I’ve only just started learning Japanese grammar and kana vocabulary, but the reason I started my Japanese learning journey is so that I can read light novels that haven’t been translated yet (main purpose, of course i’ll still read non-translated novels semi-exclusively when I get to that point, for the experience, and the experience), but when it comes to “no other choice” light novels are perfect.
4 Likes
Mainly anime for me, with a bit of news articles/randomly searching for stuff in Japanese. Also, I read the dictionary. (It sounds really silly and nerdy, but believe me, reading dictionaries is a great way to pick up vocabulary fast and to force yourself to understand authentic, complex sentences. I only do it by opening my monolingual Japanese dictionary when I need to look a word up though, so it’s not like it’s a scheduled exercise.)
Where do you find JP subs? Animelon? (PS: I know most, if not all, of the JP sub sites aren’t licensed, but that’s not really the point. I’m curious.) I personally read transcriptions off Anicobin reactions, but that only works for shows that were aired after 2013.
3 Likes
Kitunekko. You’ll probably have to re-time them, though. This is where I get 100% of my JP subs.
2 Likes
Ah… the site with all the sub files, I guess? I’ve heard of it, but I’ve always been a bit too lazy to cobble the episodes and subs together manually. 
It’s a good solution though! Guess I’ll just have to find a way to improve my listening comprehension enough so I won’t need them. Hahaha. \bashes keyboard while desperately trying to get the right readings so something sensible will show up in the dictionary\
1 Like
Hahaha. I’ll think about it. Just too much inertia (and too many non-Japanese things to do) at the moment.
I’m really impressed by that app though. Isn’t that what Animelon was trying to market itself as? (Online, I mean.) I heard the problem was that producers told them they weren’t sure there would be demand.
Yeah, I heard that too. I definately think that there’s a demand for this sort of thing, though. The “Learning Languages with Netflix” plugin got really big, and I know the Asian drama streaming site Viki currently has a similar function for Korean and Chinese.
2 Likes
If you have a way to use other countries’ Netflix by using a VPN that’s also a great way to watch anime or other Japanese shows. I haven’t watched a ton yet but I think the anime selection on the Japanese Netflix is probably better than in most countries (and they contain Japanese subtitles!)
7 Likes
And often no option for any other subs either!
4 Likes
I just started watching anime with japanese subs, but like, if I only understand very little, how much am I actually learning?
I’m like definitely gonna watch an entire series understanding like 5-10% of the actual spoken words and as much as I think that’s hilarious, I just wonder what, if anything, it’s doing for me. Lol.
2 Likes
It’s hard to tell but it definitely is.
It’s the difference between hearing:
- Blah blah blah blah ran away.
And:
- nounのnounは nounに ran away.
5 Likes
Watching Konosuba with English subtitles while making an effort to look out for words and structures I knew, even while frankly understanding very little, made sure I was able to follow the Tobira recordings when I started. Sure, I didn’t know exactly what was being said, but I had a much easier time catching every syllable. As an upper intermediate textbook, the pace of Tobira’s recordings are pretty close to that of Japanese in real life (at least, when I compare it to travel shows and anime), but with much clearer enunciation and a tad less speed. So yes, basically… as long as you’re actively listening, it works. (For that matter, I regularly fell asleep while watching episodes during the months that I spent on Konosuba, so maybe being fully ‘active’ isn’t even necessary!)
2 Likes
Dramas and variety shows for me! I listen to a ton of music, too, but I find I don’t listen closely enough, in general, to get more than snatches of the lyrics.
1 Like
I just want to say that i heard somewhere that in a research report they studied language and target languages
People watching a movie with their target language on but their native language subtitles learned very little, while people who watched movies in their target language, with their target languages subtitles were shown to have improved the most. (Thats why I love Terrace House tbh)
Also, I use hellotalk a lot. I’d recommend it for people who want to make friends with people who are willing to help you with your everyday grammar vocabulary etc.
One thing that I like to do a lot is watch movies i’ve already seen before in english and watch the Japanese versions. Its cool to already know the premise but then go back to just practice listen and re-gain context that way.
4 Likes
Occasionally I find American movies dubbed in Japanese. They are so much fun to watch. It is a joy to hear Arnold Schwarzenegger say “そうですね.” I never really looked to find a source for such movies though.
4 Likes
On Netflix, if you have your account language set to Japanese, you can find more Japanese dubs. But another fun way to watch, is Original voices, with JP subs. That way you can listen and read for common idioms, and how it would be translated to Japanese.
3 Likes
I also try to follow Japanese people on social media (specially Twitter & TikTok), which has turned to be pretty useful. Also, I recently finished the The Last of Us 2 gameplay by 三人称, which I loved: since I had already played the game, I managed to understand and read a lot of the in-game dialogue (plus, the Japanese dub was perfect), I learned video game vocabulary and also had a great time watching it. I’m planning on watching more gameplays by them, though for know I’ll stick to games I’ve already played/watched since I don’t get as frustrated and manage to learn and understand more. Definitely recommended!
5 Likes
I am looking forward to a trial lesson on september 26th and I think I will love it. How long have you been practicing? I mean, are you at an advanced level?
1 Like
I started in November 2018. If you check out their instagram, you’ll see some if my work. We sold calligraphy together at a Japan festival early this year. So I guess I can say I’m a professional 
! I still have a lot to learn, and I’m not as consistent as I would like to be, in terms of practicing but also in terms of how my strokes turn out. Looking forward to maybe seeing you around!
1 Like
I’ve seen a few matches from the current 大相撲 tournament. It’s really interesting, though I usually only watch the 25 minutes overview every other day.
For me the most constant immersion I have are Japanese movies. I really like movies and have read and been in a few classes related to history of films and such over the years. Sadly for the first couple of years learning Japanese I didn’t have access to many Japanese films I could follow without subs, and then not so many with Japanese subs to keep a habit of using those as learning material, as was the case with other resources, where I was able to integrate new vocab coming from my immersion to a learning routine in a fairly easy way.
Time passed and I signed for an IPTV service, where I realized some Japanese film channels where available, so I made my goal to be able to understand some of the shows in those channels, and then learn more about Japanese film history as well.
This year I’ve been learning about Japanese films through books written in English, but watching the films in Japanese without subs mostly, trying to leave those still hard to understand for a later stage or just relying on English subs if I see myself struggling too much and is a film I really want to watch. This has been a nice way to pursue my interest for films and still trying to keep a certain proficiency with Japanese.
Recently I’ve bought a couple of books on Japanese film history in Japanese. I’ll try to jump into those while progressively watching more films. There’re just too many films that were never subtitled and appear every month in Japanese TV; those specially fuel my interest to keep learning the language.
Lately I’ve found a way to record Japanese TV (that requires someone to actually be in Japan in case you’re wondering) and use the CC’s when available the same way apps like LLN use Netflix subtitles to aid learners. I wish I had this options way earlier, as it’s basically what I missed the first years for providing material that I would have considered really engaging. I’m still conflicted as to what use give to this option, as this comes at a moment where I’m not doing any SRS routine or interested in resuming for that matter. For the time been, having the CCs has been a nice addition for just watching material I would otherwise still struggle to watch.
Right now I’m still struggling with Jidaigeki, Yakuza films and documentaries among others. Other genres are easier to watch, but of course this is only a broad statement.
2 Likes