It looks like it really depends on the person which vocab they consider to be useful… I guess that adds an additional difficulty layer regarding how the vocab should come up in your lessons.
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I wonder if the word for “stamp” is one of those things that traditionally got taught early in foreign language classes because “I’m on holiday and need to buy stamps to send a postcard” was a plausible situation where a beginning learner might have a real use for the foreign language they’re learning, in the same way “order a meal in a restaurant” is – and the vocab item has stuck around even though holiday postcards aren’t so much of a thing these days. Or maybe I’m just overthinking this 
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This is the big issue with pre-made resources like WaniKani: You learn a bunch of things that really aren’t all that relevant for you personally. And the higher your level, the worse it gets 
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I’m sure that’s the reason, most textbooks are still oriented towards Japanese day-to-day life even though many of us here (myself included) are more interested in engaging with Japanese media from abroad. It also gives teachers easy scenarios for roleplaying in the classroom.
Beyond that textbooks tend to be fairly conservative in what they teach to the point of sometimes arguably being outdated. I have a first edition Genki I textbook that apparently was originally published in 1999 and I remember that it features cassette tapes in several places. Even in 1999 cassette tapes were already yesterday’s tech, at least in the West.
I think subsequent editions eventually replaced cassettes with something else, but according to Wikipedia Genki 2nd edition was published in 2011 so if you were studying Japanese with Genki in 2010 you were learning about cassette tapes still.
Cue @mgrice telling us how he buys cassette tapes a few times a month for his shadowing exercises on his vintage Sony Walkman!
(I actually saw one of these vintage cassette players for sale in a tech store the other day, maybe they’re making a comeback like vinyls did…)
I don’t really mind being taught odd vocabulary when I feel like it’s in service of reinforcing readings. And more than that, while it’s true that I now know lots of words for things I doubt I’ll be discussing often, those words often also serve as sort of hooks on which I can hang larger principles. And those principles aren’t just about specific readings, but also things like rendaku patterns, different patterns of pronunciation/tone, and kanji “meaning” nuance. I feel like every piece of kanji vocabulary I learn can be useful when viewed through that lens, even though I seriously doubt I’ll ever be discussing Napoleon III in Japanese.
Plus, I just encountered the word 汽笛, which I remember thinking I probably didn’t really need to learn, twice in the first chapter of the すずめの戸締り novelization the other day. So you never know! 
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It’s not “somewhere”, though, it’s in Japan. Where they speak Japanese. The fax machine hasn’t quite managed to completely displace the snail mail system over there.
It’s not vintage in Japan! (Ok, that one’s a joke.)
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I was personally very surprised by the kanji that actually became useful when I go here. I was sure “limited express” would be useless to me. Now I’m glad i had some exposure to it.
Also I think all of these vocab are JLPT vocab so like always you can usually thank the Japanese government.
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i agree its nice to have these “odd” words if they serve the purpose of reinforcing your knowledge of those kanji!
On the other hand i would loove to get the option to ignore/ban words just bc ppl have different kinds of triggers and why do i have to keep reviewing a triggering word lmoa… its annoying but at least i can just force the word right and make sure i only have to see it a couple of times (also lesson picker isnt really an option there bc then i will just see it every single day right at the top of my due reviews lol)
i kinda get that they have thoroughly thought through their system (say that 5 times) but in the end of the day it’d be nice if the user would get more freedom on how to use the ressources that they provide… they can always warn you like 10 times that youre leaving the intended way and that it could be bad for your overall progress but in the end, why not let us decide if we want to take that risk (thats why lesson picker is actually great imo haha)
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The issue is that we only learn 郵便局 at level 28, so WaniKani newbies will know how to say stamp but they’ll wander aimlessly in Tokyo desperately looking for a post office…
Many such cases.
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WK is challenging my memory, which is great. I wasn’t expecting it to challenge my eyesight!
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I’d use the ‘block’ option.
The updated version of Japanese for busy people, replaced cassettes with CDs.
Which is the point I was trying to make. Useful/useless can vary greatly from user to user.
Which will itself vary depending on the where the somewhere is. I am of the school that the relevance of the words I learn should be based on their usage in the places where that language is used for daily life. Prior to living in Japan (quite a few years) I very rarely purchased postage stamps. Here things are a bit different. Another example, prior to working here a fax machine was something I had memories of from my working days in the 80s and 90s. Although they are finally starting to fade away here now (2024) they are still quite common. Even recently I have had to submit something by fax, as that was the only accepted method. But that is becoming rarer by they day past couple of years.
Out of curiosity, do you live in Japan?
Is that based on frequency in written material or frequency as used and encountered in spoken communication in day to day life? For some vocab, their place on the 2 different lists can be quite different.
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How did you know where I was yesterday? I am not making this up. Although not audio cassettes (I was going even more old school), I was actually here (Google Maps) yesterday. Probably right around the same time you were writing. I also visited the “vintage” imported and domestic used CD shop nearby. And just for the record, I actually do own one of the first Sony Walkman models, which I bought new in 1980. But no roller skates. Just ice skates.
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I am guessing you live here too 
Most all of the paperwork I have to sign (stamp) here for work (and personal life as well) must have 2 physically signed copies. They mail (using postage stamps) two copies to me. I sign both and mail them both back. They sign both and mail one back to me. I have one partner company I worked with that up until very recently would only accept invoices by fax. But, hey this Japan, I can send a fax from any convenience store I can still go the movie rental shops here and browse the aisles upon aisles of DVDs to pick out my Friday night movie. If I rent 2 DVDs, I can get a third for free and keep them til Monday
We can arrange a meet-up at a Hard-Off and check out all the cassette players and other tech from the 70s and 80s.
And all the other type of train options as well. Choose the wrong one and you do not end up where you wanted to go. Some lines have to 5 or 6 different “flavours” of express version.
You been following me around???
Dating myself here, but the first time I studied Japanese ashtray (and cigs) was one of the go to words for the noun in the example sentences. Do you have an ashtray. Can I please get an ashtray. Please pass me the ashtray. Would you like an ashtray. That is a nice ashtray. That ashtray is red. The blue ashtray is bigger. Where can I buy an ashtray. Do you like this ashtray.
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True lol, but I guess despite its complexity, 鬱 is relatively easy to recognize because it has a pretty unique shape.
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Quite. 鬱 is the most complex kanji that you’re likely to come across on a regular basis, which makes it paradoxically easy to recognise.
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Yeah, that’s the reason why I know it already haha, everyone throws it around as the most complex kanji that you encounter frequently, so I encountered it so often already that I learned it just by reading these forums.
I guess that just proves your point even further, huh? 
I was fine until I got to Osaka, goodness. 6 different train options, but mostly mostly black and blue, but then there’s also three different types of “stations”. Monorail, subway, JR, and I don’t even know that crysta is.
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It’s an underground shopping arcade, innit? Runs from Nagahoribashi to Yotsubashi.
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