5 November 2025
Level: 4
Total known words (Migaku): 1483
Reviews
-
Wanikani
-
Migaku
-
Anki
Reading
-
NHK News Easy
-
Asahi Shimbun Easy
-
Watanoc
-
Matcha
Audio/Visual
-
Comprehensible Japanese
-
けんさんおかえり
Comments:
2 Likes
6 November 2025
Level: 4
Total known words (Migaku): 1597
Reviews
-
Wanikani
-
Migaku
-
Anki
Reading
-
NHK News Easy
-
Asahi Shimbun Easy
-
Watanoc
-
Matcha
Audio/Visual
-
Comprehensible Japanese
-
けんさんおかえり
Comments: Busy week around the house prepping for winter and raking leaves.
2 Likes
7 November 2025
Level: 4
Total known words (Migaku): 1637
Reviews
-
Wanikani
-
Migaku
-
Anki
Reading
-
NHK News Easy
-
Asahi Shimbun Easy
-
Watanoc
-
Matcha
-
Gakken x 朝日新聞キッズネット
Audio/Visual
-
Comprehensible Japanese
-
けんさんおかえり
Comments: A slow day at work so plenty of time to enjoy some Japanese news and maybe some video content after lunch.
3 Likes
8 November 2025
Level: 4
Total known words (Migaku): 1686
Reviews
-
Wanikani
-
Migaku
-
Anki
Reading
-
NHK News Easy
-
Asahi Shimbun Easy
-
Watanoc
-
Matcha
-
Gakken x 朝日新聞キッズネット
Audio/Visual
-
Comprehensible Japanese
-
けんさんおかえり
Comments: Here’s an excellent video that might help a lot of people:
2 Likes
9 November 2025
Level: 4
Total known words (Migaku): 1695
Reviews
-
Wanikani
-
Migaku
-
Anki
Reading
-
NHK News Easy
-
Asahi Shimbun Easy
-
Watanoc
-
Matcha
-
Gakken x 朝日新聞キッズネット
Audio/Visual
-
Comprehensible Japanese
-
けんさんおかえり
Comments:
3 Likes
10 November 2025
Level: 4
Total known words (Migaku): 1695
Reviews
-
Wanikani
-
Migaku
-
Anki
Reading
-
NHK News Easy
-
Asahi Shimbun Easy
-
Watanoc
-
Matcha
-
Gakken x 朝日新聞キッズネット
Audio/Visual
-
Comprehensible Japanese
-
けんさんおかえり
Comments: I’m going to force myself to start exercising again after work. I wonder what Japanese material I could listen to while doing it.
4 Likes
11 November 2025
Level: 4
Total known words (Migaku): 1782
Reviews
-
Wanikani
-
Migaku
-
Anki
Reading
-
NHK News Easy
-
Asahi Shimbun Easy
-
Watanoc
-
Matcha
-
Gakken x 朝日新聞キッズネット
Audio/Visual
-
Comprehensible Japanese
-
けんさんおかえり
-
Speak Japanese Naturally
Comments: Worked out last night, so today my follow up goal is stretching to ensure my 41 year old body doesn’t seize up in pain lol. As for Japanese, I’ve found that NHK Easy is a breeze despite a significant amount of time away, though I need to reacquire a lot of vocabulary before I feel comfortable moving forward to more complicated material (e.g. standard NHK). My first vocabulary milestone is 10,000 words known in Migaku, which should be doable by the time I finish Wanikani next year (I aim to finish in the fall). Maybe I’ll hit that sooner given my reading and video watching on the side, but I’m not in a rush with Japanese.
Meanwhile, I just hit 10,000 words in French and am about 1/3 of the way through Around the World in Eighty Days. I’ve backed off listening to French content because I’m staying aligned with my goal, which is reading fluency. I spend my audio time with Japanese instead, again aligned with my goal. On the side, I’ve started to casually add words to my Spanish list - essentially, any word I can look at and understand based on its similarity with French/Latin/English is something I feel comfortable saying I know. Spanish, like French, is something I only care for reading fluency in (as a primary goal), so this criterion aligns with my standard of success. Like French, though, I expect I’ll slowly develop listening fluency to some degree as I progress, simply because some video content will probably interest me.
3 Likes
12 November 2025
Level: 5
Total known words (Migaku): 1787
Reviews
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Wanikani
-
Migaku
-
Anki
Reading
-
NHK News Easy
-
Asahi Shimbun Easy
-
Watanoc
-
Matcha
-
Gakken x 朝日新聞キッズネット
Audio/Visual
-
Comprehensible Japanese
-
けんさんおかえり
-
Speak Japanese Naturally
Comments: Isn’t it funny how some days can seem to just disappear? I’ve felt rushed and frustrated all day, and haven’t done nearly as much study as I normally do, or been able to focus on much of anything. I at least got through my reviews and leveled up. I worked out again, but hurt an old rib injury from 2012, so hopefully it feels better tomorrow. Mental state really is a mysterious thing.
3 Likes
13 November 2025
Level: 5
Total known words (Migaku): 1834
Reviews
- Wanikani
- Migaku
- Anki
- Bunpro
Reading
- NHK News Easy
- Asahi Shimbun Easy
- Watanoc
- Matcha
- Gakken x 朝日新聞キッズネット
Audio/Visual
- Comprehensible Japanese
- けんさんおかえり
- Speak Japanese Naturally
Comments: Well, the rib doesn’t feel better lol. Thankfully my job allows me to work from home. I may have to give up barbell exercises and switch back to calisthenics, qigong, and tai chi.
I saw the reveal of the Steam Machine. Seems like an interesting device. I don’t have a gaming PC and don’t really have a need for an expensive high end machine at the moment. The SM might be perfect for me to play my old Steam collection on my TV alongside my consoles - and finally get some time with Manor Lords.
3 Likes
14 November 2025
Level: 5
Total known words (Migaku): 1875
Reviews
- Wanikani
- Migaku
- Anki
- Bunpro
Reading
- NHK News Easy
- Asahi Shimbun Easy
- Watanoc
- Matcha
- Gakken x 朝日新聞キッズネット
Audio/Visual
- Comprehensible Japanese
- けんさんおかえり
- Speak Japanese Naturally
Comments: Well, last night produced a fairly significant “life” revelation. For those of you who’ve known me here for awhile, you know I’ve made reference to a significant, life altering event that occurred some years ago. In fact, it was one of many, all happening in the space of a few years. This has left me sitting in something akin to limbo for the past couple of years, unsure how to understand the direction of my life, what to pursue, etc. Language study has been a part of that question, but as I’ve said I was able to define a path forward with that even within the state of limbo. Well, last night saw the culmination of many months, even years of agonized self-reflection, and I think I finally have a path forward, a sort of amalgam of what I’ll call the best of the various themes or aspects of my character and actual living conditions as they have emerged. Having reasoned it out, evaluated what’s worked and what’s not, considered the four paths in front of me, considered my weaknesses and foibles, and lastly considered what I have learned about my “authentic” self (the evolving core self that seems to trace its way through our lives), I think I’ve settled on a path and a future. As with everything it will itself become fuel for future evolution, but I think I’ve reached a milestone of integration and “release”, along with commitment to a path, comfort with that path, and resulting emotional freedom and peace.
3 Likes
15 November 2025
Level: 5
Total known words (Migaku): 1875
Reviews
- Wanikani
- Migaku
- Anki
- Bunpro
Reading
- NHK News Easy
- Asahi Shimbun Easy
- Watanoc
- Matcha
- Gakken x 朝日新聞キッズネット
Audio/Visual
- Comprehensible Japanese
- けんさんおかえり
- Speak Japanese Naturally
Comments: Busy day ahead so I’ve knocked out my reviews first thing. Swelling has gone down on my injury but I can now feel the two places along the rib where there’s damage. Twisting is very difficult but I’m functional when working straight. I’m eager to do some work in the basement, organizing a new painting room, but I’m concerned my body’s not ready for the work. I’ll start slow and see how it goes.
3 Likes
16 November 2025
Level: 5
Total known words (Migaku): 1896
Reviews
- Wanikani
- Migaku
- Anki
- Bunpro
Reading
- NHK News Easy
- Asahi Shimbun Easy
- Watanoc
- Matcha
- Gakken x 朝日新聞キッズネット
Audio/Visual
- Comprehensible Japanese
- けんさんおかえり
- Speak Japanese Naturally
Comments:
3 Likes
17 November 2025
Level: 5
Total known words (Migaku): 1918
Reviews
- Wanikani
- Migaku
- Anki
- Bunpro
Reading
- NHK News Easy
- Asahi Shimbun Easy
- Watanoc
- Matcha
- Gakken x 朝日新聞キッズネット
Audio/Visual
- Comprehensible Japanese
- けんさんおかえり
- Speak Japanese Naturally
Comments:
4 Likes
18 November 2025
Level: 5
Total known words (Migaku): 1918
Reviews
- Wanikani
- Migaku
- Anki
- Bunpro
Reading
- NHK News Easy
- Asahi Shimbun Easy
- Watanoc
- Matcha
- Gakken x 朝日新聞キッズネット
Audio/Visual
- Comprehensible Japanese
- けんさんおかえり
- Speak Japanese Naturally
Comments: It’s a beautiful drizzly day here in Michigan, just like back home in Scotland. Shame I’m at work. I’ve started playing Japanese audio on my headset at work and soon will get hours of language exposure per day that way. It’ll be interesting to see what impact it has.
4 Likes
19 November 2025
Level: 5
Total known words (Migaku): 1987
Reviews
- Wanikani
- Migaku
- Anki
- Bunpro
Reading
- NHK News Easy
- Asahi Shimbun Easy
- Watanoc
- Matcha
- Gakken x 朝日新聞キッズネット
Audio/Visual
- Comprehensible Japanese
- けんさんおかえり
- Speak Japanese Naturally
Comments:
4 Likes
It’s nice to know that wise people choose to start this journey around the same age :3
Wishing you best of luck on this journey and I believe that you can do it 
I totally appreciate the advice and help you provided me with 
4 Likes
20日11月2025年
レブル: 6
Total known words (Migaku): 2189
Reviews
- Wanikani
- Migaku
- Anki
- Bunpro
読書
- NHK News Easy
- Asahi Shimbun Easy
- Watanoc
- Matcha
- Gakken x 朝日新聞キッズネット
Audio/Visual
- Comprehensible Japanese
- けんさんおかえり
- Speak Japanese Naturally
コメント: I hit level 6 in 7 days 18 hours. Keeping a steady pace. I also started watching Kaiju No 8, and have already cracked up several times. For some reason the comedy gets me.
4 Likes
You’re welcome, and I’ll be here for more chatting about the journey if you want. I’ve got a nice flow going now so think maintaining progress will be easy, but it’s definitely been a struggle to get to this point of comfort. I wish you the best as well and know that it’s possible to reach the goal.
5 Likes
I’m glad you found your flow I think it’s pretty important to be able to find it as part of this journey
We’ll chat for sure
The journey is gonna be unforgettable
5 Likes
21日11月2025年
レブル: 6
Total known words (Migaku): 2262
Reviews
- Wanikani
- Migaku
- Anki
- Bunpro
読書
- NHK News Easy
- Asahi Shimbun Easy
- Watanoc
- Matcha
- Gakken x 朝日新聞キッズネット
Audio/Visual
- Comprehensible Japanese
- けんさんおかえり
- Speak Japanese Naturally
- Anime
コメント: Today I tried something different. Stevi from Migaku - and Livakivi separately - recommend picking the first episode of some anime you like and watching it in Japanese, going line by line trying to understand it, adding every unknown word to your deck. Then watch the episode repeatedly, day after day, trying to understand it in Japanese. I think Livakivi said he watched an episode 20 or 50 times or some similar crazy number, but that it really helps. So I’m going to experiment with this for the first episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
3 Likes