nihonhacks.com » Site News

NihonHacks Breaks 1000 subscribers!

thomas — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:16:28 +0000

I checked the front page today and saw this:

Wow! 1000 subscribers! I never imagined I would reach so many people, especially not this quickly. Thank you everybody for your continued support! I love you guys.

Now I have a favor to ask. Think of it as a Christmas present or a non-denominational winter gift or something. Let’s spread the word! Please tell someone you know (preferably an English-speaking foreigner living in Japan) about Nihonhacks. More readers means more potential hacks, which means everyone benefits! お願いします！

Here’s to 2000!

Good luck on the JLPT

thomas — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 11:44:39 +0000

For those of you taking the JLPT tomorrow, good luck! Let’s all 合格 this thing! Don’t forget to bring: Your test voucher Pencils ID (Gaijin card or passport) Your lunch Watch Study books to cram in between test sections Related posts:Buy Your JLPT Application Online Past JLPT Tests JLPT Application Forms Related posts:

The Japan Times Interview

thomas — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:27:00 +0000

I was recently interviewed by The Japan Times for their Blogroll section. If you want to read it, you can find it here.

That’s all for now. Peace!

Happy Birthday NihonHacks!

thomas — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 11:06:07 +0000

NihonHacks turned 1-year-old today! Yay!! Related posts:Happy New Year and TwoFatBrothers.com NihonHacks Breaks 1000 subscribers! Related posts:

Buy Your JLPT Application Online

thomas — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:48:51 +0000

JLPT Applications are sold in major bookstores. But what if you don’t have a major bookstore near you? Deas from Rocking In Hakata (a great blog btw, check it out!) had this problem and here’s what he had to say about it:

If you live in rural Japan, like me, you may only be able to purchase the JLPT application packet at one single bookstore far, far away from you. I’m in Ehime, and there is ONE store in Matsuyama (the capital) that carries the packets according to the official JLPT site. Sheesh. My solution? Hit Rakuten and search for it. Guess what? I found it. It’s called 日本語能力試験受験案内（出願書類付き）（2008）. It’s published by 凡人社 (Bonjinsya), and is available for ￥476. That’s sweet. It’s the guide to this year’s test and the application materials all in one. And I simply ordered my study books at the same time to knock the price of shipping to 0 yen. Sweet. Now I don’t have to go to the JLPT application packet, it has to come to me.

Here’s a direct link: JLPT Application at Rakuten

It’s not too late. You still have about 2 weeks before the application deadline. That’s plenty of time to order yourself an application and send it in.

Thanks Deas!

Time To Send In Those JLPT Applications

thomas — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:01:36 +0000

Hello all!

No, I’m not back from my vacation yet. I wrote this post before I left and set WordPress to publish it today. Just a reminder that starting today you can send in your JLPT applications. The application period is August 1st through September 12th, so if you are taking the JLPT this year, be sure to send yours in before time is up! If you want to take the JLPT this year, but haven’t gotten your application form yet, head to your nearest major bookstore and purchase one from the cashier (they cost 500 yen).

If everything is going according to plan, I should have crossed from Sweden into Norway now and today will be spent checking out the fjord at Flåm. I’ll be home in about a week! Peace!

P.S. If you’ve met any newcomers to Japan, please tell them about NihonHacks. They can read through the archives and learn a lot of great tips.

Vacationing 2008

thomas — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:19:35 +0000

Tomorrow my family and I are leaving for a little two week vacation to a place we’ve never been before. That means I won’t be here. Just letting you know so you won’t get upset if your comment isn’t approved in a timely fashion :).

In the meantime, I have a favor to ask. Right around the end of July and beginning of August, a whole new wave of foreigners will come to Japan: foreign exchange students, new JETs and others. If any of these new visitors come to your neck of the woods, would you mind telling them about NihonHacks? One of the reasons I started this site was to help newcomers to Japan. The more people that know about the site, the more potential hacks and tips we’ll have to share with everyone else. Thanks!

Enjoy the rest of your summer and stay as safe as possible!

JLPT Application Forms

thomas — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:09:59 +0000

I haven’t checked my bookstore to confirm it, but according to this site, applications for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) should be available for purchase as of yesterday. If you are taking the JLPT this year, hurry over to your nearest major bookstore and purchase your application. They cost 500 yen.

You can send in your application starting August 1st.

I’m taking level 2 this year. How about you?

Back From Vacation

thomas — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:55:09 +0000

I don’t know if anyone noticed, but I’ve been gone for a couple weeks. I used two weeks of vacation time and took my family to the States. It was the first time for my side of the family to meet our son Noah. Here are some pictures:

Noah and his cousins (+mommy. PS, if you are Japanese and visit the States, wear some toe socks and everybody will think they’re awesome):

Noah and his crazy uncles (+daddy):

Noah sleeps in a bed for the first time:

And to make our Japanese-style vacation complete, here’s a picture of some food! Swedish meatballs. Oishisou.

Find A Job In Japan

thomas — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 11:43:49 +0000

Hello all. Just a quick post to let you know that I’ve added a job board thing to the site. You should see it on the right under the RSS subscribe buttons and the “submit a hack” section. The job openings are provided by joblet.jp. If you happen to see a job you’d like to apply for, just click through and from there it’s pretty straightforward. Here’s an example job listing:

Desktop Support

Contract Type

Full-time

Salary

Over 5 Million Yen Per Year

Benefits

Negotiable

Hours

Full Time

Location

Tokyo

Qualifications

Business Level English

Business Level Japanese

Last Updated

2008-02-14

APPLY NOW

5,000,000 yen per year? Not bad for those qualifications! They’ve got a lot of great jobs available, so keep an eye on the right sidebar.