深い森 (ふかいもり)

Click for a larger version of the furigana lyrics to "深い森".

I would suggest right clicking and opening the lyrics in a new tab so they can read while you listen to the song.

The Real Folk Blues

Click for a larger version of the furigana lyrics to "The Real Folk Blues".

I would suggest right clicking and opening the lyrics in a new tab so they can read while you listen to the song.

もやしもん

かわいいですね。

もやしもん is a drama I only finished moments ago and could not wait to share. It has to be one of the funniest dramas I've seen. "Moyashimon" follows Tadayasu Sawaki in his freshman year at an agricultural university. Sawaki possesses the unique ability to see and communicate with micro-organisms and bacteria. It sounds silly, I know, but believe me the silliness is what makes it great. Its based on a manga and has also be adapted into an anime. I'm considering checking out the manga, only its not complete yet, which is always a hassle with these adaptations, but what can you do?

Check out もやしもん: here or here.

Podcasts

Currently I am proceeding with the Rosetta Stone Audio lessons. Yesterday, I uncovered a　number of extremely useful podcasts on the iTunes store. Previously, I had subscribed to a few podcasts in the Japanese iTunes store, admittedly, neglecting to really investigate the US iTunes store. But to my surprise, there are actually a number of useful podcasts in my local store. Many of the podcasts are dead, no longer being updated. But the material that is available is still very useful.

ECC 英会話 Podcasting 知ってる単語でこんなに話せる!

This is by far my favorite Japanese podcast thus far. The hosts speak about50/50 English

and Japanese. And though the podcast is intended for a Japanese audience who is learning English, I still find it incredibly useful. The web page can be found: here.

Japanese Classical Literature at Bedtime

This podcast is exactly as described, but most importantly, it provides transcripts both within the show notes and on the website. The readings are not done by a professional audiobook reader, but they are understandable, even considering my limited vocabulary. The site can be found: here.

JEdutainment

What caught my attention about this podcast were the grammar explanations. Though this podcast was only short lived, it offers quick and valuable information in an entertaining format. The site can be found: here. As a side note, the site is actually a blog with a few potentially useful links.

Japancast.net

This podcast is very much alive and kicking. They've even got video. Snazzy huh? Plus they have an extensive backlog of episodes dating back to 2005. I have high hopes for this podcast. The site can be found: here.

Nihongo-Juku

Another short lived podcast, but good content nevertheless. The site can be found: here.

Noshuku Kangen Japanese

Short lived also, this podcast's site can be found: here.

I expect to find additional podcasts in the future, so look forward to another post on the subject.

Bonnie Pink

I'm not generally a fanatic when it comes to music, but for this artist I think things have changed. Bonnie Pink or Kaori Asada has been singing since the mid 90s. She is a singer/songwriter that combines both Japanese and English lyrics with a beautiful voice. Details on her can be found:

Nippop.com

Wiki.jpopstop.com

Official Site

Japanese Dramas

Some of the best exposer to a language comes from sources of entertainment such as the following I'm going to mention. I'm a fan of anime, however I believe Japanese live action dramas are more beneficial for language learners because seeing actual human speak the language rather than animated characters can be useful. Even if the stories involve samurai body/soul swapping, vampires and hackers, J Dramas, as they are known in cyberspace, can be addictive and good. This is a list of some of the dramas I have enjoyed, details on them and links where they can be found. Enjoy!

Mochizuki Kotaro is a mild-mannered, unmanly high school student. One day, he visits a library and meets the mysterious librarian Himiko, who recommends to him an ancient book about a heroic general from the Sengoku period 400 years ago. Kotaro notices that he has the same name and age as the general described in the book, and he experiences a flashback... Kotaro later mentions the book to his father, who tells him that he may be the descendent of a powerful samurai. At that moment, Kotaro receives a message from his childhood friend Ai telling him that their classmate Nakamura Tsuyoshi is in trouble. He rushes to the scene but doesn't have the guts to help, until another flashback transforms him into a samurai! Click here to watch.

After a biological terrorist attack kills off the population of a Russian town; Japan's Public Safety Special Third unit, code name THIRD-i, believes that the terrorist organization responsible plans to unleash the same virus known as Bloody X into Tokyo. Subsequently, THIRD-i recruits the help of genius hacker Takagi Fujimaru to find out what happened in the Russia. However, as Fujimaru becomes involved, he soon finds out that he is in over his head and that the terrorist groups influence reaches not only his school but even the police. Fujimaru must now rely on his skill as a hacker to unravel the organizations sinister plot and find out the truth behind "Bloody Monday." Click here to watch.

Whereas the first series dealt with a deadly Russian weapons-grade virus, the new season is set two years later when an aircraft bearing a new kind of nuclear weapon threatens Tokyo. Click here to watch.

Luka has yet to mature into a full-fledged vampire. His canines have yet to fully develop, which means he still hasn't tasted human blood — or, at least, human blood that he's drawn himself. In order to get him prepared, he is cast down into the world of humans, where he boards with Jiro, the owner of a Chinese restaurant, and enrolls in high school. His homeroom teacher is a cheerful, though meddlesome, young woman who catches the fledgling bloodsucker off-guard. Is he actually falling in love with a mortal? Click here to watch.

Shinagawa Daichi used to be a good student who has now become a delinquent, while class president Adachi Hana was a delinquent who is now trying to move on. Her secret is discovered by Shinagawa, but she involves herself trying to correct his ways. Click here to watch.

This series follows the daily lives of 4 vampires that live together in a European-style building: Kiyoi is the eldest who takes care of the others, Masakazu is a college student who gets information on criminal activities, and Ageha and Makoto both go to high-school (and tend to end up helping Masakazu whether they really want to or not). They fight against crime when the cops are unwilling or unable to do so. The series is based off of a shounen-ai manga published in B's Log. Whether you like shounen-ai or not, it hasn't been very obvious in this series and it may not be... the jury's still out on that. Click here to watch.

Ryuzaki Shinji who possesses a ?God Hand?, the power to heal wounds and illnesses just by touching the patient, is in fact a dark introvert who does not reveal his true self to others. Aoi Ryosuke who possesses the ?Demon?s Hand?, the power to kill a person just by touching him, is as kind and pure as an angel. When the demon meets the God, a fatal battle begins? Detective Hasebe Nagisa gets caught by the criminals during a deep cover operation. Ryosuke, a man she does not even know comes to save her and she witnesses his ?Demon?s Hand? in action. Thereafter she discovers by coincidence the existence of Shinji?s ?God Hand? and brings the two together. Little did she know that this would cause great disorder to the world and even to her own life. Click here to watch.

The story revolves around a young man named Mahigashi Teru. When he was young, his father, a brilliant surgeon, died in an accident, but not before saving Teru's life. As a result, Teru also aims to become a great surgeon like his father, devoted to never letting a patient die. As a clumsy newcomer at his hospital, he seems to be an unlikely savior. But whenever a patient's life is in danger, his true powers emerge in the form of his "god hands," allowing him to successfully perform even the most difficult operations. Click here to watch.

Setsu and Souwa are members of the Inui family, descended from itako. Their high school graduation is coming up, but the head of the Inui family suddenly runs away. Their older brother Kai, a priest who studied exorcism abroad, becomes their guardian, and Setsu and Souwa are forced to take over the family business of dealing with spirits. Click here to watch.

Music

Is it mathematics or music that suppose to be the universal language? Regardless. Music has its uses. Ever had a song you could not stand, stuck in your head? I'd like to use that annoyance to my advantage and purposely get Japanese songs stuck in my head. As I listen to the songs, I'll follow along with a Furiganizer version and a translated version of the lyrics. There is also another useful tool that may come in handy with this music venture. Text To Speech is a site that will speak any text you paste on the page, regardless of the language. The speed of the speech can even be adjusted. Its an excellent way to hear the lyrics without the background music, if you can get over the bland computerized voice and irritating ads.