Anime for teenagers and adults generally uses more complex language. At least in my experience, this makes it very hard to get started. Kids shows, on the other hand, often use very simple forms, which makes it easier to get a grip on things. I try to see them as exercises, so I can get to the better shows that I want to be watching. Hopefully, someone else can prove me wrong. I, too, could use some recommendations that are not just kids' anime.

I've been learning for the past two years. The first year on my own, and then I took two courses at university. I found that learning on my own seems to be way more effective than the classes at university. I mainly focus on speaking and understanding the language, so I try to watch Japanese TV (recently I dropped the English subtitles), listen to simple podcasts, and watch videos on YouTube. I don't want to completely neglect reading and writing, so I'm also learning kanji using Heisig's method. Though it will probably take me until mid-next year to work through that book.

Regarding the dictionary app: I prefer the app Nihongo on iOS. Looking up words works similar to Jisho, but the UI is less buggy. The app also includes audio recordings from native speakers for many words, instead of relying entirely on text-to-speech.

https://apps.apple.com/de/app/nihongo-japanese-dictionary/id881697245?l=en-GB

Thank you for the inspiration. I’ll add Kamakura to my list.

I just noticed that part of the description for Nihonho in the post is in German. Maybe because the link I shared was for the English version of the AppStore? Anyways, here is a link that hopefully provides the English description. It would be nice, if you update the link and text in your post.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nihongo-japanese-dictionary/id881697245?l=en-GB

The pitch accent video was really interesting. Somehow, I never noticed that there were only four patterns.

Thank you for the info. I saw somewhere that the price for the Japanese Rail Pass will increase by around 80% in October. But I will buy it online, before the price increase.

What was your #1 favorite thing you did or place you visited in Japan?

Wow, thank you! These are some really good tips.

Before I went I read they won’t exactly steal your wallet, but at the end of the night all your money will be gone.

I didn't know about that. Thanks, I'll be careful!

You’ll see 7/11 shops everywhere. Not sure where you’re from, but the ones in Japan are much better than the US. If you’re looking for a cheap meal, you can grab a bowl of noodles and stuff there.

That'll probably become my go-to, then. I don't want to spend my entire budget on food.

I spent my whole 2 weeks there in Tokyo. That city is huge and has some very distinct areas to it. Check those all out.

Yeah, Tokyo is really big, and it'll be impossible to see everything in just one week. I also want to see a bit of nature and some rural areas, so I have to weigh how I use the time.

MariCar sounds really fun to me. I'll have to look up how I can get an international passport.

How was your experience with Airbnb? Were there any challenges in getting a place? I heard that many people in Japan don't speak English too well.

Do you have an example of a book that makes problems? I can try it on my e-book readers

yes

I just use some Anki cards that I found online. Googling it, I found multiple Anki card decks for the Heisig method and I just chose the one that fitted me best.