Japan Info
Getting to know Japan: links to major sites on Japan, online magazine sites, Japanese language (Nihongo) sites, kanji learning, finding jobs in Japan. Most sites listed here are in English. This site is run by Sam Ito, a former Japan Times editor. 日本を知る・紹介するサイトのリンク（海外向け）。多くは英文です。To properly view garbled characters, if any, your PC needs a Japanese-character decoder (or go to this site for help).
INDEX:
General sites
Emergencies/visa/tax/govt
Jobs in Japan
How to be a writer in Japan
Japanese language ESL
Magazines
Amazon
Online communities
International parties
Outdoor fun
Travel
Accommodation
News
Miscellaneous
Mail
↑
General sites on Japan 日本についてのサイト
www.japantoday.com Japan Guide,
news, discussion, jobs, bars, dating...
Japan Information Network日本についての総合英語情報、文化、統計、祝日... Japan
statistics, culture, etc. Great for research purposes.
Japan
Portal original web address
news, press releases, immigration procedures, event schedules in English,
Chinese and Korean, launched by Kyodo News in December 2011
www.japanreference.com
Japan-related links
www.jnto.go.jp/eng The
Japan National Tourist Organization
All about Japan http://allabout.co.jp
JapanGuide.com
Web Japan Gateway for all Japanese information: politics, economy, culture,
...
Jim Breen's Japanese Page
Lots of links to computing, Nihongo sites
piqniq.jp Piqniq is a social network for English-speaking families living in Japan. Our goal is to create a Japan-specific online community and information resource to help you and your family get things done in a country where simple tasks can easily become complicated. cf. JT ad 06/11/28p1
Japan Focus politics, economics, society, culture
Kids Web Japan
日本についての英語総合情報。公的サイト。基本的なことをやさしく学べます。
ジャパン・ナレッジ www.japanknowledge.com/
costs \1,500/month. Encyclopedia of Japan, etc. ワンルック検索が便利
www.japan-guide.com Schauwecker's Guide to Japan
The Quirky Japan Homepage http://www3.tky.3web.ne.jp/~edjacob/
日英対訳 日本文化キーワード事典 www.japanlink.co.jp/ka/index.html
Live/In/Japan 日本在住の方が作った日本紹介。うがった見方もあり面白い。
THE JAPAN FAQ: KNOW BEFORE YOU GO (OR: WHAT I WISH I KNEW BEFORE....) The Complete Guide to Working, Visiting, and Living in Japan
Stanford Japan Guide Comprehensive.
Akibanana.com Akihabara in English
Blogs: Japan Economy News & Blog Japan Probe
Manga Guide to Japan
Emergencies,
visas, embassies, government offices
Police 110 (phone number. This
is an equivalent of 911 in the U.S.)
Fire/Ambulance 119 English
speakers available -- just say something in English and wait for an interpreter. A
guide
Medical Resources in Japan (U.S. embassy, list of English-speaking doctors)
Search TOKYO hospitals/clinics by location/station. Find English-speaking doctors, enquiries on Japanese medical system. Emergency translation services through phone when you are visiting a doctor. ("Himawari" English version)
Medical Interview Sheet Translation System (M３) Select your symptoms in English and M3 translates them to the other languages.
Earthquake preparedness Big survival manual Post-earthquake relief (Tokyo) Keep tall/heavy furniture pieces away from you bed. During a quake, they would fly in the air to crush your brain in your sleep. 5,000 people were crushed to death in the 1995 Kobe quake.
Japan Helpline Emergency help. "Whether it is an earthquake, the subway gas attack, or just a toothache in the middle of the night, we are always first to help as Japan's only 24 hour, nationwide assistance service for the international community."
Emergency calls (Minato City site)
Crime:
Anti-stalking
law (Nov. 2000) in
Japanese.
Tokyo police information and inquiries. For info on police related matters or for giving opinions and placing requests, call 03-3501-0110 (dialing phone) or #9110 (touch-tone phone) 8:30a.m. to 5:15p.m. on weekdays. Crime, driver's license, lost and found.
Guide for foreign residents (Tokyo)
U.S. passports; driving in Japan; marriage in Japan (U.S. embassy)
Visas (Education Japan site)
Immigration offices in Japan (JapanVisitor site)
Foreign resident registration -- see local government sites. Tokyo
Japanese Citizenship Issues/ dual citizenship
Arrests and jail in Japan Visit the "Safety and Security" section of the American Citizens Services page on the Web site of the U.S. Consulate in Japan
Your country's embassy in Japan
Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Foreign Ministry, Gaimusho)
United Nations
U.S. government 米政府リンク FirstGov FirstGov for Kids The
White House Library of Congress
Japan govt Japan Information Network Prime
Minister Government
links 電子政府の総合窓口（検索）
全省庁横断検索 財務省
駐日大使館・国際機関
Return to INDEX
↑Finding jobs in Japan (English or
bilingual sites)
Your first move: Those living outside Japan need to get work visas. Whatever
you wish to do in Japan eventually (such as working at The Japan Times as journalist), your first move is to get whatever job you can, get a work visa and
live in Japan.
Once you are here, you can contact the firms of your dreams and see if they are
interested in hiring you. Most firms are reluctant to hire anybody contacting
them from overseas.
Many non-Japanese working in Japan started as an English
teacher. It's the easiest job to get, yet teachers are highly respected here.
You might want to take a course in Teaching English as a Second
Language before flying to Japan. It would look impressive on your
resume.
JET Programme
Teach English at Japan's public schools at the invitation of the Government of
Japan. Tens of thousands have already done so! Probably the best way to get a
work visa and launch a Japan-related career. The monthly pay is 300,000
yen, considerably higher than the pay for young Japanese teachers.
http://www.jetprogramme.org/index.html JET
www.jetprogramme.com JET体験談・日本で教えるためのアドバイス JET(Japan Exchange and Teaching program) でALTとして1998-99年に長野高校で教えた英国人David Chandlerさんのサイト。JETで日本に行く人たちのため、彼はThe JET Programme: Getting Both Feet Wetという本を書いた（紹介記事The Japan Times 01/6/22p15
BigDaikon,com is the place for past, present and future JETs
ELT News English teaching in Japan
British
Council Resources for JETs
Big English/other languge conversation schools:
Some of them, including AEON, recruit outside Japan.
GEOS AEON Gaba NOVA --- under new management following a 2007 bankruptcy No sex Culture clash
東京外国人雇用サービスセンター
Tokyo Employment Service
Center for Foreigners Full of tips. A government site for those with
visas.
JobTimes a bilingual job search, run by The Japan Times
Pick up The Japan Times on a Monday for the largest selection of jobs in Japan for English-speaking people. See Classified ads.
国際日本語研修協会 日本で勉強している留学生のためのアルバイト情報 in Japanese
Career Cross Japan http://www.careercross.com
GaijinPot http://www.gaijinpot.com
JapanEnglishTeacher.com
searches English-teaching jobs across Japan
Jobs in Japan
http://www.jobsinjapan.com
Job Seek Japan
http://www.jobseekjapan.com
Michael Page Japan
http://www.michaelpage.co.jp
Stoneman Corporation http://www.stonemancorp.com
Let's Japan information about the realities of teaching eikaiwa
スペースアルク国際派就職 for Japanese
www.eigoJob.com for Japanese
↑How
to be a writer/journalist in Japan
Your first move:
Get a journalism
degree or attend a course in a related field. This is not required, but will
stand out in your resume. Better still if you have a writing/editing job
experience back home. Employers pay attention when qualified people apply
for a position.
Write something. It must be readable, and your grammar must be perfect. Get it
published if possible in your local paper or on the web. Or you can open a site
and publish your essays yourself. If you do, don't forget to put the site's
address on your resume to try to impress potential employers.
If
you are already in Japan:
Look out for job openings on newspaper classifieds (Mondays in the case
of The Japan Times and Wednesdays on http://jobs.japantimes.jp/
).
All
the Japan Times wants ads for its journalists are placed on the paper's
classified ad pages. In addition, I have seen ads placed by Reuters, Nikkei, BBC, Asahi, Bloomberg,
and a lot of magazines.
If you can't find an opening for a writing position, look for a "COPY
EDITOR wanted" ad. If you can get a copy editor job, you will soon get
to know the page editors in the office. Talk to them about your story ideas and
ask them to let you write something on their pages.
When you apply for a full journalist job, you will be required to present
published samples of your writing, readable and free of grammar errors.
In addition to a resume, you will also need to write a cover letter -- a
brief summary to let your potential employer know that you have some experience
in the field and a degree in media studies.
You might want to start by getting a freelance job at magazines, such as Metropolis
and Tokyo Weekender.
There aren't that many writing positions in Japan, and
some firms don't even bother to place wanted ads. You may need to contact them to see if
there have openings.
Write a resume, and email it along with your writing samples to
the managing editors of the media firms. A list of the major media is in
the News section. Ask to see if there are openings; if not,
ask them to put you on the waiting list.
Meanwhile, you may want to register at temp firms that send temp
writers/editors to media firms. I believe Manpower
does.
Recommended books: Associated Press Guide to Newswriting Associated Press Stylebook
So You Want to be a Writer (in Japan)? How to be a writer Find a freelance writing job How to write and get published Writing job application letters Resume writing
Google on "be a writer"
Return to INDEX
↑Japanese language Nihongo (Learning Japanese) 日本語学習。-- Kanji
漢字学習（日本語が外国語の方用）など
Rikai.com www.rikai.com Online
character translator. If you speak some
Japanese but cannot read kanji, just enter the URL of the site you want to read,
and Rikai will help!
Georgia Institute
of Technology Online Japanese course, with graphics
Nihongo Mailing List http://homepage.mac.com/nihongoml/
Kanji Clinic www.kanjiclinic.com
great tips, links
TheJapanesePage.com
flash cards, grammar, culture
Smart.fm flash
cards easy to create your own iKnow
(flash-card app), Dictation (type what you hear), BrainSpeed (a game)
NihongoUp flash card app
ReadTheKanji Kanji
flash cards
E-Kanji www.geocities.com/easykanji dictionary
Reading Tutor
dictionary. etc. 日本語版:「リーディングチュウ太」
http://sp.cis.iwate-u.ac.jp/sp/lesson/j/doc/furigana.html
accessing the Goo furigana service the page will be returned to you
with furigana added to all kanji.
ひらひらの ふりがねめがね furigana
Nihongo Web downloadable visual aids
Basic Conversation (medical terms, etc.) This Miyazaki Prefecture site contains lots of helpful tips for living in Japan.
Learn
Japanese Through Anime
"Learn the technique that got me speaking fluent Japanese in less than 1 year"
With videos. "... it was in this crazy language with English subtitles. I didn’t quite know what I was getting into back then and it was a little weird at first but I just decided to watch it. And I got hooked! ... it was like a whole new world opened up to me. ... And to be honest it was what I needed at the time ...
--------------- I started like most people, with a few websites and America’s “favorite” language program, Rosetta Stone. ... From there I jumped to Pimsluers and a little known 1980’s TV show called “Let’s Learn Japanese”... from there I decided to take matters a bit more into my own hands. I had the basics of the language so I began to teach myself Japanese. I used actual words and sentences from the shows I was watching, developed a way to use the English subtitles as a teaching method, and researched casual
Japanese."
Five-Minute Japanese
Genki Japanese conversation textbook series published by The Japan Times, Ltd.
BILINGUAL is a Japanese study section appearing every Thursday in The Japan Times.
Hiragana Times A bilingual monthly. Every Japanese story comes with an English translation, with furigana on all kanjis. There is a Web version, too.
J-Life Free magazine for students of Japanese 日本に暮らすさまざまな国籍の人々と一緒に作っていくフリーペーパー JT05/10/8p3
eduFire video learning
Podcasts:
Nippon Voice Blog www.JapanesePod101.com Kanda Podsayings Japanese Classical Literature at Bedtime Learn Japan
Japanese
language schools
in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto
www.alpha.ac.jp Business Japanese, 日本語教師養成講座も
www.ajalt.org Japanese for busy people
www.naganuma-school.or.jp www.ala-japan.com 日本語教師養成講座も www.arc.eg.com/nihongo/ www.kaij.jp www.evergreen.gr.jp www.sng.ac.jp www.incul.com 日本語教師養成講座も www.nichibei.ac.jp/jli www.kicl.net
Business Japanese Proficiency Test www.jetro.go.jp/bjt
Learn Japanese
↑ESL
These
sites are popular with Japanese people learning English
Major
sites アルク 伊藤サム 無料英語学習.com 英語を学ぶすべての人へ 英語かけこみ寺 エイゴタウン 百万人の英語 英語ナビ 英語と闘うぺぇじ かかってこい！英会話 英語大好きおどろきワールド 創育English
読めて聴ける英語
英語独学室 A.C.E.
英語のお勉強
英語TOEIC英検の勉強法 ★English
Club Antimoon.com BBC
World Service English as 2nd language
Bilingual papers ★週刊ST
Asahi
Weekly Mainichi
Weekly
Amazon Japan (free domestic shipping for orders \1,500 or higher), bestseller/ESL links
↑Amazon (U.S.) nonfiction bestsellers; Japanese language bestsellers
Return to INDEX
Online magazines
http://www.tokyo.to Tokyo Journal
http://kto.co.jp Kansai Time Out
http:///www.xene.net/english/index.htm
http://www.twics.com/~anzu/index.html The New Observer
http://www.tokyopocketguide.com/index.html
www.midnighteye.com/index.php movies
www.japan-zone.com/modern/index.shtml movie stars, ...
www.peter.hoflich.com/JapanMusic.html music guide
www.airmassive.com Japanese pop culture, especially the music scene
www.sunfield.ne.jp/~mike/index2.htm Radio JFDS's Japanese Oldies
www.anchovyrecords.com music label
www.realtokyo.com club
www.photojpan.org/showcase/index.html Photo Japan
www.art-japan.com/e online art gallery, street fashions of Harajuku youth
www.stomptokyo.com/godzillatemple for Godzilla fans
www.bekoku-ongaku.com/index_e.html Beikoku Ongaku music magazine
www.compositemag.com/composite/e/e_main.html fashion magazine
www.plus81.com graphic design magazine
www.shift.jp.org graphic designers
www.skijapanguide.com/index.php Ski Japan Guide
www.skysoft.co.jp books
www2.gol.com/users/coynerhm/understanding_japan.htm Understanding Japan
www.coolgirlsjapan.com/home_e.html independent young women
www.esake.com sake expert
www.blacktokyo.com/webring/index.html Tokyo's first black urban web site
www.gate39.com all aspects of life in Japan
www.japanhomesearch.com H&R Consultants upscale accommodation
www.geocities.co.jp/Berkeley/1131 Internet Free Riders
www.ispjapan.org Internet Service Provider guide to types of Internet access in Japan
www.keibunsha.com The Japan Tatoo Institute
↑Socializing
sites, online communities
Friendster.com Link friends and friends of friends!
MySpace.com For music fanatics.
Orkut.com Invitation only.
TheFaceBook.com For students.
Beautifulpeople.net(U.S.) Beautifulpeople.net(Japanese) It's "online dating minuse ugly people." The Japan Times 07/12/4p18
www.GuessWhatIHeard.com For the easily amused.
www.Tribe.com For the indecisive.
43things.com For goal-oriented people.
Gaijin
discussion sites
BigDaikon,com is the place for past, present and future JETs.
■e-mail discussion groups
CataList www.lsoft.com/catalist.html
■International
parties:
make new friends in Tokyo and elsewhere
Search other international parties
Snow
Japan . www.snowjapan.com
"the ultimate guide to winter sports in Japan, and popular online
interactive community"
Outdoor Japan includes Onsen (spa) Guide
www.sunfield.ne.jp/~mike Japan from the Driver's Seat
www.outdoorjapan.com You can meet Japanese and non-Japanese people through activities. like hiking, camping, hot springs, cycling, boating, rock climbing and more
Japan Cycling Navigator www.t3.rim.or.jp/~sayori/
Kampgrounds of America www.koa.com/where/japan has their own Internet access
Travel agencies (flights, tours):NumberOneTravel AcrossTravel JTB Kinki HIS
Travel search engines (global ones)
Popular: Orbitz Travelocity Expedia
Travel aggregators: www.cheapflights.com yahoo.farechase.com www.kayak.com www.mobissimo.com www.sidestep.com
Japan for Visitors http://gojapan.about.com/
Tokyo Yokohama
Information for Overseas Visitors
www.ease.com/~randyj/rjjapani.htm Favorite getaways in rural Japan
www.jandodd.com/japan travel guide
www.admillion.com/j-guide/index.htm Japan Sight-Seeing Guide 47 prefectures of Japan
www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Cove/5750/index.html Japanese Railways Page.
The Wind Site: Roommate and Guest Houses in Japan Inexpensive and fun!
Japanese Inn Group The most popular is the Sawanoya, a great place to meet other travelers
Japanese Guest Houses Reserve a room at a "ryokan" (traditional Japanese inn) anywhere in Japan. Free reservation service. Maps
Google > Japan > Travel and Tourism Click "Lodging."
■Apartments for rent
Welcome Chintai Run by the Japan Property Management Association.
Anshin-Chintai あんしん賃貸(Safe Rental Housing) This government-run site includes a limited data base of apartments for rent that readily accept non-Japanese. Useful if you face housing discrimination against foreigners.
The-You Inc.
English-language dailies The
Japan Times Asahi.com
English IHT/Asahi
Daily Yomiuri Mainichi
Daily News Nikkei Net
Interactive Stars & Stripes
Magazines Metropolis
Tokyo
Weekender
Non-Japanese media Google
News Lycos
News Search NewsonJapan.com
NHK World
CNN (対話記録Transcripts) CNN日本 New
York Times（検索1996-
過去一週本文無料）p1
Washington
Post p1 KidsPost
Financial Times USA
Today(米最大紙) NewsDirectory.com(全新聞・雑誌サイト検索) 英米の厳選サイト(メディア・官庁・団体
「浦・市・図書館活用ガイド」) 新聞の街角（日本・世界中の新聞・雑誌）
Japanese-language dailies/news 朝日新聞 Yahooニュース
Exciteニュース(34社) Infoseekニュース
佐賀新聞（記事データベースを全国の新聞社では唯一無料で公開。現在は紙面に印刷されているIDが必要） 読売新聞 毎日新聞（過去記事検索） 日経（経済情報検索、就職ナビ...）
産経（バックナンバー検索、「正論」JT対訳） 東京新聞 便利コム!!
日本の厳選サイト（「浦・市・図書館活用ガイド」 他メディア（日本新聞協会）
↑Miscellaneous:
■Politics 1980代政治年表
■Economy Yahoo!Finance(Dow)
日経
■Weather Yahoo!Weather
■Train schedules/car rentals 乗換 ニッポンレンタカー
■PC @nifty
dion ブロードバンド情報RBB・NTT東・西 マイホームページ ホームページ作り方教室 Html
Tutorial ★Table
Generator News
Handler test
■Health オリコン・メディカル
けんぽれん病院情報 日本医師会・病気チェック・椎間板
■TV SkyPerfecTV! SuperChannel
GLC
■大江戸温泉 La
Qua 豊島園庭の湯
■Info/Libraries
★WannaLearn.com Howstuffworks
国立国会図書館(Diet
Library) 東京大学総合博物館（憲法画像など）
アジア歴史資料センターwww.jacar.go.jp 音楽と80s世相年表(ongaku.tv)
郵便番号検索
日本地名の読み方 学者牛(日本地名・国名・人名・誕生日) Behind
The Name(英語人名由来)
■Others イベントナビ
www.eventnavi.ne.jp ぐるナビ What
is Tokyo?
↑Google
> Japan Everything about Japan is here.
Friends Reunited traces old school friends.
www.1837online.com traces your British ancestors. It indexes every birth, marriage and death in England and Wales since records were centralized in 1837.
e-magazines Ezine Directory www.ezine-dir.com
Contact webmaster Your comments may be quoted on my site/books. Requests for anonymity will be honored.
○Hey Sam!
I really love your massive list of japan related sites, and refer people to it all the time.
http://homepage1.nifty.com/samito/Japan.info.htm
But I was wondering if it would be possible to request a site to this awesome resource.
Namely its my site, so I know, obviously I think its a great site, but I'd like you to overlook my biased opinion, and consider it solely based on content.
It's http://www.japanesethroughanime.com/
I upload tons of free Japanese video lessons and blog posts, and even have a free Japanese newsletter people can subscribe to as well.
In any event though, thanks so much for your time and consideration!
Take care,
Ken
------------
Hi Ken,
I just read some your essays and they were all very interesting and informative, including how you got hooked on the language and how you overcame teenage troubles. Many people will benefit by learning about the practical ways you mastered Japanese. So I'll be placing a link to your site.
http://homepage1.nifty.com/samito/Japan.info.htm#Nihongo
Thanks and gambatte,
Sam
2012/30/07
------------------
Hi Sam!
Oh thank you so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed it :)
Ganbarimasu!
Take care,
Ken
○hello
ian gumbrell2007/09/07 11:04
こんにちわ私はian gumbrellといいます。イギリスのブライトンからきました。愛知県豊橋市にすんでいます。
-----------------------------
こんにちは。ブライトンは楽しいビーチがあってよいところですね。
○oita bridger Jul/15/03
Hi, Sam,
You do have one of the greatest collection of links and all!
I have not seen a collection like this kind anywhere.
Please do keep up the good work.
Thanks,
You can call me Simon.
My job is bridging so I call myself the "bridger"
○You should list the Snow Japan website on your page, it would be useful as it is an excellent site. www.snowjapan.com
Pete Jun/7/04
