As I’ve previously mentioned, I really like “Nazotte…” for the Nintendo DS for Kanji review and practice. It’s mobile, and you can learn lots of new vocabulary in the process as well.

For a little different take, while I’m on the computer I’ve found this site to be very good:

http://www.manythings.org/kanji/q/

It’s especially useful for getting a kanji you are studying, or having problems remembering, to really stick in your head. What I really like is how it focuses on the most common vocabulary and jukugo.

If you aren’t quite at the kanji level yet, click on the “romaji” or “kana” link at the top of the page for Japanese learning more in line with your current abilities.

Happy studies!

Posted on September 8th, 2008 under Japan. Tags: japanese language, Japanese Language Study Methods, japanese links. Comments Off on Kanji quizzes

Tetsugaku no michi (哲学の道) is the walking path that runs between Ginkakuji (pictured on the upper-right portion of this page) and Nanzenji. There are several other beautiful temples and shrines that run up the hill from this path too. Unfortunately, the SD card in my camera malfunctioned, and I lost those pictures. That gives me a good reason for going back though. 😉

Some of the trees were in full bloom, but most still needed another few days. This was on the 1st of April, 2007.

Nishida Kitaro, a philosophy professor at Kyoto University in the early part of the 20th Century, walked this path on a daily basis. Hence, the name–Walk of Philosophy. In English you also hear it referred to as the Path of Philosophy or the Philosopher’s Path.

Posted on September 7th, 2008 under Japan. Tags: japan pictures, kyoto. Comments Off on Walk or Path of Philosophy

Perhaps the best day we had in Japan was the day we road the train to Arashiyama. Near the station we rented bikes and then spent the day exploring north-eastern Kyoto on bicycles. I’ll show you some more pictures from this part of town and Sagano in future entries.

The above photograph is what things looked like during the first week of April. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom. Unfortunately, we had overcast skies so the picture isn’t that spectacular. The sakura tree was so large that I couldn’t get it all in the frame. Notice the posts that hold up the tree.

Posted on September 5th, 2008 under Japan. Tags: arashiyama, cherry blossoms, japan pictures, kyoto, sakura. Comments Off on Arashiyama Sakura 嵐山 桜

On a Sunday morning in Kyoto I woke up well before my family and went for a walk. I found myself walking around Nishi Honganji (西本願寺) and Higashi Honganji (東本願寺). I went in Higashi Honganji and sat in on 10 minutes or so of the chanting. It was very moving. I think I like weekend mornings in Japan the best. The streets are virtually empty and everything is at peace.

Posted on September 4th, 2008 under Japan. Tags: japan pictures, kyoto. Comments Off on 東本願寺 on a Sunday morning

The Seibu Lions are about to win the Pacific League in Nippon Professional Baseball for 2008. Last year, when I saw them last, they didn’t even make the playoffs. This year they seem to be headed toward their former glory years (of the late 80s when I lived in Tokorozawa and early 90s). Hopefully they will keep it up next year when I return.

My favorite player, Kiyohara Kazuhiro, is retiring this year. He recently made his retirement announcement while playing against Seibu.

Posted on September 3rd, 2008 under Japan. Tags: baseball, japan pictures, tokorozawa. Comments Off on Seibu Lions