Shion KABASAWA is a psychiatrist, author, youtuber and critic. He is very active on Twitter, YouTube and his blog. Following the publication of 『アウトプット大全』 in 2018, he wrote "The Power of Input: How to Maximize Learning" this year. Review 『アウトプット大全』 is about the importance of output and how it can make your learning process more..
JLPT N2: Shin Kanzen Master vs Nihongo So-matome
This is a review of the two series Nihongo So-matome and Shin Kanzen Master for the JLPT N2. I compare both series book by book to help you decide which series is best for you!
Book review: 『追憶の夜想曲』by Shichiri Nakayama
This book is the second volume of the series Mikoshiba (御子柴シリーズ). The series follows lawyer Reiji Mikoshiba (御子柴 礼司), and I think that there are 4 volumes available now. When I bought 『追憶の夜想曲』, I didn't know that it was the second book of a series, and I really wish I had started with the first one,..
It’s October!
Only two months left before the JLPT! October might well be the best month of the year! I am trying to make the best of it while keeping up with my yearly goals...
Language learning journal: September-October
New entry in my language diary! This is an update on what I have been doing recently, all related to Japanese of course. Harry Potter, anime on Netflix, self-development book… I am spending less time studying for the JLPT and more reading/watching interesting things in Japanese!
Book Review: 『検事の本懐』by Yuko Yuzuki
This book is a collection of short stories from the series Sadato Sakata (佐方貞人シリーズ). This is the second book of the series, but from what I understand, the events described in 『検事の本懐』happened before those described in the first book of the series. As a consequence, I think that starting with 『検事の本懐』is not a problem. Setting..
I passed the JLPT N1!
This is a long post about me taking and passing the JLPT N1 for the first time. I will talk about: my scores, section by section;what I did during my six-month preparation for N1, what was useful and what was useless;why I am going to sit the test once more in December and how I am..
Book review: 『ケモノの城』by Tetsuya Honda
It is the first time I read Tetsuya HONDA, but I know that he is a very famous author of thrillers and mystery novels. I also think that some of his work is translated into English. Setting The police is investigating a shocking case involving abuse, torture and maybe murder. Through questioning and field work,..
Book Review: 『新参者』by Keigo Higashino
『新参者』is the 8th (out of 10) book of the detective Kaga series (加賀シリーズ). The series feature detective Kyoichiro KAGA (加賀恭一郎). The series spans 30 years, the first novel was published in 1986 (it was Higashino's second novel) and the last one was published in 2016. Setting Detective Kyoichiro Kaga has just been dispatched to the police..
JLPT N1 round 2: Start!
Since January 2019, I am studying to pass the JLPT N1. My goal is to pass the test in December, but I also took the test of July to gain some practice. It was helpful, but it also gave me a sense of achievement, and it is hard to get back to the JLPT preparation now! After..
Book review: 『下町やぶさか診療所』by Yo Ikenaga
I bought this book in Japan, partly because I loved the cover, partly because I wanted to read something else than mystery novels. Setting Rintaro MANO, alias "大先生", is working as a doctor in Asakusa, Tokyo. His prices are cheap, and it is no secret that people come to him to talk about their problems..
Taking the JLPT N1 for the first time!
I have taken the JLPT N1 on July 7th (2019) for the first time, and I was not very surprised by my performance... I think that I might pass, but I also feel that I need the remaining months until December to increase my vocabulary and progress in listening. Report on the July test Vocabulary/Grammar..