DS software being used in junior high school and university classrooms. Starting soon, two titles from Rocket Company will be showing up in the primary school classroom as well.

Students at the Notre Dame Elementary School (Kyoto) will be using Kanken DS 2 and Eiken DS as supplementary learning materials. Kanken DS 2 is, of course, the sequel to Rocket Company's bestselling Kanken DS, featuring quizzes and games based on the Kanken exam.

The Eiken, or Test in Practical English Proficiency (実用英語技能検定), is a test administered in Japan in which learners of English can gauge their proficiency level.

Notre Dame plans to use this opportunity to test the effectiveness of Nintendo DS software in the classroom. Both Notre Dame and Rocket Company will use the data collected to work towards creating new software and materials. They are also aiming for implementation of Nintendo DS-based learning across the country.

You can find more information in the official press release here.

Kanken DS 2 and Eiken DS go on sale September 27th.

via Fuji Sankei Business

Kanji tips from native speakers

2007-09-21T00:03:00.000+09:00

A couple days ago, I posted some statistics from Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs. I found another bit of information in the report that I thought deserved its own post, so I thought I would expand a bit here. The following question was asked to native Japanese speakers.

Which methods were useful for you when learning kanji?

Writing characters out many times 68.7%
Referencing a dictionary 50.9%
Using the convert feature on a computer / word processor 18.0%
Learning about radicals and the structure of kanji 15.4%
Reading Chinese scripts 14.5%
Reading text with lots of furigana 14.2%
Reading text with no furigana 13.9%

If you look close enough, I think you'll notice there's a lot of valuable information here.

First, the dreaded idea of writing out kanji being useful!? Although many learners and academics will tell you that repeatedly writing won't help, then why are 68.7% of Japanese people saying it was a useful method for them? My guess is the issue of "context".

When Japanese write out kanji they are studying, the characters are often those they have encountered in some fashion already, be it through writing or reading. The relative familiarity they have with the characters already makes the act of writ repetition more of a reinforcement rather than a strict zero to something learning method. Additionally, the books they use when studying kanji, be they school textbooks or Kanken books, are often full of loads of information. Kanji are usually accompanied by example sentences, words and compounds using the character, details on on and kun readings, radical information. This high degree of context makes each and every character relevant, which brings it to life and makes it real.

On the other hand, non-Japanese learners will often take a less context-oriented approach to writing out kanji. I remember years ago when I would just take a kanji from my textbook and start writing it out in my notebook. I'd write it ten or twenty times, confident that I would remember it when I woke up the next day. But I usually didn't. Back then it just got me aggravated. Now I can look back and see how it wasn't a very good approach. You can't just tear kanji away from any sort of context and hope to master it.

If you want to learn how to write kanji, you need to practice writing. But you can't do it within a vacuum. You need to supply yourself with context. You need to read as well. You need to practice writing in a variety of situations. Interaction is key. As a non-native speaker of Japanese, you need to take the effort to create a similar environment for yourself that native speakers enjoy.

This links up nicely with the 15.4% of native speakers who reported that learning about radicals and the construction of kanji help them learn. While many beginner and intermediate learners may shrug off learning the names for radicals, or even identifying them, is this a wise path too choose? Simply taking a few minutes to define the structural differences between such characters as 持　侍　時 can open your eyes to a wealth of information. Three characters with "ji" as the on reading. The specific meaning of the character defined by the radical. There's a lot of good stuff here for those willing to take the time and effort to pull back the curtains a bit.

Lastly, the final two statistics are quite enlightening. Native speakers are reporting at similar percentages that furigana both helps and hinders.

Reading text with lots of furigana 14.2%
Reading text with no furigana 13.9%

Many learners will argue that furigana interferes with learning of kanji. They will say that having an "easy answer" available derails you from seeking out the answers yourself. While I agree to a point, I think there is some leeway for allowing furigana in to your learning regiment.

What's important is discriminating between needing to know the reading of a character versus needing to know its meaning. If you know what a particular kanji means and have simply forgotten how to read it when hitting upon it in a text, then having the furigana does no real harm. Sure, you could have taken the time to look it up in a dictionary. And while I will agree that this type of reinforcement is useful at times, it can also be obstructive. Your mileage may vary.

However, if you are reading something and hit a kanji you have never seen before or cannot recall the meaning of, it's important to rely not only on the furigana, but to also check the meaning with a dictionary. Knowing how to read a kanji is not the same as knowing what it means. Looking at troublesome kanji in text one character at a time and learning how to respond accordingly is a skill that must be honed with time. Finely hammering out these skills will make things a lot easier in the long run.

Just a little bit of advice from native speakers--and myself. *ahem*

At last, a kanji dictionary for Japan

2007-09-19T17:40:00.000+09:00

On September 27, 新潮社 (SHINCHOSHA Publishing Co., Ltd.) will release the 新潮日本語漢字辞典 (Shincho Japanese Kanji Dictionary). The SJKD takes an innovative approach to the kanji dictionary by focusing on kanji-based words and compounds that are strictly Japanese. This is different from the typical 漢和辞典 (Chinese Kanji-Japanese Dictionary) already on the market, which were designed with Chinese kanji and compounds in mind. While the typical 漢和辞典 is useful if you are reading Chinese texts and need to know the Japanese meaning, the SJKD is made for those who are reading or writing Japanese, and want to better understand the kanji--in Japanese.

Since kanji was first introduced to Japan, it has undergone many changes and has been adapted to Japanese in ways that no one could have predicted. One example of this is kanji compounds that are used only in Japanese, such as 浴衣 (yukata) or 秋刀魚 (sanma). Also, before katakana was used for loanwords, kanji was often used to represent foreign words and ideas such as 硝子 (glass) or 倫敦 (London). And with the integration of kanji into Japanese, there are also compounds that feature both kanji and hiragana such as 寄せ鍋 (yosenabe). All of the above compounds are particular to Japanese so they would not be found in a typical 漢和辞典.

You can find kanji in the SJKD using a variety of methods such as searching by radical, on or kun reading, or number of strokes.

via SANKEI EXPRESS

Remembering the kanji?

2007-09-19T16:38:00.000+09:00

Something any learner of Japanese can sympathize with is forgetting how to write a particular kanji right when you need it. Whether you're getting ready to mail something or filling out an important application, it's inconvenient and a hassle. It might even be the source of aggravation for some learners. But something to keep in mind is that this happens all the time to native speakers as well. With computers and cell phones playing a tremendous role in people's lives, the "old-fashioned" method of handwriting kanji is at a peculiar precipice.

In a recent survey conducted by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the government checked to see just how Japanese people were coping with forgetting those pesky kanji. The results are pretty interesting.

"How do you look up kanji when you forget how to write it?"

Using a dictionary 60.6%
Using the convert feature on a cell phone 35.3%
Using the convert feature on a PC or word processor 21.3%
Using an electronic dictionary 19.4%
Using an online dictionary 10.1%

I was a bit surprised to see that only 35.3% of those surveyed said they use their cell phones to check kanji. I would have guessed this to be much higher. But if you look at the information divided by age group, then it's very noticeable that checking on a cell phone is the method of choice for younger people, aged 16-39. The percent of people using cell phones for checking start declining quite sharply from age 40 onwards. Japan's aging population is even skewing kanji look up demographics!

You can view the entire report here, which contains more analysis on the above point and a variety of other questions and data.

So how do you look up kanji?
I usually use my cell phone if I am out on the go, but I will use the PC if I am at home or in the office.

via SANKEI EXPRESS

Mondai na Nihongo Review

2007-09-13T23:52:00.000+09:00

Mondai na Nihongo (問題な日本語) from Hudson gives you the chance to tweak your Japanese skills and stop making the mistakes that native speakers often make themselves. The title offers a small variety of different question types, tests, and an intuitive interface. There's even a cute cartoon fox.

The biggest chunk of this game is its こつこつモンニチ (training) mode. In this mode, you'll be able to take short, ten-question quizzes on topics such as tricky kanji, elusive expressions, or the proper meaning of words. The basic pace of the game is one quiz per day and six quizzes per week. Once you have finished a week's worth of questions, you take a short test to review what you learned over the last several days. Scoring well on the test will unlock a new comic in the game's gallery that mixes Japanese learning with humor.

Dedicated students won't be left disappointed either. You are free to take more than one quiz per day, and making it to the review test in one sitting isn't too big of a hurdle. The game's flexibility in this regard is much appreciated.

After each question, you can choose to view a brief explanation of the language point, making the game a fantastic resource. Even if you knew the answer, it's usually worth reading the concise, informative background info and expanding your knowledge base. Much of the info found here is described in more detail in the Mondai na Nihongo books. Once you've seen a question in the training mode, you can go back and view it again in the gallery, along with the supplemental information. So as you progress through the thousands of questions available, the game sort of shifts from a quiz-based game to a language resource.

If you get bored with the standard quizzes, you can also go all out in the とことんモンニチ (challenge) mode. This mode features three challenges: survival mode, 3 minute challenge, and the 100 question super challenge.

The game also offers minimal multiplayer functionality, allowing you to select up to ten questions to send to a friend's DS to test their Japanese prowess.

The difficulty of the questions varies, but it's overall a pretty difficult game. It's targeted at native speakers and meant to teach the fine print in the language bible of Japanese. It's got questions on the now infamous ら抜き issue, making out the difference between kanji such as 概 and 慨, and proper use of proverbs and specific grammar patterns. The game isn't meant to teach so much as it is to point out common problems in modern Japanese. I can only recommend this to advanced users who already have a very strong foundation in Japanese and are looking to polish their skills at the near-native level.

The nice interface, decent music, clean design, and 3600 questions available make this a worthy edition to an advanced learner's Nintendo DS library.

Kanji Software Coming to the Wii

2007-09-08T15:49:00.000+09:00

According to a press release on NIKKEI NET, Rocket Company will be releasing a kanji-themed game for the Nintendo Wii. The working title is Wiiで漢検グランプリ (Kanji Grand Prix for Wii). Rocket Company has already made a huge impression on the Nintendo DS market with Kanken DS and the upcoming Kanken DS 2.

While the DS titles are aimed at players who want to study by themselves at their own pace, Wiiで漢検グランプリ is intended for multiplayer use, encouraging players to enjoy the title with their friends or family as a group.

The game will feature a variety of minigames based on past questions from the Kanji Kentei. Players will compete against each other using the Wii Remote's simple controls.

Wiiで漢検グランプリ is scheduled for release this winter.

Hudson releases Mondai na Nihongo

2007-09-06T19:06:00.000+09:00

Today Hudson's 問題な日本語 (Mondai na Nihongo) went on sale for the Nintendo DS at retailers across Japan. The software is based on a series of books of the same name published by Taishukan and edited by renowned Japanese expert 北原保雄 (Kitahara Yasuo).

Check out the official website for a promotional video, screenshots, and wallpapers.

And check back here at Naruhodo! soon for an in-depth review.

More circling action on the DS!?

2007-08-30T21:40:00.000+09:00

I don't have too many details yet, but it looks like Tsugawa Method DS is going to get a sequel! On October 25th, ERTAIN will be releasing まる書いてドンドン覚える　驚異のつがわ式漢字記憶術～基礎学習編～. Just when you didn't think the title could get any longer...it did! Let's just call this Tsugawa Method DS: The Basics. From the title, it looks like this one will cover more basic, simpler kanji. The first Tsugawa Method DS seemed to pride itself on hitting difficult characters and those from the kanji kentei, so this one might be easier to approach for beginners. I'm going to keep a close eye on this one. More details as they come in, so stay tuned!

Additionally, it looks like IE Institute is working on a sequel to 財団法人日本漢字能力検定協会公式ソフト 200万人の漢検～とことん漢字脳～. It's aptly titled 財団法人日本漢字能力検定協会公式ソフト 250万人の漢検～とことん漢字脳～ and will be released on November 1st. Wait, that's the same title, right!?

Shall I spell that out again? 財団法人日本漢字能力検定協会公式ソフト 250万人の漢検～とことん漢字脳～. Got it? It's hard to believe that 500,000 more people are taking the kanji kentei since the first game was released, but hey... Who am I to question? I'm just one of them. And good luck ordering this one. You may want to grab 旺文社でる順算数DS first and work on your math skills.

Got kanji on your mind?

2007-08-26T19:17:00.000+09:00

Or should I say kanji in the mind?

At 脳内メーカー (Nounai Maker), a website featured recently on such television shows as 笑っていいとも！ (Waratte Iitomo!), you can find out exactly what kanji is inside your mind by simply typing in your name. 脳内メーカー appears to work fine with kanji, kana, and the English alphabet, so give it a try, even if you don't have a japanese name!

When I typed in my name, this is what my "diagnosis" was:

Not the most flattering, but it could certainly be worse.
Apparently I've got mostly food (食) on my mind with a little room saved for my desires (欲), my worries (悩), my friends (友), and love (愛).

*The 脳内メーカー site appears to be experiencing a lot of traffic (probably due to it being featured on television), so it can be slow and unresponsive sometimes.

Nintendo DS in the University Classroom

2007-08-05T19:42:00.000+09:00

The Nintendo DS is making another big appearance in the classroom--this time at a university in Osaka. Before the end of the year, students at Osaka Electro-Communication University will be using the handheld system to study subjects such as English and science.

The university plans to lend systems to all first and second year students, making the Nintendo DS part of the curriculum. The university tested implementation of the systems in July 2006 in English classes. Most students saw improvement in their listening skills and enjoyed using the system.

The university also cites the low cost of the Nintendo DS compared to computers as a reason for using them in the classroom.

The university is also planning on creating a team in its game development department that will work on creating Nintendo DS software to teach math.

Osaka Electro-Communication University says that it hopes Nintendo DSes in the classroom will attract students and that the software they develop becomes a new source of income.

via asahi.com

Mondaina Nihongo DS Coming Soon

2007-07-18T14:23:00.000+09:00

Software publisher Hudson has what looks to be like a great Japanese language title coming out in September for the DS. Mondaina Nihongo DS is based off of the popular book series of the same name.

I've bought both books (so far two in the series) and they're really good for brushing up on keigo, idioms, kanji, grammar, and vocabulary that is hard to use even for Japanese people (along with the usual common mistakes that are made by native speakers...here's a sampling of the kind of things the books deal with). I just hope that the DS title explains answers with the kind of clear, detailed explanations that the books do.

The site is a bit sparse as there is still a couple of months to go until the September 6th release, but it looks like there will be 4 game modes, a chart to see your progress and problem areas, and a mini 検定 section (up to ５級）where if you clear it, you unlock 60 "cute" mangas featuring the cat mascot.

All in all, if it follows the form of the books...advanced students might want to think about picking this one up (of course we will be reviewing it here..I plan to pick up a copy at least).

Kanken DS 2 Coming Soon

2007-07-14T20:30:00.000+09:00

According to a recent press release, Rocket Company, who released Kanken DS (漢検DS) for the Nintendo DS will be releasing Kanken DS 2 (漢検DS　2) in late September. In response to feedback from consumers, Kanken DS 2 will include questions from 準１級 and 1級, which were not available in Kanken DS. Kanken DS 2 will also feature a kanji dictionary with entries for all the joyo kanji. The press article reports that when you miss a question, you'll be able to access the dictionary on the spot to see what you've missed and review. The software will include more than 40,000 questions, covering every level of the official Kanji Kentei examination.

This sounds like it will be an amazing learning tool. Kanken DS is a phenomenal piece of software, and with added questions and an entire kanji dictionary at your disposal, it sounds like Kanken DS 2 will be the ultimate kanji learning tool for the Nintendo DS.

Kanken DS and Kanken DS 2 are kanji learning software intended to support those studying for the Kanji Kentei examinations held in Japan.

Kanken DS 2 will be released in late September and cost approximately 3,990 yen.

The Power of Negativity

2007-07-12T18:44:00.001+09:00

I thought I'd share a little language tidbit that happened at two different grade schools where I teach at recently.

When I teach the younger kids, the 1年生 and 2年生 are usually combined into a giant monster class of about 50 kids. For the first part of my class I usually have a review time where we go over the words we studied from last time. I hold up a word card (with picture) and ask, "What's this?!" and the kids shout back the answer.

Of course with 50 kids shouting out variations on one word, it's a little hard to make out if their pronouncing it 100% correctly, but I can usually tell if their in the ballpark or not. But when somebody says the wrong word - that sticks out. This little language story deals with that.

Two different kids (at two different schools) used a very interesting Japanese grammar point that I thought was worth mentioning here...if only just to help show how Japanese is both harder, but sometimes more convenient than English.

Here was basically the situation, notice the sly use of the negative form by this one Japanese student (the scene is me at the front of a classroom holding way more cards than I should be)...

Me: "Okay!! Let's review!! 復習しましょう！

Kids: (various things are usually being shouted to me at this point that I ignore)

Me: "What's this?!"

Kids: "Pig!!"

Me: (changing cards) "What's this??"

Kids: "COW!!"

Me: (changing cards) "What's this?!"

Loud Kid: "HORSE!!!"
Kids: "SHEEP!!"
Loud Kid: "じゃなくてSHEEP!!!"

I really found that interesting, by simply sliding in a じゃなくて, you can completely negate what you just said...and that kid knows that! No less than 2 seconds after starting to hear that he was wrong, he slipped that in and then just repeated what everyone else did...in that way (in his mind) it looked like he got the answer correct.

I was trying to think if there was any way you could get away with this in English. You could say something like "Horse, is not what I was going to say but sheep", or "It's a Horse..NOT! It's a sheep" but nothing I could think of would come out as smooth as in Japanese when you are able to just slip in a じゃなくて at the end of what you say to completely negate it's meaning (and saying, "not" at the end of an English sentence is more for comedic value rather than serving any grammatical function).

When your verb (or adjective) comes at the end, it's easier to play around with your meanings and even change something mid sentence! その映画はめっちゃ面白・・・・い？くない？If mid sentence you notice that the person you are talking to seems to not like the movie, and you were about to say it was interesting, you could stretch out that ろ a little bit and turn your good review into a negative one. In English once you say "not", you've committed yourself to a negative sentence. No going back unless you do some backtracking and more explaining.

I guess more than anything I was surprised at the slyness of those two kids who though they were being pretty slick by negating their answer like that.

nekomanga.exe

2007-07-08T13:08:00.000+09:00

I recently discovered a great Japanese site called ロストワールド. The admin and comic artist, しなごーく, has a great sense of humor, and it really comes through in nekomanga.exe, a hip and witty web comic.

What I like the most about nekomanga.exe is that many of the comics are based on language and wordplay. Reading comics like these is a great way to work on your own Japanese sense of humor. Reading and repeating what you hear from native speakers is usually good advice, and if you're going to mimic anybody, mimic somebody who's funny, right!?

Take a look at the comic on the right.

The yellow guy says that even though he shut down his computer, the power wouldn't turn off. (PCを終了させても電源が切れないよ)

In response, the white guy whips out Zantetsuken, a legendary sword from Japanese history (and a name used quite frequently in anime and video games), and declares that it will cut anything--except konnyaku.
(コンニャク以外ならなんでも切れるよ)

Do you get it?

The joke is based on word play using 切れる.
Normally, 切れる is used when something shuts down or turns off. The joke lies in the intransitive 切れる being treated as the potential form of 切る, to cut.
So you have to read the yellow guy's first statement as "Even though I shut down my computer, I can't cut the electricity!"

So the white guy gives him the ultimate sword that can cut anything--even electricity! ;)

Okay, after that explanation, it probably isn't funny anymore... But a good comic, right?

しなごーぐ has a large collection of comics, so check them out! They're intelligently written, funny, and a great way to study Japanese!

2007 JLPT Applications Available

2007-07-08T00:12:00.000+09:00

Applications for the 2007 Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) are currently available at bookstores and other locations around the country.

The deadline for applications is September 11, 2007.

The test date is December 2, 2007, and it costs 5,500yen ( approx. $45) to take the test.

Good luck to anybody taking the test! If you plan on taking it, let us know which level you're taking and what you're doing to study.

You can find more information here (English) or here (Japanese).

Google Book Search

2007-07-07T20:14:00.000+09:00

Google Book Search offers a fantastic way to find books on Japanese (or just about anything) that you want. With so many different books out there by so many authors, it can be really difficult to find just the right book on the topic you're looking for. And if you're like me, you do a lot of your shopping online, which means you usually can't take a peek inside a book before you buy it. Google Book Search makes it all possible, though.

All you have to do is search for a title, an author, a keyword... It works just like Google's standard search engine. It's easy to use and the interface is intuitive. With Google Book Search, you can search through the full text of all the books in Google's digitized archives with the ease of searching on the Internet.

Google Book Search is the product of a lot of hard work done by the folks at Google and at libraries and book publishers around the world. You can view pages and pages of books online without going to a bookstore. Sometimes it's even possible to view or download an entire book!

Once you've found a book you're interested in, you can continue searching within the book for specific content to make sure it's exactly what you want. There are even links to online bookstores if you decide to make a purchase.

A search for Japanese brings up 189600 books. Kanji brings up 1778.

Besides being a great tool for finding books to buy, it also eliminates the need for a trip to the library when you're researching or writing an essay. The possibilities are almost endless.

On July 5th, Google Book Search became Japanese-compatible as well, allowing you to search through Japanese books.

Tsugawa Method DS Review

2007-07-07T18:04:00.000+09:00

Professor Hiroyoshi Tsugawa has a very simple method for reviewing kanji, and ERTAIN has put it together on the Nintendo DS in Tsugawa Method DS. I had never heard of Professor Tsugawa's method before this game out, and at first I was a little bit skeptical on how it would work as a learning tool. But after using the software for over a week now, I'm convinced--the red circles work.

Tsugawa Method DS has two main modes: memorization and testing. Let's take a look at memorization first.

After starting up the memorization mode, you can select from six topics:

基本 (Basic)
ビジネス (Business)
暮らし (Daily Life)
常識 (Common Sense)
漢検 (Kanji Kentei)
自慢 (Bragging Rights)

Most of these topics should be pretty self-explanatory. Basic covers characters that you encounter almost daily. Business covers kanji that you might find at the office or in business documents. Daily Life covers some interesting topics ranging from special characters for the zodiac animals to greetings. Common Sense characters are a little bit tricky, but no native speaker would be caught dead not knowing them. Kanji Kentei covers characters that pop up on the tests. Bragging Rights cover some extremely difficult characters that you can show off to your friends once you've memorized them.

Once you've selected a topic, you can choose a subset of characters within that topic to study, called "steps". Each step done in sets of ten problems.

So how's it work exactly? Let's get started.

First you'll be given an example sentence with the written in red. Then the kanji will be displayed alone and you will be prompted to circle the corresponding hiragana reading for kanji. In the picture, you can see that 静 corresponds to せい, and 寂 to じゃく. This is excellent reading practice and really helps hammer in how different kanji are pronounced and how they combine together to form compounds. If you make a mistake, the software will prompt you to try again.

Then you will be asked to circle one or more spots on the kanji (or kanji compound) that you have difficulty with. Once you've made your circles, you can take a good look at the character and at your problem spot.

The next step is to see if your circling has paid off. The software will ask you to write the kanji you just memorized. Once you've written it in, you can compare it with the correct answer. If you failed to write it correctly, you'll go back to the circling screen and given another chance. If you answer correctly, you'll go on to the next problem.

After the first five problems, you'll be given a quick quiz for review before moving on to the second half (which also has a quiz). Answering quiz problems correctly earns you points that contribute to your Tsugawa Method Rank.

The structure of the lessons and the variety of characters to study make the software an excellent learning tool. You can move step-by-step at your own pace, and if you mess up, you're forced to overcome your weaknesses.

The testing mode allows you to review the characters you have memorized in the first mode. There are a few types, but my favorite is the standard review (復習) option. In this mode, you'll be given ten problems at random featuring kanji that you have already memorized in the past. If you get a problem wrong, the test will be over and the software will tell you in which topic and which step the kanji you missed can be found. The software does a great job of pinpointing your weaknesses and also giving you the tools and information necessary to fill in the gaps.

You'll need to be coming in with a pretty good understanding of kanji to get the most out of the software. At the absolute least, you should know about 1000 characters. If you know 1600 or more, though, you'll be able to really use the software to its fullest potential. I've been able to hammer down a lot of characters I used to trip over when I wrote. I've also learned some very difficult characters that most native speakers can't write with confidence (or at all).

I should also mention that the input recognition is great, and the music's pretty enjoyable, too.

Tsugawa Method DS gets two thumbs up.

Nihongo Ou Summer Special

2007-07-02T23:15:00.000+09:00

If you're going to be home this Wednesday (July 4th) at 6:55pm, then tune in to TBS and test your Japanese powers with クイズ！日本語王’０７. The show will feature loads of content exploring the Japanese language. Throughout, questions will be introduced that you can follow along with and answer at home.

You can download the test sheet here and grade yourself as you watch the show! (The page still shows January's test sheet, but it should be updated before the show starts on Wednesday.)

Here are some examples from the website:

「じんこうこきゅう」正しい漢字はどっち？
A人工呼吸　B人口呼吸

Hmmm, well that one's not too bad, right?

【？】に言葉を入れて「辛党」の正しい意味を答えなさい
⇒辛党とは「【？】が【？】な人」という意味

Ooh, that one's pretty bad...

“ハマグリ”から生まれた言葉で「正しい道を外す」という意味の日本語は何？

Hmmm, ah, yeah... *gulp*

ウマに由来する言葉で「隠していた正体や悪事が現れる」という意味の日本語は何？
【？】を露わす

Check please!

So yeah, it's pretty tricky. The show should be a lot of fun, though. They'll have Sakana-kun the fish fetish guy and Governor Higashikokubaru from Miyazaki, along with the usual panel of celebrity talents.

If you're interested in word etymology and the history behind Japanese, be sure to tune in!

And if you do, let us know how you scored!

Hissatsu Kung Fu: Kanji Dragon Review

2007-06-30T18:19:00.000+09:00

Nobody would ever make a kanji game based on old Chinese martial arts flicks, right? WRONG. Success has done just that, and provided it with high production values and loads of educational value. Hissatsu Kung Fu: Kanji Dragon (必殺カンフー　漢字ドラゴン) for the Nintendo DS has everything it takes to make a great game and an excellent learning experience.

You take on the roll of Po, a lazy martial artist who'd rather slack off than practice forms. Everything changes when a group of men dressed in black attack your father's dojo searching for a secret scroll. With your father unable to stand up to the competition, it falls on Po to seek out a way to defeat the mysterious menace.

The battle system is very simple and spread across multiple stages. In the most basic format, enemies will approach you with a kanji written above them. You've got to write out the reading for the kanji in hiragana. If you take too long or write it incorrectly, you'll take damage. But if you are correct, you'll topple your foes one by one! If you played Kanji no Wataridori, this mode should be familiar.

Kanji dragon offers several other modes, as well. In fearsome one-on-one battles, you'll have to write kanji to match the reading displayed on screen. These problems can sometimes be quite difficult and will really test your mettle. Even if you get a kanji wrong, the correct answer will be displayed so you can study up for next time!

There are also battles where you have to select the synonym (類義語) or antonym (対義語) for kanji. In others, you'll have to choose between two kanji which is the appropriate one in that situation. There is also an exciting stage using radicals.

The game plays very smoothly, mostly due to the excellent input recognition. The system is excellent at properly reading the hiragana or kanji that you write in, so you won't be tearing your hair out every time it turns your ら into an う or your 右 into 石. Success has come a long way with their technology here, and I can't wait to see how much they advance in their next title!

The game uses an attractive 3D background and 2D character style that captures the theme of the game perfectly. I would have liked to see them work with the backgrounds a little more and maybe even experimented with different viewpoints, but it's not really anything I can complain about. The music is also fantastic, and with a martial arts movie feel. It's a big boost to your motivation when the graphics and music push you along, and the game delivers big in this department.

As for the difficulty level, this one is fairly high level. Similarly to Kanji no Wataridori, you may want to avoid this game if you don't already have a good knowledge of kanji. This game is much more focused on review rather than teaching new material. You need to know well over 1000 kanji to play on Easy, and the Hard mode will make any native Japanese speaker's head spin. The game is not for the light-hearted.

I give Hissatsu Kung Fu: Kanji Dragon a definite recommendation. This is one of the best games out there now for reviewing your kanji. If you have advanced reading and writing skills, you should pick this title up immediately. You won't regret it.

6/10/2007 Kanji Kentei Results Available Online!

2007-06-28T21:54:00.000+09:00

Anybody who sat the Kanji Kentei on June 10th can view their results online here.

Click on 公開会場（個人受験者）用, then enter the necessary information on the next screen. You can only find out whether you passed or failed, and certificates will not be mailed out until July.

The results went online at 10:00am on June 28th.

I passed ３級, so I am in quite good spirits today.
(Here is an example of a ３級 test.)

If anybody else out there took the test on the 10th, let us know how you did!

Tsugawa Method DS Hits Shelves

2007-06-28T21:36:00.000+09:00

Today ERTAIN released まる書いてドンドン覚える驚異のつがわ式漢字記憶術 aka まるかいてどんどんおぼえるきょういのつがわしきかんじきおくじゅつ aka Tsugawa Method DS to kanji-loving DS users across Japan! The software features Professor Hiroyoshi Tsugawa's (津川博義) kanji learning methodology.

His technique is very simple. All you have to do is take a kanji that you have troubling remembering and circle the trickiest part of it. After spending a little time concentrating on the trouble zone or writing it out, he guarantees you'll learn the kanji by heart!

To celebrate the software's release, an event was held on June 26th at the AKB48 Theater on the 8th floor of the Akihabara Don Quijote. Some lovely girls from AKB48, pictured above and dressed in school uniforms, performed a classroom skit with Sayaka Akimoto playing teacher. As the rowdy students attempted to cheat after being challenged to write some difficult kanji, Professor Tsugawa came on to the scene and taught the girls his method, resulting in nearly perfect scores from the girls.

Personally, I would have quite a bit of trouble concentrating on kanji if I were on that stage--or even in the vicinity!

I plan to have a review of the software up soon, so stay tuned!

Akihara event info via AKIBA KEIZAI SHIMBUN

Zelda Kanji Function in Action!

2007-06-27T12:18:00.000+09:00

Thanks to akotan from YouTube.

You can also view the movie here.

New Zelda Game Equipped for the Kanji Impaired

2007-06-25T20:57:00.000+09:00

Nintendo's latest installment in the Zelda series has come to the Nintendo DS. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (ゼルダの伝説　夢幻の砂時計) hit shelves on June 23rd, and Link is looking better than ever.

Besides being fantastically fun and addicting, the game comes equipped with a very handy and simplistic function that makes a great kanji learning tool.

Basically, any kanji that shows up in message windows (such as when a character is talking or Link is reading a sign) can be touched using the stylus. While you're touching it, the reading will be displayed in hiragana. Very impressive, Nintendo!

Once you've got the reading, you can consult a dictionary or online resource to get the meaning. The simple act of looking up a word will help cement it in your mind. You'll also be using the word to progress in the game--instant application!

So even if you're a bit kanji impaired, I highly recommend picking up this title! You'll not only have a great time playing, you'll also be learning some excellent, new kanji.

The Tsugawa Learning Method Coming to Nintendo DS

2007-06-18T21:56:00.000+09:00

On June 28th, yet another kanji game will be hitting the Nintendo DS. This one features the kanji learning methods of Hiroyoshi Tsugawa (津川博義) and is titled まる書いてドンドン覚える驚異の津川式漢字記憶実. That's an insane mouthful, so let's just call it Tsugawa Method DS. The game looks pretty interesting after checking out the official website, and I am looking forward to purchasing it and reviewing the title. It looks to contain not only Tsugawa's learning style, but also a few different types of tests and loads of other functions.

His methodology is fairly easy, though I'm sure I will oversimplify. All you do is take a kanji that you have trouble writing and circle the problem spot on it. For example, the website features an example of the kanji for apple, 林檎（りんご）.
Once you've circled your problem spot, you can either visualize it in your head or write it down a few times somewhere. Mr Tsugawa claims that this will help you overcome your weaknesses and write all those kanji you couldn't remember!

I had never thought of a strategy like this, but I am thinking it might work pretty well. It's usually pretty easy to remember most of a kanji since many characters are made up of the same components, but there's always a tricky spot or two that you fumble with.

I'll be picking up the game when it comes out and will report back!

You can also learn more about the Tsugawa Method at the official website.

Nihongo Kentei Has an Impressive Start

2007-06-17T14:08:00.000+09:00

June 15th and 16th marked the first time the Nihongo Kentei (日本語検定) has been administered. The test, aimed at native speakers, evaluates the test taker's ability to use "proper" Japanese.

The test was held in approximately 320 locations across the country. The testing agency reports that over 18,500 people participated in the first exam. Test results will be sent out by mid-July.

The Nihongo Kentei will be held again on October 26th and 27th. The deadline for applications is September 21st.

Read more about the Nihongo Kentei here.

via 時事ドットコム

Obunsha Deru-Jun Kokugo DS Review

2007-06-16T19:28:00.001+09:00

Obunsha Deru-jun Kokugo DS is an average title for anybody who wants to work on their Japanese skills. As the title implies, it focus on Kokugo and it includes mostly short drills.

The main chunk of this game is a variety of short drills. First you can select the drilling format from a few options including True/False, Fill-in-the-blank, and Guessing. Once you've selected the format, you choose the topic:

Writing Kanji
Reading Kanji
Homophones/Synonyms/Antonyms
Four-Kanji Compounds
Usage
Idioms

After you complete the quiz, you're graded on how many problems you answered correctly. The best part of this software comes in here. You can select "Review" to go over the content of the questions and study up on the meaning and usage of different parts of the language. You can also re-take the last quiz and put your new knowledge to the test.

In the options menu, it's possible to adjust the number of questions asked in each round of drilling.

The game also allows you to access the information mentioned above from the main menu by accessing a rather large set of dictionaries. These cover the topics above and allow you to look up different points that may be confusing you.

For example, you could open up the homophone dictionary and look up かえる. The entry describes the verbs 代える、換える、変える and how they are different from one another. This is definitely a handy feature.

As you progress through the drills, you can unlock two "minigames". The first is a fairly poor game where you write out kanji. The writing recognition is fairly dull, and while the stylistic representation of your writing is nice, it's often a bit inaccurate.

In the second game, you battle against a computer opponent. A question appears on the top screen such as "Select a kanji that represents a color", and you'll have to dig through a small pile of cards using the touch pen to find the correct answer. The game often tries to confuse you by putting characters like 黄 next to 横, so you have to pay close attention. If you're too slow, your opponent will snag up the card before you do. This game can be pretty fun and there are a few difficulty levels.

Overall, this title has some decent production value. The music is relaxing and the whole game is wrapped up in a historical/fantasy Japanese theme featuring a small cast of characters. The player takes on the role of a kappa if you were interested. Loading and screen changes are accompanied by quick displays of Japanese language trivia on the upper screen. These often disappear too quickly to be of much use, though.

As mentioned above, I found the game to be fairly average, so this probably isn't a "must buy". The drilling aspect left me feeling a bit empty. It seems like you spend too much time selecting answers rather than writing them out on your own, so the benefits are not as great as a more demanding game.

Obunsha Deru-Jun Kokugo DS is intended for Japanese junior high school students, so the difficulty level is pretty high from the perspective of a second language learner. I recommend this title for intermediate to advanced learners. You should probably stay away if your abilities are much below JLPT Level 2. And if you know any Japanese junior high school students, you might want to recommend it to them.

Hissatsu Kung Fu Kanji Dragon First Impressions!

2007-06-07T21:59:00.001+09:00

I picked up Hissatsu Kung Fu Kanji Dragon (必殺カンフー　漢字ドラゴン) this afternoon and got to play it a bit. The wait was definitely worth it. This title is fantastic.

After playing it for a few minutes, it was pretty clear the game is a spiritual successor to Kanji no Wataridori. It's got a similar battle system with many of the same features found in Success's first kanji brawler.

A major complaint of Kanji no Wataridori was that its input recognition needed some work, but Success has cleaned it up with Kanji Dragon. The recognition is fantastic now, easily ranking at the top of the kanji games I have played on the Nintendo DS up until now.

There's loads of variety with the modes, too. There's stages where you have to write out the reading of kanji in hiragana, stages where you have to write kanji, and also stages where you have to select kanji with a certain radical or match characters together to form compounds.

So in short: it's good, very good.

I will try to have a full review up by the middle of next week.

I'm also hoping to have a review up of Obunsha Deru-jun Kokugo DS (旺文社　でる順　国語DS) by the end of the weekend, so check back soon!

Hideho Kindaichi and the Japanese Language

2007-06-05T23:59:00.000+09:00

In a recent review by Shane, he brought up Professor Hideho Kindaichi, a scholar of language learning here in Japan. Professor Kindaichi was born in Tokyo in 1953 and attended Sophia University, or 上智（じょうち）大学, where he studied psychology. He continued his studies at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies where he earned his doctorate in Japanese (日本語学）.

I should probably point out here what 日本語学 is and how it differs from 国語. As many of you know, 国語（こくご） is a subject taught to Japanese students in the elementary, middle, and high school curriculum. Students learn about the Japanese language, grammar and other rules, and how to write kanji among other topics. Japanese literature is also taught in the class. It's teaching Japanese to native speakers.

日本語学, or Japanese, is slightly different in that it approaches Japanese as a (foreign) language and dissects it from that perspective. This means that somebody who studies 日本語学 will gain many of the skills necessary to teach Japanese to foreign language learners. Scholars of 日本語学 also study what makes Japanese different from other languages and what these differences mean, as well as how to teach them properly. Dr Kandaichi is one such scholar.

In addition to publishing several books, he also appears frequently on television here in Japan. He is probably most well-known for his appearances on 知るを楽しむ on NHK's 教育（きょういく）テレビ. He also makes appearances on Japonica Logos, タモリのジャポニカロゴス, and other similarly themed programs.

The reason I brought up the professor was to discuss a book I recently picked up that he authored. The title is 日本語のカタチとココロ, The Ins and Outs of Japanese (lit. The Form and Heart of Japanese). The book is available via NHK's online shop and is a collection of topics from the 知るを楽しむ television show mentioned above.

You should also be able to find this at your local bookstore by checking the NHK educational books section. This section is usually full of English, Spanish, French, and other language books for Japanese natives to study, so you may not have suspected there would be something good in there for you, too! (Check out their cooking and hobby books while you're at it!)

Here's a sampling of the table of contents:

外国語として見た日本語 (Japanese as a Foreign Language)
ひらがな・カタカナ・漢字がある理由 (The Reason for Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji)
「ある」と「いる」にはルールがある (The Rules of ある vs いる)

As you can see, the book covers a variety of topics that are relevant to any scholar of Japanese, especially those learning Japanese as a foreign language. There is loads of trivia such as which sound (あ、か、さ、た、etc) is found at the beginning of the most words in the dictionary, to the difference between saying パンツ and meaning "pants" and saying パンツ and meaning "underwear". There is even an extremely informative section on particle usage and the nitty-gritty rules between は and が. However, since the book is targeted at native Japanese speakers, I can only recommend this to upper-intermediate and advanced learners.

One of the best things about this book is the price: 650yen (about 5 USD). You certainly can't beat that! Although it comes in a small package (135 pages), 日本語のカタチとココロ is one of the best books I have read recently on Japanese. This is an extremely worthwhile purchase that should leave you fully satisfied and a bit more knowledgeable.

Lastly, I want to mention that you should pick this book up soon. It's a June/July edition, and will likely disappear from store shelves in another month or so.

Last Preview of Hissatsu Kung Fu Kanji Dragon

2007-06-05T23:23:00.000+09:00

With the release of Hissatsu Kung Fu Kanji Dragon (必殺カンフー　漢字ドラゴン） only a few days away, Success has released the last(?) few bits of information about their upcoming kanji kruncher.

First off, take a look at the last three characters revealed:

From left to right, we've got Bubbles, Kanji Dragon (OMG!!!), and Lee.

A final gameplay element, 和め！ has also been revealed. It looks like a way to cool down and relax with Laoshi. Should be good fun.

Also, for those of you who couldn't attend the Kanji Dragon event in Akihabara last weekend, Success is holding the same event again this coming Saturday, June 9th!!! This time it will be in Kanagawa, at Theta's Mizonokuchi shop (シータ　溝の口店）. You'll be able to try out the game and get a director's cut DVD. Purchasing the game during the event will earn you a Kanji Dragon staff t-shirt! Check it out!

Gakken DS Otona No Gakushu Kindaichi Sensei No Nihongo Resson

2007-05-31T21:51:00.000+09:00

学研DS大人の学習金田一先生の日本語レッソン

Gakken DS Otona No Gakushu Kindaichi Sensei No Nihongo Resson

- A Japanese learner's perspective review

Gacha-Gacha Review

Level: Advanced Japanese students

The Good:
Outstanding, fun, graphical interface. Input recognition is very high. Quizzes that deal with a wide range of Japanese from kanji to idioms to counters to keigo to katakana, it's a great one stop shop for improving various areas of your Japanese ability at one time. Good background music. A wide variety of different games (arranging tiles, multiple choice, user input, etc.) keeps quizzes fresh and interesting. Great overall theme that ties everything together making game play really enjoyable.

The Bad:
Basic system for user to see problems study areas. No overall ability test...that is the entire game is a series of mini-quizzes. No review to practice problem words or kanji, you go to the free mode and just play the games over again with the same questions. (although I realize this is a common complaint with most Japanese DS games so don't weight this factor too heavily).

The Ugly:
This game is HARD! 上級の日本語を勉強している人しか出来ないと思います。<- If you can read that, then you *might* have a chance at this game. As it stands though it is really only for native speakers or advanced and beyond. As much as I don't want to say this (as it is a fun game), intermediate students and below should save their money and buy a good kanji or grammar book. Even as a challenge it's just plain frustrating sometimes.

Nitty - Gritty Review

I'm going to start off this review with a warning. This is going to a kind of review / opinion article hybrid kinda thing. I tried to write up a straight review piece and talk about what the game is, how it plays, and if it's worth your money. But a little ways into that one thing became apparently clear to me...it doesn't work that way with this game.

I'd like to state right up front here that when I review these games I am testing them for two main things, 1) how much will they help the average Japanese student (beginner, intermediate, and all shades between those two), and going in hand with that 2) if it's worth the time and money to pick the title up. First I'd like to say that I think the main problem with these kinds of study games is that many of the 日本語 titles that are on the DS are not meant for the foreign Japanese student to study from. Almost all are meant for the native Japanese speaker (i.e. Japanese people) to review or brush up on the stuff they already know. That is these games aren't really about 日本語, but rather *国語*. That last part is the key to seeing and understanding the strengths and faults for this game and, ultimately, why I can't recommend it.

Unlike the other two games that I reviewed before, this game while being called a "Japanese lesson", is less about the teaching part, and heavy on the "do you know this?" kind of questions. To be fair most of the games that have been talked about and reviewed on the site here have dealt only with the study of kanji. Occasionally there would be quizzes and tests for the readings and vocabulary that uses the kanji in question, but for the most part it was kanji and their readings.

This game of course deals with the readings of kanji, but it also has large sections that deal with idioms (commonly used and rare ones), keigo, commonly used phrases (that use hard kanji that the user should already know), counters, katakana, and 理解 or understanding (key concepts or the idea of a passage from an essay or novel or conversation).

Before I go on with this tangent, let's get back to the game for a second. I'd like to talk about the nitty-gritty of game play and what you'll actaully be doing.

The game is centered around the theme that you are a young girl and a her dog walking from Nipponbashi to Kyoto (during what I think is the Edo era) with Kindaichi sensei who is teaching you Japanese along the way. You make a stops at 53 towns where, at each town, you'll play three games at increasing difficult levels that deal with one of five categories, 単語力、漢字力、伝達力、教養力、and 理解力. The thing is that each of these five categories are further subdivided into different themes at each town. That is at one town, the theme for the 漢字力 might be food, but at the other it might be animals. Of course the games vary as well. One might have you inputting the kanji and another might be having you select the correct kanji from tiles.

The games themselves are very fun actually. The problem comes in that the Japanese is HARD! Here is just an example of the kanji that appeared in the *first* town on the first level (this level dealt with food)....落雁、昆布茶、杏仁豆腐、求肥...do you know what that last one means? ぎゅうひ. Turkish Delight. I can just see it now..."この求肥はとてもおいしいよ!". I have never eaten Turkish delight, come to think of it, the only time I have ever heard the word "Turkish delight" was when I first read "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.L.Lewis (the white witch temps Edmund with it in the first chapter).

That's the problem I have with recommending this game. It's basically just throwing random, hard words that Japanese people might have seen once and the beginner and intermediate learner has little or no clue as to how to read. This also goes true for the idiom and understanding section. In the idiom section after you choose the answer, Kindaichi sensei explains a little about the meaning of the idiom. Unfortunately, unless your an advanced learner the grammar and kanji in the explanations are harder than the question itself. It turns an otherwise fun game into a frustrating challenge for the Japanese language learner. For me, just to get past some levels I had to write down every word that came up in the game, go look them up and make little mini-dictionaries for each section.

Sure, it helped my vocabulary, but did I really need to spend time studying the kanji for 餡蜜、あんみつ, a fruit cocktail with gelatin cubes and sweet azuki topping? In short, no. That's the kind of word that you pick up when your offered to actaully eat it (not to mention the fact that it's usually written in hiragana!) I could have used that time to get some new grammar or more useful words. Although if your the kind of student who loves studying hard, obscure kanji, then this game will be great for you!

There are really only two sections where it get's a little easier. One of the games has you arranging katakana to form a word. That game is pretty easy for the Intermediate, though beginners will have trouble with it. The other game I found really enjoyable (since it's one of my favorite areas) is counters. The screen shot on the right below shows that game. It give you a number and counter and you have to pick the right object from the list.

It's really a shame that it has to be so hard, because it really is a well put together game. The theme is fun, the games are designed and look great...that screen shot above on the left is of a retro RPG style game for keigo! How cool is that one? Unfortunately it comes after a long while in the game and with 53 town to go through, it seems at times the game will never end. There are also unlockable games (game?), like a shooter kanji game that is in the free mode, but I have yet to get to that and can't really comment on it (I read it on the main games website).

Unfortunately a lot of these games just weren't designed to be study aids for foreign learners. Now that doesn't mean we *can't* use them, we just have to find the ones that are the most accessable...and fit the level you are at. This game is just really too hard to be useful to the average Japanese language student. And with import companies charging a lot for the games, I'd like to see people choose games that will be appropriate for their level and feel like they spent their money wisely (and can use the game right away, as opposed to studying while playing). Right now there are just better games that will help you acquire kanji and vocabulary at an easier rate.

I won't leave you all down trodden though. Kindaichi Sensei has published a book that is somewhat like the game in that it tests your Japanese in various areas. I bought that and can HIGHLY recommend it. It has much more useful words, kanji, and everyday Japanese. You can see it here. It's not as hard (more importantly it focuses on frequently used Japanese) and also manages to capture the playful theme in the illustrations. Of course it's all in Japanese, but it's defiantly accessible to an intermediate learner. If your really itching to learn from Kindaichi sensei, then I would recommend finding a way to order this book.

Two New DS Lite Colors to Hit Japan

2007-05-30T21:42:00.000+09:00

*Shouldn't that be New Colors?

Just when you thought Nintendo couldn't milk the DS cow any more than it has, they've gone and announced two new colors for their handheld bestseller. The two new hues, exclusive to Japan, are Metallic Rose （メタリックロゼ） and Gloss Silver* (グロスシルバー）.

The two systems will hit shelves across Japan on June 23rd, which is coincidentally my father's birthday. Looks like I won't be forgetting it this year! *ahem*

*Expect some Engrish mayhem here with rampant "Gross Sliver" misprints. I expect no less!

via Kotaku

いる, ある, and the Police?

2007-05-30T10:45:00.000+09:00

One of the benefits of living and working in Japan is that when I have a question about Japanese (as in the language), I can just turn to the teacher sitting next to me and ask. As such, I just finished up a great conversation (that spilled out and got the whole 教員室, teachers room, involved) that I'd thought I'd share.

I was reading the April issue of the 日本語ジャーナル (a magazine well worth the price, although it is harder to come by now....I'm going to talk more about this great Japanese language resource in another post soon) when in the section "会話の中の基本動詞” on page 7 they brought up the topic of いる　vs. ある.

They explain how learners of Japanese know いる as the verb used for existence when talking about people and animals. While ある, conversely, is the verb used when talking about existence for plants and objects. No problem right? Basic Japanese 101 stuff there.

Well it turns out that it's not always that cut and dry. They bring up this example (again page 7),
(走っている車の中で)
　　　　　夫：もう時間がないよ。急がなくちゃ。
　　　　　妻：危ないから、あまりスピードを出さないでよ。
　　　　　　　それに、この辺、よくパトカーが｛　ある　・　いる　｝

Based on what you know, which one would you choose?

Of course, since they're asking, the answer must be いる　since ある seems too much like the logical choice (police car = object = ある）right? That'd be a correct assumption as いる　would be the more natural choice in this case. As they explain in the article, "This is because moving objects are, in this case, perceived as moving by their own volition, like people and plants" (日本語ジャーナル、2007、４月、P.7）.

I thought to myself, "huh, you don't say", and decided to research the point a little more here in the teachers room where I teach at. About an hour later, here are the results.

パトカーがいる, seems to be the only widely used sentence where even though you are talking about an inanimate object, いる would be the more natural choice over ある. Another example that someone thought up was お金がいる。 But that was corrected as that いる　wasn't the いる we were all talking about. It turned out his example would be written as お金が要る (Money is needed / Some money is required) rather than the いる for existence.

Deep into the discussion, it turned out there may be a red herring at work here.

While we are referring to the パトカー as いる, and according to the magazine "moving objects are perceived as moving on their own volition"..this may not be entirely correct. I noticed in the conversation that (that included two 国語　teachers along with a handful of native speakers) パトカー　and the 警官 (police officer) driving it were not being referred to as*separate entities*. The police car was being viewed as an extension of the police officer. In other words, the police car *became* the police man! And it gets even more interesting....

バスがいる＝okay
タクシがいる＝okay

It seems that (at least from my observations here) that the "moving on their own volition" has less to do with the choice of いる, but rather if you know -who- is doing the driving. Think about it, who drives a police car? A policeman! Who drives a bus? A bus driver! Who drives a taxi? A taxi driver! Everyone seemed to agree on this point.

It would seem that if the driver can be given a generic title, then the いる is extended to the vehicle as well. No one could think of any other example sentences that had a moving object that didn't include one of the above mentioned vehicles that would help support the "moving on it's on volition" point. I'm not saying there isn't, but all the same...if this is true, then the usage of いる　for パトカー isn't really falling too much out of bounds of it's original intention, it's just indirectly showing that there is someone inside the car*.

[Edit: June 27, 2007 - I was re-reading the entry here and though I would clarify this part a little more as actually, I forgot to add something I remember now we talked about. This example shows how いる cannot be used with a vehicle - 友達の車がいる. This is not a correct sentence. I tried to find out what the difference was between me seeing a police car while I was driving, and me seeing my friends car while I was driving, but alas no one really knew why. That's when I asked if it was possible that things with drivers you know could be a reason for using いる(as you don't really know for 100% if that is actually your friend driving the car...and yes, I asked what if you saw his face..still would be ある) and most said that seemed like a plausible conclusion.

Also to note here is that Kindaichi Sensei in the magazine that Chris mentioned here before talks about this very subject of いる vs ある and how to use it properly. To sum up his explanation, he says that if you can call it and get a reaction from it, then you use いる, and specifically mentions that this applies to taxis, robots and UFO's. Which I guess makes sense since you can call a police car, though you don't really call a bus per say... He also talks a little about if something seems to "have a heart" 「こうして具体的に考えていくと、どうやって分けたらいいかわからなくなりますが、最終的には、おそらく　”共感性”　のようなもの　－－－　つまり心をもった存在と感じられるかどうかが、”ある”と”いる” を分ける判断の基準と思われます」(p. 103) then that helps divide it into いる or ある, but honestly I don't really get his explanation, logic wise, since it seems to be so subjective and inconclusive on why buses and at least one train (see the comment section below) are included in いる. And what about Zombies?? They have a heart...well some of them....but their not alive, but they come when called. Things that make you go Hmmm.....]

In the end though, the discussion here was much more enjoyable then actually reaching a conclusive answer about why いる is used. Also please keep in mind that Japanese 方言 is notorious for how things are said differently according to the place you are in, so there could be even other ways of saying パトカーがいる　(next up will be いる vs おる, a widely used dialect form..for example here in Watarai-cho、度会町、パトカーがおる is the most used sentence).

But if something like this comes up, question it! Ask your Japanese friends why! If you challenge and interact with Japanese like this, your going to find out a lot more then you could ever read in a book. It's also a great way to remember all the little rules and exceptions that pop up from time to time.

* Just to throw a monkey wrench into that mix, I asked if you could say パトカーがある if it is parked in the middle of an large, wide, open, empty field with no one else in sight and no one in the car. The consensus was that you would still say パトカーがいる (those crafty police! They could be hiding under the car just waiting to give you a ticket or take you away!!)

Keigo with Cartoons

2007-05-28T21:29:00.000+09:00

If you're having trouble with your keigo, then Digital Sense has just what you need: kanji lessons through cartoons!!! Seriously, does it get any more exciting?

Here's a look at one comic:

(Click here to view the comic on Digital Sense's website along with supplemental information.)

So let's take a look at what it's trying to say:

Part I

Girl A: お世話になっておりますー　本田部長ですか？いらっしゃいます。少々お待ちくださいませ。

Girl B: あのね、社外のお客様にはたとえ社長でも呼び捨てにするものなのよ。　社内の人間は身内だからね。

Part II

Guy A: あ、社長だー

Guy A: ごくろうさまでーす！

Guy B: ばかやろう！「ごくろうさま」は目下の人間に使う言葉だ！

In Part I, we get a quick lesson in 呼び捨て（よびすて）. 呼び捨て refers to dropping the suffix from the end of a name. This includes obvious suffixes such as さん or さま, but also includes titles such as 部長（ぶちょう）, department head, or 社長（しゃちょう）, president.

As Girl B so aptly points out, when referring to people in your "in-group", you need to drop the honorable suffix from the end of the name. Here, Girl A should have referred to 本田部長 as only 本田.

Part II is about the proper usage of ごくろうさま, a greeting used all the time by anybody working in an office. As common as it is, though, it's wickedly hard to translate into English! "Thanks for the hard work", "good job", "well done"... It all depends on context.

Anyway, the gist of the comic is that Guy A is being quite the fool saying ごくろうさま to the company president! This is because, as Guy B points out, this greeting is only used towards those "below" you on the "social ladder". In an office, this means that ごくろうさま should only be used towards those who work beneath you, your subordinates. The proper greeting to use towards a superior would be お疲れ様です（おつかれさまです）. This greeting, with a similar meaning to ごくろうさま, can be used with subordinates, equals, or your superiors. It's useful!

I encourage you to check out the rest of the comics on the website and read up on your keigo and business manners! This stuff is invaluable.

Hissatsu Kung Fu Kanji Dragon EVENT June 3rd

2007-05-26T12:22:00.000+09:00

With the release of Hissatsu Kung Fu Kanji Dragon (必殺カンフー　漢字ドラゴン) coming up, Success and Sofmap have teamed up for the ultimate kanji-kung fu combo!

Event details:
-June 3rd (Sunday)
-from 12:00 noon until 6:00pm
-at the Sofmap "amusement complex" in Akihabara

６月３日（日）１２：００～１８：００
ソフマップ本店アミューズメント館店頭にて

Here's the description from the official website:

ゲームを体験していただいたお客様にはもれなく「漢字ドラゴンディレクターズカットＤＶＤ」をプレゼント！さらにイベント開催時間中ソフマップ本店にて「必殺カンフー漢字ドラゴン」をご予約いただき、スタッフまでお申しで頂いたお客様には「漢字ドラゴンスタッフＴシャツ」をプレゼントいたします。
当日は動画でおなじみ！あのアクションスターも駆けつけちゃうかも！？

Anybody who visits will be able to try out the game and even receive a Kanji Dragon Director's Cut DVD! Additionally, anybody who reserves the game during the event will receive a Kanji Dragon Staff T-shirt! Then there's some tomfoolery about an action star showing up--but who knows!

I highly recommend anybody interested in the game to head out to Akihabara on June 3rd to check this out. Sadly, I'll be out of town, so I can't make it. Looks like a lot of fun, though, so don't miss out!

If any of you do make it to the event, send us an e-mail and let us know how it was!

New Kanji Dragon Characters & Game Info!

2007-05-26T00:00:00.000+09:00

Three new characters and game system information have been released on Kanji Dragon!

The new characters are Kuro Dogi, Ryu, and Jones. Gotta love the lil' bits of racial stereotyping going on.

An additional battle system, 叫べ！(Scream!) has been revealed as well. Apparently you scream into the microphone to rack up points. I'm not really sure what this has to do with studying kanji, but according to the website, it helps clear your mind so you can study more effectively. I'll have to see how well this works out.

Secrets of Kanji Stroke Order

2007-05-23T22:49:00.000+09:00

A good friend of mine, and a fellow blogger, has posted some interesting information about kanji stroke order.

Check it out here:
http://www.restall.org/2007/05/remembering-kanji-stroke-order.html

Be sure to check the rest of his site out while you're at it.

Nintendo DS Effective in the Classroom

2007-05-21T23:15:00.000+09:00

For the last five months, forty-nine third year junior high school students in Yawata-shi, Kyoto have been using Nintendo DSes in the classroom--and not being punished for it! In fact, the teachers are making them use it! And results are good.

On average, the students who used Nintendo DSes in the classroom saw their English vocabulary increase by 40%. The software being used is 中学英単語ターゲット1800DS (Chugaku Eitango Target 1800 DS).

With reports showing increased vocabulary and improved pronunciation, schools in Yawata-shi have also implemented the system with second year students as of April. The city received 600 new systems with the support of the national government.

Over 90% of the third year students reported using the Nintendo DS to study as "fun" and "having an effect on their English".

The software, developed by IE Institute, is one of many English training games to be released in Japan.

Source:
毎日新聞

---

Update (May 23)

A friend of mine from Nihongojouzu alerted me to the fact that the story broke in the English language press.

Check the story here.

Just be sure to remember who reported on this first, though... Naruhodo! ;)

Nazotte Oboeru Otona no Kanji Renshu

2007-05-15T22:29:00.000+09:00

なぞっておぼえる大人の漢字練習

Nazotte Oboeru Otona no Kanji Renshu

- A Japanese learner's perspective review

Gacha-Gacha Review:

Level: Intermediate to Advanced Japanese students

The Good: Your one stop kanji shop! Includes practices, tests and games for all 1,945 elementary and middle school kanji. In practice sessions, readings are shown along with stroke order. Input recognition is very high. Excellent progressive learning system. Unlockable content. Various music and background noises (birds chirping, etc).

The Bad: Sometimes example sentences can range from easy to extremely hard regardless of the level of the question kanji, making the game frustrating for beginners. No good review system for going back to practice kanji that you want to review again.

The Ugly: As the title suggests, this software is for adults to *review* kanji, so at times it can be very difficult for a beginner or even an intermediate Japanese student. One theme layout can make the game tedious after playing for a while. The background music for the kanji logic puzzle section makes me question humanity and what it's capable of inflicting on other human beings.

Nitty - Gritty Review:

Still looking for a good kanji practice program for the DS? Is this the one that's going to get your money? In short...yes. With that out of the way, let's get right down to the nitty-gritty shall we?

First, again, I would like to point out who this title is aimed at. Obviously as the title suggests, this kanji practice software is aimed at adults who are reviewing kanji they already know. But being as it's for adults, it has some advantages that titles like Tadashi Kanji Kakitorikun (another software similar in design) doesn't have. One of the best advantages is that unlike other non-game, adult, kanji practice software like Kanken DS it's focus is not on kanji practice for tests or remembering often unused or obscure kanji, but rather on reinforcing the common and most often used kanji. As such, this makes it an ideal software for the Japanese student.

The game itself is very user friendly. After turning the system on and entering the game you are presented with the main option screen that is divided into three categories: My Training, Easy Test (簡単テスト), and Kanji Game.

My Training (screenshot to the left, categories read top to bottom, left to right) is where you'll be spending most of your time. It's sub divided into 5 parts. Today's Practice, Leveling Up, "Category" Challenge (actually 雑学 - ざつがく means "miscellaneous knowledge" but in this case it refers to challenging words divided up into specific categories like food, science, Japanese, etc), Grade Up Test, and 苦手克服 (にがてこくふく, or "overcoming the kanji you are weak at"). The top display screen keeps track of the amount of kanji (out of the 1,945) that you have both practiced and passed.

The layout of each section is pretty much straight forward. The top display screen shows you the sentence containing either the kanji or the yomikata (reading, both onyomi and kunyomi) for the kanji to be written. The input screen is where the user will write the kanji or hiragana to answer the questions or, as shown in the screenshot on the right, the stroke order will be practiced by copying over the red lines.

Input recognition is very high. I have had very few times where the software has failed to recognize what I have written. Stoke order is important though as with most kanji software, being able to write the proper stroke order increases the chances that it will be recognized by the software. If anything, sometimes the recognition is too good as it will anticipate a kanji being written half way through and pop up the answer before you are finished.

This software is outstanding in the fact that the user will be able to practice both writing the kanji and writing the readings of the kanji. For higher level Japanese language learners, it's almost an indispensable tool for studying kanji with. Not only that, the organization of how one studies has been well though out. In the "Today's Practice" part the user is always given kanji and readings in pairs. For example if the first question has 車 in it's question, the user writes the hiragana reading in the input screen. Then the next question will have しゃ or くるま in the question, so the user will write 車 in the input screen. Presenting the kanji in pairs like this really help to reinforce the kanji when studying I feel.

Beginner students to Japanese might find this title a little intimidating at times though, which is why I am not fully recommending it to them. The problem is that even with some of the easy kanji like 立つ or 日 (たつ or にち) while the kanji themselves are not hard to write or the reading hard to remember, in the test and practice sections the software uses a lot of harder kanji (and grammar) in the example sentences that contain the question kanji. In the screenshot below, the phrase 腹が立つ is used for the kanji 立つ. While not really all that hard in itself, the phrase (which means to get mad / become angry) is not one that a beginner will be familiar with. The software is designed to be used by Japanese adults who know how to read everything around the question kanji, thus giving them a hint to which kanji they should be using.

On the other hand though, for beginners who have a firm grasp of hiragana and katakana, this will be an excellent tool for acquiring new vocabulary and phrases. Also, as a little bonus is the fact that all the other kanji in the question sentence will have furigana (the small hiragana written above kanji) making looking up words in a dictionary thankfully much easier. Another good system for beginners is that you have the option of having the answer given to you, the question is marked as "missed" and not counted towards the total of anything, but the user is still made to write the kanji or readings to continue on in the lesson or test.

The game section is also very fun, if not also a little bit too hard for beginners. There is a square logic puzzle (where you guess which spaces should be filled in to make a picture of a kanji on a 15x15 grid) that is the most accessible to beginner students. This game though features the most annoying background music I have ever heard in a game (background music can't be changed in the games). Seriously, it gets into your head and lays waste to everything good you might have ever heard or know about music. It also the effect of making an otherwise fun game into a tedious choir. Other games are writing the kanji for the different prefectures in Japan and filling in the blank spaces for popular 4 kanji idioms. These sections are really only for the hardcore Japanese student, as even native speakers find these kinds of questions hard.

As you progress in your training and complete kanji, new games and background sounds become available. My favorite unlockable background sound is the "forest" sound of birds chirping.

Overall though this is probably the best kanji training software on the market today for students of Japanese. The fact that you can first "learn" the kanji by practicing the stroke order, then testing your knowledge out in the various tests and games (both writing the kanji and writing the onyomi and kunyomi) makes this worth the price of admission alone. The only drawback to the title is in the fact that once kanji are "learned" then they tend to disappear never to be seen again. Kanji that are missed in training lessons are sent to that 苦手克服 section where they can be practiced again, but once they are done correctly they disappear into the masses only to be practiced again if you go back to the level the kanji was in and go though the whole section again.

I would highly recommend this title to everyone, beginners should note though that a firm grasp of hiragana is necessary as well as moderate grammar skills. It will be great as a supplemental to intermediate students and a challenge to advanced students (as in the higher level kanji). If you have a chance to pick up this title, I don't think you will be disappointed.

P.S. I apologize for the number of times the word "kanji" appears in this review. I think it's about 十万. I am just as sick of typing it as you are of reading it. Sometimes those subject-less sentences in Japanese are quite nice to read.

Walking with the Duke

2007-05-15T18:16:00.000+09:00

Duke Saraie that is.

Duke is a very famous health/posture/walking consultant who has released books and DVDs in addition to running his own schools both in Japan and abroad. On May 19th Duke will make his debut appearance on the Nintendo DS! To be honest, I find it hard to imagine Duke on DS. Duke's exercise style revolves mainly around using walks previously only seen in the likes of Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks. It'll be interesting to see what this product looks like when it is released. I'm curious, but with a 4000yen price tag, maybe not that curious.

Obviously, given Duke's work, he is an easy target for Japanese comedians looking for someone to take the Mickey out of. King Kong, a pair of comedians, in their TV show "Haneru no tobira", did just that, and pretty effectively too. I really have to stress that the guy pretending to be Duke isn't exaggerating all that much. The real Duke shares many of those characteristics, and some of the real Duke walks are just as bizarre as you'll see here!

HA vs GA : The Definitive Guide Part 1

2007-05-13T23:30:00.000+09:00

Here is the first installment in a series of articles I'll be putting together detailing the usage of は (pronounced "WA", not "HA") and が, something which is the source of a lot of grief to a lot of learners. This first post is by no means comprehensive, and I expect this guide will become quite lengthy over time.

Before we start I'd just like to address a few myths held about は and が. The first of these is that a lot of people seem to think their usage is unimportant, and that it's OK to mess up because "even the Japanese can't agree sometimes", or even to not bother using the 2 at all! I'd like to stress that their usage IS very important if you ever want to sound intelligent speaking Japanese, or have any ambitions to read and write coherently in the language. Also while it is true that there are some cases where even native speakers can disagree, this is by far a minority. There are some very concrete rules at play in the usage of は and が, and hopefully through this guide you will gain some useful insight. I will warn you in advance though, this guide is going to get ugly, which is another reason I've decided to break it up into easily digestible chunks. I never said it was going to be easy! I'd recommend taking it slowly, as rushing through will likely end in confusion and tears for everyone. The final thing I'd like to point out before we start is that dialect can influence the usage of は and が to a certain degree. Sadly there's nothing I can do about this. All of the rules I will be posting come from textbooks written in Japanese, for Japanese teachers and advanced learners, and all are based on 標準語 (ひょうじゅんご) or standard textbook Japanese. The example sentences are all either lifted straight from the source with minor alterations or have been composed by and/or checked by a native speaker before inclusion, so barring typos, accuracy shouldn't be an issue.

Thanks to Chris for looking over all this and making a few suggestions to improve it. Note that the word "subject" is used a lot in relation to は, I just want to point out that this is in relation to the predicate. I'm NOT labelling は as subject marker.

And now to it!

1. When the predicate (the part of the sentence which is NOT the subject) is a question word (だれ、なに、いつ, etc.), the particle following the subject will always be は.

あの人はだれですか。　
お誕生日はいつですか。　　
それはなんの本ですか。

In answering the above questions the subject is again followed by は, however it is very common in Japanese for this whole section to be omitted.

(あの人は)山田先生です。　
(誕生日は)3月27日です。　
(これは)数学の本です。

2. However, when the question word is the subject of the sentence, it is always followed by が.

どの人が田中さんですか。　
どちらが京都行きの電車ですか。

Once again, in answering these questions the subject will also be followed by が. And like 1., this is often left unsaid in Japanese. See the pattern?

あの人(が田中さん)です。　　
こちら(が京都行きの電車)です。

3. Similarly, when the predicate contains a question word followed by a post-positional particle, the subject will always be marked by は.

山下さんはどんな音楽をよく聞きますか。
銀行は何時に閉まりますか。　
木村さんはだれと旅行しましたか。

Once again with the answers to the above.

(私は)クラシック音楽をよく聞きます。　
(銀行は)3時に閉まります。　
(私は)友達と旅行しました。

4. When the question word is made subject, again we see が being used.

だれがそんなことを言ったんですか。　
どんな人が来ますか。

And the answers:

山口君(が言ったん)です。　
大学生(が)来ます。

5. When the question word is the subject, and the question word is comparitive in nature, the subject will take が.

(山口さんと川口さんと)どちら(の方)が若いですか。　　
(ピンポンとテニスとバドミントンのなかで)どれがいちばんおもしろいですか。

And in answering:

山口さん(の方が若い)です。　
テニス(がいちばんおもしろい)です。

And a final bit of trivia:

Subject = 主語/主部　(しゅご/しゅぶ)
Predicate = 述語/述部　(じゅつご/じゅつぶ)

Well, that wraps up Part 1 of our guide. Part 2 will hopefully not be too far away.

Thanks for reading!

More Kanji Dragon Details!

2007-05-13T21:52:00.000+09:00

Success has released further gameplay titles on their upcoming title, Hissatsu Kung Fu Kanji Dragon (必殺カンフー　漢字ドラゴン). Two more exciting features that are sure to help you improve your kanji skills are going to be implemented.

The first features a challenge that any zealous scholar of kanji will be familiar with: 類義語 (るいぎご). 類義語 are pairs of kanji compounds that have the same meaning (such as 試合 & 勝負 and 意外 & 案外). In the screenshot above, the player is being prompted to choose the 類義語 for 及第 (きゅうだい). The answer in this case is 合格 (ごうかく).

The second feature involves putting together 熟語 (jukugo), or kanji compounds. In this game, the player is shown a character on the top screen, in this case 凝. The player then must select kanji from the bottom screen that can be combined with the first kanji to make a compound. In this case, 視, 結, 血, 縮 are the correct answers.

For a quick review, here are the compounds and their meaning.
凝視（ぎょうし） -- to stare or gaze
凝結（ぎょうけつ） -- condensation, to condense
凝血（ぎょうけつ） -- a blood clot
凝縮（ぎょうしゅく） -- condensation, to condense (same as 凝結)

The Power of ち

2007-05-09T11:16:00.000+09:00

What do 父 and 乳 have in common?

If you answered that they can both be read ちち, you'd be right. But have you ever wondered why? If I told you they were both the same word, would you believe me? I'm guessing there's already quite a few raised eyebrows reading this, but stick with me, all will be revealed.

The first thing we have to do is remove the existence of Kanji from our minds. I know I know, Kanji are generally regarded as the key to unlocking all the deeper secrets of Japanese, but the Japanese, and their language, were around a long time before anyone started using those strange characters from China. So, let's go back to a time before Kanji had made their way to Japan, you'll be surprised what you can discover.

Japanese is a language containing a lot of homophones. Most people, even the Japanese, claim that Kanji is what sets them apart. は for example, can be read 歯、葉、派 and so on. All share the same pronunciation, but their meanings are seperated by the Kanji used to represent them. What people don't often realise is a lot of the time these words are connected, in fact in the eyes of ancient Japanese, were once considered the same thing.

Thus we come back to 父 and 乳. And to solve this riddle, we have to go back further.

ち, or 血 (blood), is a very important word to the Japanese, and this was even more so back in ancient times. ち was regarded as much more than just blood. Blood is what keeps us alive, in that sense it is a source of power and energy, something essential to existence, something spiritual. Is it any wonder that the word for "father" was ち, to whom we are so deeply connected？ The word for power was also ち, thus ちち, "father" + "power", which came to represent the idea of "father", the head of the household and ruler of the roost.

Perceptive minds have probably already made the mental leap to the word ちから (力), which means "power" or "strength". You will not be surprised to learn that the ち in ちから is in fact the same ち we have been talking about thus far. から goes back to ancient times also, and meant "そのもの". This から is also the から from からだ (体). But I digress.

Back to 乳. What else do you suppose comes from a mother's breast that has the power to make a baby grow up big and strong, give a child the energy it needs to survive? It's not difficult to see where the connection to the breast and power came from. That gives us another ち. But why ちち? Well, mothers have more than one breast to choose from, and those two breasts were represented by ちち, two sources of power.

So as you can see, while 父 and 乳 mean very different things to us now, many centuries after the assignment of Chinese characters to the meanings of native Japanese words, to the Japanese living before the introduction of Kanji, these words all shared a basic similar meaning, that of "power". And it doesn't end there. Many more words share ancient roots, roots which have become lost under the weight of Kanji, but are still there for the finding, if you set out to do so.

But those are stories for another time.

Can You Write ひとつ in Kanji?

2007-05-08T23:54:00.000+09:00

*Image taken from Yahoo! News.

On May 7th, the results of a national survey were unveiled detailing the reading and writing skills of students grades two through seven in

Japan

. In this age of computers and cell phones, where many of us face fewer and fewer chances to actually write kanji, it's not surprising that writing skills are falling behind reading skills.

Out of all the second graders tested, only 70% could properly write 一つ (ひとつ). Common mistakes included 人つ and 入つ. Who would have thought there could be so much confusion over a single stroke?

The survey, conducted by the Nihon Kyoiku Gijutsu Gakkai (NKGG), 日本語教育技術学会, in April/May of 2004, tested students from 480 elementary and junior high schools across Japan. Students from grades two through seven were tested on the reading and writing of kanji they were taught in their previous year of schooling.

While reading scores averaged over 90% across the board, writing scores started at around 89% for second graders before decreasing as grade level rose. Fourth graders' average writing scores were 71% and sixth graders scored only 65%. These figures point to a sharp decline in writing ability from third grade on, and a pattern of weaker writing scores as grade level (and thus number of kanji learnt) rises.

A startling example of sixth graders' inability to write kanji is shown by their inability to write the 支 in 支持（しじ）. Only 7% of sixth graders were able to answer this question correctly. The most common mistake was writing 指 instead of the correct answer.

Not surprisingly, students in higher grades had more trouble with kanji that do not show up often in daily life.

A survey of study habits and other daily activities accompanied the test, providing some interesting information. On average, fourth and fifth graders who reported watching 3 or more hours of TV per day scored 16 points less than those who watched less television. Also, students who reported studying kanji largely in the classroom scored higher on writing than those who reported studying kanji mostly at home.

Yoichi Mukoyama, chairman of the NKGG, is reported as saying "Although almost 40% of students reported that they practice only at home, it is essential that kanji is taught properly in the classroom as well."

Sources:
SANKEI EXPRESS
Yahoo! News

Two More Nintendo DS Titles On the Way!

2007-05-07T00:26:00.000+09:00

There are two more Japanese learning titles for the Nintendo DS slated for release this month, both coming from IE Institute.

The first is 美しい日本語の書き方・話し方DS (UtsukushiiNihongo no Kakikata - Hanashikata DS).
Judging by the cover and the title, it appears this title may be geared more towards female users than males. I'm not 100% sure on this, though.

The game appears to contain a variety of functions. You can take a short, ten-question test to see how "beautiful" your Japanese is. You can also practice your writing and speaking through a variety of scenes including: daily life, dining, expressing feelings, business, events, and word basics. There also appears to be a mini-dictionary of sorts built in where you can look up the nuances of certain words. Lastly, you can practice writing kanji to make sure your skills are up to par with the calligraphers out there.

The second title is 旺文社でる順国語DS (Obunsha Derujun Kokugo DS).
First off, this title contains electronic forms of two publications from Obunsha, one covering kanji and the other idioms and expressions. Both of these publications are geared towards entrance exams for incoming middle school students, which means the difficulty level should not be too high. This could be an excellent title for learners of Japanese.

The makers boast that this title will teach the meaning and proper usage of kanji, something unseen in previous kanji-related games to date. This title will contain a variety of training exercises, a built-in reference dictionary, and unlockable functions.

We'll bring you more info on the titles when it becomes available!

Welcome to Naruhodo!

2007-05-06T21:17:00.000+09:00

Greetings to everybody out there!

Looks like I'm last to check in here. I'm Matt, the third musketeer of Naruhodo. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, I currently call Osaka home. I started studying Japanese in university and soon after graduation made my way to Japan. Despite travelling around quite a bit since then I always find myself coming back here. I started out as a JET but have worked in the eikaiwa scene and also as a translator in the past. Currently I'm trying my hand at my own business, and doing the odd bit of freelance translating and English teaching on the side. I love the Japanese language and enjoy using it, learning more of it, and discussing it with like-minded people. I hope visitors can have a lot of fun and maybe even learn a thing or two here!

Thanks for reading!

Welcome to Naruhodo!

2007-05-06T14:27:00.000+09:00

「なるほど!」へようこそ～

As Chris pointed out in the last post, this is our grand opening day! I hope you'll find our site useful and informative. I'm looking forward to exploring the challenging and rewarding area that is Japanese with everyone here. Please feel free to comment on everything and anything you see on our site!

We thought we'd take this time (post?) out to tell you a little about ourselves, so here's mine!

My name is Shane and I'm from Chicago. I have been studying Japanese for about 15 years now (much longer than I'd like to admit actually). I've only lived in Japan for about a total of 5 years now....4 as an English teacher and one in a Japanese Language school in Kyoto. I also spent one year helping to teach Japanese at a grade school in Chicago. I'm looking forward to working with both Matt and Chris and sharing and discussing all things Japan and Japanese with everyone on the site here!

Welcome to Naruhodo!

2007-05-06T12:09:00.000+09:00

Welcome to Naruhodo!, and thanks for visiting!

Today is the grand opening of the site, and from here out, we'll be doing our best to bring you the latest news and information about the Japanese language and learning it. We'll be concentrating on using software & technology, be it a DVD or your Nintendo DS. However, the range of topics we will cover doesn't stop there. We'll also deliver all the info you need to test your Japanese skills through the variety of tests available. We hope that through this site, you'll discover a new exam that you didn't know existed, or get the courage to take that test you've also thought about taking.

In addition, we'll also cover topics that are pertinent to modern Japanese, issues for native speakers as well as foreign learners. Many of these topics will be taken from the headlines of newspapers or from the pages of bestselling books.

Our hope is that Naruhodo! becomes a community where Japanese learners can take their studies from the classroom or textbook and apply their knowledge in a new way, alongside other learners with similar interests and goals. Although we at Naruhodo! will be providing the framework for the discussion, it will ultimately be up to our users to expand on the issues through discussion.

In closing, I'll tell you a bit about myself. My name is Chris, and I will be serving as the admin of Naruhodo! I have been studying Japanese for 13 years, almost half my life. I started learning in high school, continuing my studies in university. After graduating, I moved out to Japan and have been here since. I'm currently working as a translator where I'm challenged daily to improve my skills in both Japanese and English. I'm looking forward to working with Matt and Shane, as well as with all the users who visit the site.

Thank you!
I hope you all enjoy Naruhodo! and feel that your (hopefully constant) visits are worthwhile!

Tadashi Kanji Kakitorikun

2007-05-02T14:52:00.000+09:00

正しい漢字かきちりくん

Tadashi Kanji Kakitorikun

-A Japanese learner’s perspective review
　

Gacha-Gacha Review:

Level: Intermediate Japanese students

The Good: Great for reinforcing the basic 1,006 kanji. Vocabulary and “fill in the kanji”
games are great for vocabulary building / comprehension review.

The Bad: No readings (onyoumi / kunyoumi) are presented onscreen as you practice.
Assumes user has studied kanji at least one time.

The Ugly: Clunky menu layout has you tapping way too many times to get to each kanji.
Only one choice for music and sound effects that quickly grate on nerves (can
be turned off though).

Nitty-Gritty Review:

Hey all! Shane here, I thought I’d give a review of the Nintendo DS title “Tadashi Kanji Kakitori-kun" (the one mentioned here by Chris on our site last month) for all of us Japanese studying DS users. Is it worth the import cost to pick this title up? Will it suit your Japanese study needs? Well, read on to find out!

First let’s talk a little about what this title is and who it’s aimed at so we can get an idea of its intended target audience and put that into perspective of its strengths and flaws for us, the non-native speaker.

Basically this title is *exactly* what it says it is, a training program to write Japanese kanji correctly. Writing kanji, in this case, means to be able to write the kanji in their proper stroke order, i.e. left to right, top to bottom, etc. It seems to be designed as a supplemental aimed at Japanese school children (grades 1-6) who are learning the basic 1,006 kanji at school. The main reason why I think this is both the software’s best, and weakest, point..so let’s move into that area now shall we?

The meat and bones of this title is in its ability for the user to pick any off the 1,006 elementary school kanji (divided by year level in tab form) and see their stroke order on the display screen while the user writes the kanji on the input screen. This section is called かきとり in the main menu. There is an option to turn on a outline of the kanji on the input screen, making copying a little easier. After the kanji is copied, the “teacher” evaluates the kanji and gives a score. If it is over 50% then you have “passed” the kanji and the percentage of completed kanji goes up in the main menu screen. This system though I found to be rather arbitrary in its grading. Some times I deliberately wrote kanji sloppily and received 90%, other times I painstakingly copied the outline and only got a 60%. The only time you seem to fail is when you, of course, get the stroke order wrong. So the grading system has little to no use.

Unfortunately for non-native speakers, only the kanji is displayed in this section. No readings are displayed or accessible to the user. This is why I feel it is directed to students who have already studied the readings and meanings of the kanji as the training emphasis is on stroke order and nothing else in this part of the software. I have heard the argument that you can just use a kanji dictionary along with this part of the software, but I think that kind of defeats the purpose as usually dictionaries (good ones) will show the stroke order along with the definition. That being said, for Japanese students who already know the readings and want a brush up, it’s perfect.

The other half of this software (ドリル and 力だめし in the main menu) consists of kanji / vocabulary drills and a series of mini-games. This is where this software really shines for intermediate Japanese students or students already familiar with a number of the basic 1,006. The drills present the user with a short, one to two sentence paragraph with missing kanji. But this time around there is furigana written to show what kanji must be written.

Interestingly enough, in the drills you have access to a kanji and vocabulary dictionary that gives you the readings and example sentences. [Edit: 07/04/07: Just wanted to update this a little with how to find that sub-menu where you can access the readings for kanji. If you go to the ドリル section and then play the 漢字ドリル, don't enter anything. The game thinks you are stumped and thinking and a little pen with a question mark pops up and points to the box you have to click to get to the sub-menu. Keep in mind you only get the readings for the kanji that it is asking you about..it's not really like a searchable dictionary or anything. It is also available in the 熟語 section also, but only when you are writing a kanji, not hiragana.]

Again though, a working knowledge of hiragana / katakana and moderate grammar skills are necessary to read anything..so it’s little use to a beginner student. Intermediate students though will find these tests and dictionaries well worth their time, especially the vocabulary tests that present words that are commonly used in speech, but not used in Japanese textbooks. Written kanji here are also graded, but even though I had chosen the correct kanji and wrote it in the correct stroke order, the system seemed to have graded my style a little more harshly and I was made to do the passage over again if it didn’t like my kanji.

Lastly the mini-games are unlockable (as in there is one game for each of the 6 levels) as you progress through the written kanji in practice mode. It mainly consists of giving you up to 5 simple kanji and a hint for the user to combine them into a more complex, single kanji that fits the given hint. Other games have you filling in a kanji crossword puzzle so that kanji line up to make words and fill in the blank spots. These games were really challenging and fun to play, but again, probably suited to intermediate students as the hints are written using grade school level grammar.

The only two major complaints I have about this game are that the menus are very clunky, requiring multiple taps to get past instructions in order to start tracing the kanji. This must be done for each kanji you select Also there is only one selection of music and sounds effects that grate on your nerves very easily, luckily thought you can turn them off in the options menu.

In conclusion, if you’re an intermediate Japanese language learner, then this might be a title you would want to consider picking up (although I will have to say that I paid 35$ dollars for mine, and felt I was little over charged for the amount of content I got….or didn’t get that is). If your new to Japanese (probably been studying 8 months or less) or on the fence, then I’d have to say stay away from this game and invest in a good kanji book (like Basic Kanji).

Okay then! Hope that helps! 頑張ってね！

Naruhodo! Opening Soon

2007-04-28T19:27:00.000+09:00

Here at Naruhodo!, we're getting ready for the grand opening on May 6th! If you thought the content was good now, just wait and see what we have in store for May and June!

More Hissatsu Kung Fu Characters & Gameplay Info!

2007-04-28T19:00:00.000+09:00

On April 27th, Hissatsu Kung fu's official website updated with more information on the characters in the game. They have also revealed some of the first screens of actual gameplay!

First, the characters:

Jaguar

Onna Dragon

Mokujin ("Wood Man")

Dojin ("Bronze Man")

My instincts are telling me that Jaguar will be the main character's rival, but there's still not too much information out there. Check out the official characters page for details (and a little Japanese workout)!

Next, check out these screenshots from the game:

These should look pretty familiar to those of you who played Kanji no Wataridori, especially the top screen. It looks like you will have to do more than fight off your enemies by writing out the readings--you'll also have to write kanji! I am glad to see Success is taking the genre to the next level and implementing kanji recognition into the system. I'll keep my fingers crossed that they are using a good recognition algorithm.

The system page alludes to three more battle systems: 選べ！, 叫べ！, and 和め！ These sections aren't up yet, but you'll be able to find updates as they happen here at Naruhodo!

Lastly, Success has added another downloadable wallpaper in the チラシ置場. Check it out!

Hissatsu Kung Fu Characters Revealed!

2007-04-26T21:35:00.000+09:00

Four of the main characters from 必殺カンフー, introduced in a previous post, have been revealed.

Let's take a look at them, shall we?

Roshi

Chen

Mei

Not too shabby for a kanji game, eh? It looks like they are putting some effort into the character designs. I definitely appreciate that. Check out the "fake" actor biographies for some pretty funny names, too. You can also download a pretty wacky wallpaper by going here and then clicking on チラシ置場. Check out the zany kung fu movies while you're at it. Their original marketing approach has really got my hopes up for the game. I'm looking forward to its release in June.

Kanken Sign Up Deadline Approaching!

2007-04-26T00:35:00.000+09:00

If you're planning on taking the Kanken on the next test date, June 10th, then keep in mind that the deadline for signing up is fast approaching! The deadline is Wednesday, May 9th. Don't forget to register like I did for the last test. I realized I'd missed the deadline one day too late.

You can find specific information about signing up here.

I need to sign up myself. I'll report back with pictures when I finish. Pictures of what, you ask? You'll have to wait and see.

タモリのジャポニカロゴス -Japonica Logos-

2007-04-24T23:34:00.000+09:00

When you've run out of books, software, and podcasts to study with, there's only one place left to turn: the television. Though you may not know it, there are quite a few good television shows airing in Japan to help you improve your skills.

So I bring you タモリのジャポニカロゴス!

Tamori is an immensely popular TV personality--and Japanese language master. Hence his position as host of this show. Each week he takes a panel of guest celebrities through the zany and unexplored corridors of Japanese. The topics vary, ranging from unusual kanji appearing in names to old Japanese names for fruit and food. Humor is a big part of the show, especially when they showcase signs with bad Japanese. Note that these signs are made by Japanese people for Japanese people. And I bet you thought the natives only messed up English. There's usually a contest or quiz of sorts involved as well.

Japonica Logos airs on Fuji TV, usually from 11:00-11:30 on Tuesday nights. (Keep an eye on TV listings as the time can change a bit due to the scheduling of other programs.)

Making People Angry..in Japanese!!!

2007-04-23T00:09:00.000+09:00

In this video, a DVD titled 温厚な上司の怒らせ方 (How to Piss Off Your Mild-Mannered Boss) is reviewed on a morning television show. This looks rather amusing, and I think I might just have to pick this up. Very interesting.

I'll report back with more details when I've got the DVD.

Kanji no Wataridori

2007-04-15T18:53:00.000+09:00

If you've ever wanted to take on an evil organization using your kanji prowess, then Kanji no Wataridori is the game for you! This exciting and educational title was released by Success almost a year ago, but I still find myself going back to it for more.

You take on the role of Kanji Guy, a young adventurer who finds himself on a quest to rescue Sakura, a damsel in distress. You won't be rescuing her through any ordinary means, though. You'll have to use your knowledge of kanji to save the day.

The basic premise of the game is that enemies approach you holding small signs with kanji written on them. You have to act fast, using the stylus to write out the correct reading of the kanji. Entering a correct response will vanquish an enemy, while answering a question wrong--or running out of time--will cause you to take damage. If your life bar hits zero, it's game over. Pretty simple, right?

Kanji no Wataridori offers a lot of variety in its boss battles. Each stage has a boss who features his or her own gimmick. For example, the first boss tests you on how many strokes are in a kanji while the second boss is a challenge in 四字熟語.

Once you've cleared the game, you can take on individual stages or bosses and increase your high score. Unfortunately, there isn't really anything to unlock, so you'll have to rely on your zeal to push you forward. Luckily, there are three different difficulty levels to challenge, so you won't find yourself putting this away after a single victory. Its usefulness as a study tool also makes it worth multiple replays.

One small problem that comes up with the game is that the writing recognition system can be a little clunky. The game often confuses う and ら, and even て and く. I'm sure everybody will encounter their own little issues, depending on their personal writing style, but those are the only two I really had problems with. I don't think the matter can be blamed entirely on Success, though. It was one of the first games to come out taking full advantage of writing recognition. Plus, once you find your handwriting getting better, you'll find the system much easier to work with. Remember, stroke order is important!

The Bottom Line

Pros
Excellent kanji practice
Variety of boss battles
Decent tunes and character art

Cons
Writing recognition can be a bit dull or off
Lack of new functions/stages to unlock
High difficulty level makes it difficult for beginners

I highly recommend this to upper-intermediate and advanced learners.

Joe is Japanese

2007-04-15T13:27:00.000+09:00

There's a new web anime in the works about a half-Japanese guy named Joe McCunney. The site reports that the stories are "mostly true" and revolve around him growing up in Japan speaking the language fluently but having a stigmatic katakana name, ジョー　マッカニー. As you can see in the teaser movie, having a foreign name in Japan can be extremely inconvenient. I'm sure we can all relate.

I'll be keeping my eyes on this site, and you should, too. According to the site, things should get rolling now that it's 2007. I'm very interested to see what they have in the works.

Language Issues in Anime

2007-04-15T10:35:00.000+09:00

In this short clip from Azumanga Daioh, a popular anime, we see two female characters encounter a random foreigner on the street. Hilarity ensues!

The clip showcases the (often unnecessary) tension that can emerge between a Japanese person and a foreigner. Why are foreigners often assumed not to understand Japanese? Why are their Japanese questions or comments responded to in broken English?

Interesting food for thought this Sunday morning.

Yamagata Style

2007-04-12T21:41:00.000+09:00

This video features Brian Link, an ALT at Aterazawa High School in Yamagata. We get to see a little peek into his daily life and job. Personally, I found the video quite interesting. He seems like a great guy, and his students and colleagues seem to really respect him.

Two things I thought of watching this:
1) Studying is all about effort. If you put work into something, you'll get results.
2) Don't be afraid to speak in Japanese. The only way you will learn is by putting yourself out there and talking. Life's too short to worry about being nervous.

New Kanji Game from Success

2007-04-12T13:34:00.000+09:00

I am thrilled to see that Success is bringing out another kanji-based action game. The latest installment is titled 必殺カンフー漢字ドラゴン.

Their first one, 漢字の渡り鳥, was fantastic and I still play it a year after buying it. Even managed to get a perfect run through Easy mode (not at all easy, mind you). If you've got upper intermediate to advanced skills with kanji, I highly recommend picking up 漢字の渡り鳥 to keep you busy until June when 漢字ドラゴン is released.

Stay tuned for a review after it hits the market!

New Kanji Game for Beginners

2007-04-11T23:07:00.000+09:00

As reported on sites such as Japan Probe and Nihongojouzu, Shogakukan released Tadashii Kanji Kakitorikun on April 5th. Unlike past titles released on the Nintendo DS, this title is geared towards beginners, specifically Japanese elementary school students, who are still working on learning their first thousand or so kanji. The game features three modes: a かきとり (writing practice) mode, a ドリル (drill) mode, and a 力だめし (challenge) mode.

The software looks to be great for those who are still not too confident in their writing ability. The software allows you to write out characters while viewing the proper stroke order, then grades you on how well you have written them.

I'll report back later with a full review if I pick up the software. For now, check out the commercial!

Kanken DS

2007-04-11T22:59:00.000+09:00

Users of the Nintendo DS have been treated to kanji training tools before, but its never been as sweet as this. This title proves yet again that the Nintendo DS can be an extremely valuable tool for learning.

It all started on the Japanese versions of Nintendo’s “Brain Age” games. In these titles, kanji games were just one of a variety of different training methods; they were far from the spotlight. As the potential increased for better, more interactive titles, games such as Kanji no Wataridori from Success and Kanpeki Kanjiryoku from TDK were also released. These games contributed new innovation to the genre and an increasingly more sophisticated interface. Rocket Company has taken gamers (and students) to the next level in Kanken DS.

Kanken DS broken up into three main parts: examinations, training, and games.

The examinations are used to test your skill level as you test your way up from level 10 up to level 2 (level 1 related questions were not included in this version mostly due to the obscurity of the content). Each level is broken up into two parts (A and B), so to increase your level, you must pass twice. Since you can only test for grading purposes once a day, it will take even the most skillful of kanji masters a little while to reach the top. You’ll be tested on how to read and write kanji, as well as radicals, stroke order, and more.

Similar content to the examination questions can also be reviewed in the training section. You can select the level and type of questions, so this is useful for reviewing content for future examinations.

Lastly, the games section allows you to practice in a lighter atmosphere without worrying too much about points and grades. The games are cute enough and various enough that most players shouldn’t get bored of them too quickly. It looks like I have three more games to unlock, though I currently have no idea about how to acquire them.

The game also keeps track of your scores over time and keeps an updated radar chart featuring your strengths and weaknesses. Something else that I appreciated while playing was that the stylus works much better with this title, and the writing recognition software is very impressive compared to past titles.

The only thing I feel the software lacks are “lessons.” While it is beneficial for evaluating your skills, there are not many ways to use it to actually acquire new information. The games, especially, which offer a great way to teach you a little extra fall short when you miss a question and are not even shown the correct answer for future reference.

In summary, this is an extremely useful title and one of the best study tools on the DS right now. It’s one you’ll be able to use for a long time as you progress through your study of kanji.