Japan
My son is interested in visiting Japan someday because that is where the creator of Pokemon is from. As we’re studying Japan and learning to speak Japanese, I am going to keep track of the activities we do and online resources used. Until I see major motivation, I don’t plan on spending any money on this. So far, we’ve been able to pick up quite a bit.
So far, here are the activities we’ve done. See references below to find the printouts, etc.
Activities
- Complete activity booklet from Enchanted learning
- Look up Japan on Wikipedia
- Practice folding a paper crane
- Audio lesson practice
- Attend Japanese festivals & presentations
- Learn to write “pokemon” in Japanese characters
- Do math problems in Japanese
- Convert American Dollars to Japanese Yen
- Read books together.
REFERENCES
Language
- About.com’s Japanese Language section
- Kanji Resources
Eve writes for the Jpod101 website and has a great blog of her own. - Kids Web Japan
Games, simple language lessons, culture and more. - Japanese 101
at Planet Tokyo. Information for those wanting to travel to Japan - JapanesePod101.com
The BEST Japanese language learning center I’ve found so far. Finally bought a basic subscription. It is soooooo worth it! - Tae Kim’s Japanese Grammar Guide
- Sing & Learn Japanese
There are several versions of this out there. The one I checked out from the library doesn’t seem to be available on CD anymore. The booklet it comes with is essential! It has the romaji, kana and English translation for each song.
Basic Info
- Japan
Wikipedia entry
Printables
- Printable Workbook
from Enchanted Learning. Gives just little bits of info on history, geography, language and origami. A good place to start - How to Fold a paper Crane
You can follow step by step online or click to download the pdf. From what I understand, Japanese children are epected to learn to fold this in kindergarden
Art
- Origami Club
You can even view it in Japanese!
Books
- Japanese Art & Culture by Kamini Khanduri. ISBN: 073986609-5
This was a fun book to read together. There are several points during this book where you could break off in related activities if desired. (i.e. wood block printing, calligraphy, etc)
Lesson Plans
- Haiku and Beyond
(PDF) A study of Japanese literature from the Denver PS
Kanji/Kana/Hiragana/etc
- Hiragana Writing Tutor
Chart that links to animations. Links to Katakana and Kanji charts too. - Kana-Game
- Kanji of the Seasons
characters and translations with a bits of history and ceremonies. - Slime Forest Adventure
Learn katakana, hiragana & kangi while playing an rpg style game. - Speedanki.com
Kanji flashcards. Free registration
Bunraku
- What is it?
- Imada Puppet Troupe in Japan
- Bunraku Bay Puppet Troupe in USA

