Resources for Studying Japanese Language

[ckaiserca]

Hello Forum!

 

What are some good resources for a person wanting to study Japanese from the standpoint of collecting and understanding Nihonto?

 

Thanks in advance for your input!

[b.hennick]

Grey Doffin sells a set of kanji cards. One side shows the kanji and the back shows the translation. It is an easy way to pick up kanji used in signing a sword. You can take a part of the deck with you and study that part when you have time. After a while your mind remembers them.  Sword terminology can take longer to learn. 

[Bugyotsuji]

Since in the main the characters used in Mei are Kanji, then you should have at least one easy-to-use Kanji dictionary. 

Names however can be read in a greater variety of ways, so you will also need a more specialized resource, (see links on this site)  plus there are many good websites out there to feed into.

 

Many years ago when I was at college in the US, I sat down to learn hiragana and katakana as that was my Japanese homework for the week. “No way!” I thought.
 

Just then a whiff of smoke passed my way, and I found myself concentrating as if absorbed in drawing or painting. (Just one experience on a long winding path…)

 

In Japan when out and about I always read the signs around me, seeing them as today’s menu. Every day something new!