Kana Tables
The complete set of hiragana and katakana are presented with approximate pronunciations and help with word processor / IME input using western-style keyboards. To improve your handwriting, refer to our handwritten hiragana table, which is presented in the usual Japanese layout, written top-to-bottom, and right-to-left.
DIY Flashcards
One of the major challenges of the Japanese language is its writing system. The combination of hiragana, katakana and kanji provide a very steep learning curve for the Japanese language student. One popular method of memorising all the new characters is through the use of flashcards. You can easily make your own flashcards using the pdf files listed below. There are currently four different sets of flashcards available:
Open the desired pdf file (Adobe Acrobat Reader required), and print your own flashcards using standard A4 business card sheets (54 mm x 85 mm, 10 per sheet, double-sided). Feed the sheets into your printer one page at a time, to allow two sided printing. The page order of the flashcard documents is: sheet 1 front, sheet 1 back, sheet 2 front, sheet 2 back, sheet 3 front, sheet 3 back, etc.
Use the flashcards to test yourself. Identify the cards one at a time, sorting them into two piles: "correct" and "incorrect". When you've gone through the entire deck, start again on the "incorrect" pile. Continue to retest until you manage to identify all the cards correctly. Repeat this testing daily until you can go through the entire deck without any errors.
Japanese Writing Paper
Use your printer to make some Japanese writing paper. This is a squared writing paper used for writing Japanese vertically.