The Language Grind
A real-time, unfiltered log of learning Japanese — from absolute beginner (初心者) to whatever comes after N1. Includes the sessions that went badly.
The JLPT Roadmap
Hiragana, katakana, ~100 kanji, and enough grammar to order food without pointing at the menu.
Passed on the second attempt. Te-form and plain form finally clicked around month eight.
Currently grinding: keigo basics, ~650 kanji, and reading NHK Easy News without a dictionary tab open.
The realistic bar for working in Japan. Targeting this before the move.
The long-term goal. No timeline yet — one level at a time.
Study Log
Spent two hours on honorific vs. humble verb forms and still mixed up terms in a practice dialogue. Progress, technically.
Read a short article about a local festival start to finish without pausing. Small win, felt enormous.
Took three separate explanations before "doing something in advance for later" actually stuck.
Missed four days of reviews. Anki queue hit 340 cards. Rebuilding the habit instead of pretending it didn't happen.
Resources I Actually Use
Spaced repetition
Anki with a custom N3 kanji deck — the backbone of daily reviews.
Grammar reference
A Dictionary of Japanese Grammar (the basic/intermediate/advanced trilogy).
Reading practice
NHK Easy News daily, graded readers for anything longer.
Listening practice
Anime with Japanese subtitles once N4 grammar was solid — huge unlock.