OK let’s get pumped for Japanese! Here’s the plan for super happy fun Japanese learning:

• Find a tutor!
• Find tandem partner: http://www.conversationexchange.com/
• Audio lessons from NHK: http://www.nhk.or.jp/lesson/english/download/index.html
  • Actually the NHK lessons are terrible. I’m using a paid service at japanesepod101.com which so far is awesome.
• Found a really cool guide to Japanese: http://www.guidetojapanese.org/
  • The site doesn’t write Japanese words with the English alphabet (romaji). They make you learn the Japanese script.
• Learn hiragana and katakana using memrise — it works mate: http://www.memrise.com/course/1199/japanese-kana/
• Using a children’s book to learn to write hiragana properly. Ahem, see photo.
• Talk to Hiroko and Mayoko in poor Japanese until they are sick of me.
• Watch Japanese movies: Battle Royale (バトル・ロワイアル) f**king rad!
• Read Japanese book: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (ねじまき鳥クロニクル) by Murakami. Ok, it’s translated but whatever!
• Eat as much fish on rice as possible. Somehow I think this will help.

Any suggestions?! Leave a comment.