Let's enjoy Japanese: Getting a read

My inspiration for this post came from reading Daniel's entry about his self-study reading list. This isn't the first time I've written about reading and how important an element of study it is, but I just can't emphasize it enough. While I'm not (yet?) able to read as much or as well as Daniel, and I have been slacking with the second volume of Harry Potter, I do continue to read in Japanese, be it even just a little, just about every day.

If you can find the good ones, blogs are an excellent way to study a language. Depending on the theme of the blog and the author, they can provide opportunities to learn a wide variety of vocabulary and expressions, many of which you probably would never see in a textbook. The casual voice and format that have become the norm for blogs make them valuable resources for study.

The only caveat is that the freedom of the blog format can be a double-edged sword. You may experience words and phrases that are difficult to understand or may not be able to find in a dictionary. You also may come across a fair amount of blatantly incorrect words or grammar patterns. If you regularly read blogs in English, you know that even the best online writers make mistakes from time to time. Blogs in Japanese (or any other language) are no different. So while you don't have to be skeptical of everything you read, it may behoove you to proceed with caution.

Every now and then I'll do a search and find some interesting J-blogs, but here are three that I read either regularly or at least every now and then:

いちごいちえ - Yoshie's blog, from which I've learned (or at least been exposed to) a wide variety of words that I had never seen or heard before. I think this is partly due to the fact that her tone fluctuates between casual and polite, so there's a good bit of keigo in the mix.

なぞなぞKING - NazoNazo King. I occasionally borrow riddles from this website, as it has quite a bit. Sometimes I'll come across a joke I don't understand, but most of them are simple enough and at least a little amusing.

アメリカの猫ママ一家のﾌﾞﾛｸﾞ - 猫ママ's blog. This one belongs to a Japanese woman who is currently living in America and raising a family. Interesting to see the flip side - a Japanese expat living in America.

As you read and begin to comprehend more and more over time (without the use of Rikaichan), you'll become more and more comfortable with Japanese, and navigating Japanese websites will also become easier. I find this a quite rewarding and tangible way of getting a basic feel for one's progress.

Do you know of or follow any Japanese blogs? If so, please share them in the comments!


言語の勉強は、ﾌﾞﾛｸﾞはとても良い資料ですよ。テーマやライターによって違うけどいろんな単語とか表現を習えるね。特にスラングとか、日常の言葉を読めるんです。ﾌﾞﾛｸﾞはよくカジュアルで書かれたので、教科書の内容と比べるとぜんぜん違うね。

でもそれは両刃の剣だな。ﾌﾞﾛｸﾞは時々間違いか正しくない言葉や文保あるから気をつけたほうが良いです。

僕は、上の三つのﾌﾞﾛｸﾞの読者です。おすすめの日本語のﾌﾞﾛｸﾞあったら、教えてください!