Nota bene
If you don't have Japanese fonts installed on your PC, there are
web services that draw the kana and kanji on Japanese web pages in
real-time for any graphical browser, so you can view Japanese documents
without needing a Japanese-capable browser.
Try -> For your Mac and PC try these


Hoshi Royokan
HOSHI - Built on the river bed this onsen's
thermal water bubbles up through the pebbles, naturally. Containing magnesium sulphate and
calcium it treats cuts, burns, pimples, hiccups, nervous disorders, hardening of the arteries and
even hysteria! Floating logs provide headrests. Chojukan Ryokan is rustic and old, with beautiful
high ceilings in the indoor bath. Some rooms have a cooking pot over a fireplace for cooking dinner - vegetables, meat or carp.


Learn some Japanese On-Line here

Jim Breen's Japanese Page from Australia


YOKOSO... Japan Welcomes You!
Yokoso means "Welcome." It's our way of inviting you to our home, our Japan. Discover the warmth and hospitality of a gentle, ancient culture. A place that can only be experienced up close and personal.

Web Sites for Japanese students


The Virtual Tour of Japanese Art

Japanese Art

Web Sites for Japanese Art

The Virtual Museum of Japanese Art

Japanese web sites from Sapporo


Discovering Japan through the Internet


Learn Japanese On-Line
Japanese is considered by many to be the most difficult language to learn. However, you have taken the right set by coming to learn-japanese.net. Here at learn-japanese.net, we provide the most comprehensive japanese language lessons to help you on your journey of learning japanese. Learning Japanese can be fun, but to attain a native speaking level, one must usually spend a significant amount of time in Japan. However, since most english speaking students of Japanese arn't able to travel to Japan to study japanese, we here at learn-japanese.net are working hard to bring japanese to you. Enjoy!


Learn Japanese with YesJapan.com
Join one of the fastest growing Japanese Language Sites. No other site can come even close to YesJapan when it comes to teaching Japanese.


A Fan in Japan / A game in Japanese



Learn Japanese



Japan Today



Japanese Webquest


Japanese Design: Tea Houses, Japanese Baths and Benjo


Learn Japanese - Free!
The Japanese language is actually very simple but so unlike English that many Americans find it difficult to learn. The goal of this page is to teach you the basics in a way that is, hopefully, easy to understand. Let's get started!


Learn Japanese
The Ultimate Japanese Foreign Language Lessons Online Begins...
-Easiest to use, most comprehensive way to learn Japanese
-Easy-to-follow daily lesson plans online
-Go from beginning to advanced levels in one sitting
-Learn to actually speak the language, not just "passthe test"
-Fun and engaging new way to learn Japanese






- Japan has 120
million people yet is roughly the size of California. The country is made up of 47 prefectures
(called ken). Tokyo Metropolitan prefecture itself consists of 23 wards (ku), 27 cities
(shi), one county (gun) and four island districts (shi-cho). Japan is a living paradox and a land of contrasts.
You walk through central Tokyo and will see a briefcase toting businesswoman off to a power
lunch alongside a woman in an elegant kimono headed for tea ceremony. Pop culture abounds,
but the traditional arts also remain. Modernization and commercialism have been wholeheartedly embraced
but in a uniquely Japanese way that could not be replicated elsewhere in the world. Japan is also arguably
the most homogenous society in the world, however if you live in one of the commercial centers it's easy to stay
immersed in the international community, western restaurants and gaijin watering holes.
Foreigners in Japan often comment on the pinpoint efficiency of the transportation system,
remark on how such a crowded place runs so harmoniously and that it would never work that well
in there home country. Then they try and find a cash machine after 8pm or follow the paper trails
at banks or government offices. Japan's natural environment is just as varied as it's social
landscape. The country itself is 78% mountainous,
yet most of the population is concentrated in the major metropolitan areas. Most visitors that
come Japan fall into two categories: business travelers that mainly stay in the metropolitan
centers or tourists who've come to see the unique cultural areas such as Kyoto, Nara and
Kamakura. Surprisingly, Japan has the most diverse climate and natural
environment in Asia. Head north and ski or snowboard world-class resorts
in Hokkaido. The central mountainous area features the Northern, Central and Southern Alps and
was the host to the 1998 winter Olympics. Western Japan has moderate temperatures, while
southern Kyushu area is more tropical. The country is an island nation, so beach lovers can easily
escape to a number of sandy destinations, Okinawa being the most popular.
The Hottest 100 Japanese web sites


Japanese related web sites in English


How the Japanese government is organized


Humanities sites in Japan


Japanese web sites from Teach-Nology


Japanese Links from New Trier HS, Winnetka, Illinois



Japanese Web Resources from Houghton Mifflin Publishing




The Window of Japan

More Japanese web sites for you to consider from Australia

Sports in Japan and much more


Life in Japan w/photos

Japan Travel Information

Amazing Japan: Fascinating facts and features


Great New Site on the History of Japan


Japan@Online Arts and Culture

Land of Links for Japanese

Jim's Super Travel Information Here

History of the Kimono

Japanese currency with photos


Japanese money with photos

New Japanese Web Sites

Good general information on Japan and Japanese culture
Cortext's Japan Guide

Japanese Web Sites
Newspapers / Radio and TV Stations

Japanese Activities from SMU

Japanese links from the University of Minnesota

Japanese Language News and Newspapers

Japanese lesson plans

20 activities to help you learn Japanese from Quia

National Assoc. of Teachers of Japanese

Japanorama Links to Selected Japanese Web Sites / Hundreds of good sites
INSTALLING JAPANESE FONTS ON YOUR SYSTEM

Japan Information Network/Multi Web Site

All the news from Japan from Yahoo
Japanese Search Engines & Indexes

Excite Japan
Acara.com
Infonavi.infoweb.or.jp
CSJ Index
Dragon
Fresheye.com
Goo
Infoseek Japan
Isize.com
InfoNavigator
Japan.infoseek.com
Lycos.co.jp
Mondou
Navi.ntt.co.jp
Search.biglobe.ne.jp/
Yahoo.co.jp

Site ranking for this web page

How to Japanese: Links to Everything Japanese

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Japan travel and Japanese culture article archives - Japan Travel Tips

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Tokyo Weekender Magazine

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Outdoor Japan
Your guide to travel and the outdoors in Japan

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Japanese Recipes - Sushi Page

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Japanese Foods/Very Nice Site
-The Japanese cuisine offers a great variety of dishes and regional specialties. Some of the most popular Japanese and Japanized dishes are listed here. They are categorized into rice dishes, seafood dishes, noodle dishes, nabe dishes, soya bean dishes, yoshoku dishes and other dishes. Some dishes fit into multiple categories, but are listed only once.

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NYCJapan

National Everything: Japanhomesearch

KANJI.com

The Japanese Slang Jisho

Gender distinction in Japanese

Suite 101: Japan Links

Wonderful Japanese Cuisine/Cooking/information here

History of Japan

Japanese web sites in Japan

BBN Japanese Live Stream / Hear Japanese spoken here


Japan travel guide, information on Japanese popular culture and Japanese etiquette



THE JAPAN FAQ: KNOW BEFORE YOU GO (OR: WHAT I WISH I KNEW BEFORE....)

Japan Reference... lots of help here

Great Japanese site from Cal State / San Marcos

Play the Japanese National Athem here

Many traditional Japanese songs here


Japanese Ryokan

Japanese Lifestyles from Dogpile


Camera in Tokyo... Neat!

I Love Languages / Japanese

An Internet WebQuest on Japanese Culture



Japan National Tourist Office



Japan Reference - A multi-website

The Complete Guide to Working, Visiting, and Living in Japan

Great Japanese Sites from Scotland



The Embassy of Japan - Washington D.C.


Tokyo Tourism Website

Aspects of Japanese Culture and Society

Bell South Internet Service on Japan and Japanese Culture... a Good Site!

Bambili Sites Index... lots of sites to check out here

Best Rated Links to Japan



Topsites Japan

Learn All About Japanese Music


Mount Fuji Japanese Food On-Line


Mount Fuji - Basic Information
Mount Fuji (Fuji-san) is with 3776 meters Japan's highest mountain. It is not surprising that this
perfectly shaped volcano has been worshipped as a sacred mountain and experienced big
popularity in literature, painting, and other arts. Mount Fuji is located in Yamanashi and Shizuoka
prefectures and can be seen from Tokyo and Yokohama by clear weather. The Tokaido
Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka closely passes by Mount Fuji. The climbing
of Mt.Fuji is possible via several routes. Climbers usually ascend the mountain on the first day,
stay overnight at one of several huts near the crater, and descend on the following day.


Virtual Japanese Culture

The famous Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo

Gateway to Japanese Language
The following sites, chosen from Japanese search engines, are for travelers, Japanese learners, and teachers
Japanese Cuisine
Nihongo: Japanese Language
Japanese Life-style - traditional life in Japan


Many nice links to Japan

Japanese On-Line
From Educators who have been there..

Links for information on Japan
Gateway to Japanese Language
Resources on Japan and Japanese Language

The Japan Foundation

Japan Guide.Com
Japanese information from MIT
Japan Atlas
Art, museums, music and more...
Japan Information Network:Top

Japanese Resources from the Univ. of N. Texas

Popular Japanese Piano Music

Japan Business News Online: Kikkei Net Interactive


Japan, My Japan
Super site for lots of great information
Japanese Directory: Culture
Index by region

Japanese "son" [Yuki-age 14] with Christmas present

One of Jim's all-time favorite gardens in the world... and this includes Versailles

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Touch here for nice photos-->Ritsurin Koen
Ritsurin Park in
Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, is one of the most famous gardens created by feudal
lords* in the Edo Period (1603-1868). There are 6 ponds, 13 hills, and 15 bridges in the garden,
designed to offer a great variety of scenery: strolling through the gardens, there are
more than 60 different views. The garden is best known for its beautiful pine groves. The total area is approximately 750,000 square meters (185 acres).
"Ritsurin" means "a chestnut wood." Legend says that the garden was so named because the whole neighborhood had been covered with chestnut woods before the garden was built.

..
Kotohira Shrine
Many photos of the shrine here
Located on Mt Zouzuzan in the heartland of Sanuki, this shrine
has been a place of prayer for the security of ships and passengers especially on the Seto
Inland Sea since the Edo era. During history the name "Konpira San" was commonly used, which
also appears in the famous song, "Sails of the Konpira-Ships carried by the wind shura shu shu
shu, fare well..." From the foot of the mountain the "Gohonguu" (main building) is reached by
785 steps. From the highest spot one can experience the breathtaking sight of the
Sanukilowlands. Konpira also listens to any kind of prayer and wishes for family, relatives and the security of ships.

Shinto Shrine Information
- Shinto shrines are places of worship and the dwellings of the kami, the Shinto
"gods". Sacred objects of worship that represent the kami are stored in the innermost chamber of
the shrine where they cannot be seen by anybody. People visit shrines in order to pay respect to
the kami or to pray for good fortune. Shrines are also visited during special events such as New
Year, setsubun, shichigosan and other festivals. New born babies are traditionally brought to a
shrine a few days after birth, and many couples hold their wedding ceremonies there.

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The Japanese people practice two religions, SHINTO and BUDDISM. Both of these
religions have a tremendous influence on Japanese culture. The ideals and rituals of both
influence the daily lifestyles of the people.

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SHINTO & BUDDHISM are the mainstream religions of Japan. In
SHINTO the gods and goddesses called KAMI populate their world. KAMI are believed to dwell in all natural creations such as waterfall, trees, woods, plants, rocks
and even animals. Some KAMI protect people and the most important is called
AMATERASU who is the sun goddess. She is the symbol of Japan and the sun in
the Rising Sun flag is her symbol. It is believed that all emperors decended from
AMATERASU. The emperor of Japan is the head of the SHINTO religion.

SHINTO believers find all living things share the same life source and practice respect for nature.
Family members are encouraged to fulfill the hopes of ancestors and honor the heroes of the past.

SHINTO shrines are constructed in beautiful natural surroundings where worshippers can appreciate
nature and feel close to the gods and the spirits of their dead ancestors.

...
The TORII gates serve as entrances to the spiritual worlds (see above). These gates serve as frames through which nature can be adored.

BUDDHISM spread to Japan from India. It came from the teachings of Sakyamuni who became known
as BUDDHA or the "AWAKENED
ONE." Buddhists believe that you are born over and over again and that your
actions in your life determine how you will be rewarded in the next round of your life cyle. Many
Japanese homes have small Buddhist altars with photographs and memoribilia of the deceased ancestors.

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Megishima masks
Touch this for information on-> BULLET Trains (Shinkansen) - The Japanese bullet train system is credited with being the world's first purpose-built
high-speed railway, and the model and inspiration for all other similar type systems running
today. The reputation it has earned for safety, speed and punctuality is unsurpassed.

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More on japanese culture and daily life...
Touch this for information on->Bonsai - the art of raising miniature trees is more than 1,000 years old in Japan.

Touch this for information on->Ikebana - the art of flower arrangements is very popular in Japan.
Touch this for information on->Origami - is the Japanese art of folding paper into objects without cutting or pasting.
Touch this for information on->Japanese gardens - are legendary throughout the entire world.
Touch this for information on->Kanji - is what makes it a little difficult to learn Japanese. Unlike hiragana and katakana, there of tens of thousands of kanji characters.

Touch this for information on->The Tale of Genji - The Tale of Genji is a famous fictional narrative written by Murasaki Shikibu in early 11th Century that recreates the Heian era and the romantic entanglement of a prince and his courtiers.
Touch this for information on->Washi - is the Japanese word for handmade paper. It makes excellent gift wrap.
..
Touch this for information on->Noh - Just as there are a number of different forms of theatre in the west
(opera, ballet, drama, vaudeville, etc.) so there are several forms in Japan
Touch this for information on->Kabuki - Kabuki: A Brief History
Created around the year 1600, around the same time the English began to form colonies on the
American continent, the history of Kabuki is as long as that of the United States and just as multi-faceted.
While it barely scratches the surface, the brief description of the history of Kabuki that
follows will attempt to give a general overview of the theater.
Touch this for information on->Bunkaru - is a musical puppet theater for adults. The puppets are almost as big a real people.


Virtual Reality Tour of Tokyo

Everything you have always wanted to know about CHOPSTICKS in Japan

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Japan Window

This is Japan: Japanese culture, customs and photographs

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1000 Photos of Japan

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Japan Information Network

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Japan Information

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The Major Regions in Japan
Take a virtual tour of Japan by accessing information resources and
Web sites of Japan's prefectures and major cities. Each prefecture is
introduced with data and photos of local features.

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Atlas of Japan

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Japan Townpage

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Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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Japan Nipponia -|- Discover Japan
NIPPONIA is a quarterly magazine introducing contemporary Japanese culture and society to people all over the world.

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A Beginning Course in Japanese w/sound
The Japan Times newspaper
Jim Breen's Japanese Page - very helpful
Japanese Language - Internet resources
JALT - Japan Association for Language Teaching
Japanese Language and Culture
Japanese Customs and Traditions
Expedia on Japan
Tourism in Japan
Japan File
Japanese Gov. Links
A Home Page for Japanese Links
Japanese or Japan-Related Web Sites
Japanese Government Sources
Japanese Site for Good References
J-Guide: Living and Traveling in Japan

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As you discover good Japanese and sites on Japan and its culture, please send the URL to the e-mail address below so that they can be added to these pages. Domo arigato.-jeb-

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Webmaster -->>> Jim Becker

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