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JLPT study guides to help you study for the JLPT

JLPT Study Guides: Choosing the Right One for You

The structure of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is quite different from the classroom setting. Because of this, passing requires a different approach.
Wanted poster for members of the Japanese Red Army

Japanese Red Army: Birth of a Homegrown Terror

Bombings, battles with the police, hijackings. Read about the Japanese Red Army - the revolutionary group that would shock Japan to its core.
JLPT kanji practice - study for the JLPT

How to Study for the JLPT: Designing Your Game Plan

With no official curriculum for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Here's how you can design an effective game plan to study for the JLPT.
JLPT

JLPT Exam: What You Should Know Before Taking It

Want to work in Japan? You'll probably need to take the JLPT exam. Here's what it is, how to take it, and - most importantly - how to pass.
Tohoku Dialects

Zuzu-ben: How Japan’s Northern Dialects Became Shorthand for “Hick”

Why a wide range of local dialects in Japan's north are intrinsically - and unfairly - associated with rural backwardness.
Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo - Your anime is political

Your Anime is Political: Cowboy Bebop & Samurai Champloo

These days, it isn't hip to be "woke." But don't tell that to Spike Spiegel or Mugen.
Crying Freeman

Crying Freeman and the 1980s Home Video Revolution in Japan

How an absolutely ridiculous anime released for home video sparked interest in OVAs both in Japan and abroad.
Hajichi tattoos of Okinawa

Hajichi: The Banned Traditional Tattoos of Okinawa

These tattoos, native to the Ryukyuan people, were once banned from being practiced. Now, they're making a comeback.
Benkei, Japan's warrior monk

Benkei: Was Japan’s Warrior Monk Real?

Benkei was a Warrior Monk whose life was filled with rich history and folklore. Or at least, that's how the tale is told...

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