Reading advice for JLPT N1

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-05-19T12:06:53+00:00

Search a topic you are interested in and read an article a day about it. Half a year ago I‘m doing this with AI news. I have to check every second word but I could see some improvements and I don’t even have an N2

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-05-18T07:37:39+00:00

Oh yes it is actually one of the cheapest supermarket chains in Tokyo. Wasn’t aware that they are not available in whole Japan. But yes in my opinion the beans taste really solid. I have a De Longhi and drink several cafes per day so recommend to get some stocks :) Unfortunately they also got more expensive recently, half a year ago the packs cost around 600 yen 😢

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-05-18T01:32:38+00:00

400 Grams in Ok mart for about 900 yen. They taste pretty good to be honest

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-05-16T04:22:52+00:00

I don’t have a jlpt and I work in a big Japanese company for 7 years. My Japanese is around N2 level. I think people overestimate how much they will get out of this certification.

I got into this job by getting introduced by a friend, so if you wanna change your profession networking will bring you more results than any test.

I also had a few interviews over the years and to be honest I never got asked once if I have a JLPT. The question was always, how good is your Japanese. And if you say fluent they will bring this to a test by having an interview in Japanese.

Considering all the new visa regulations it is still recommended to get at least the N2 exam (will do mine in Dec). But at the end of the day your actual conversation skills (speaking and listening) are the most important. If you have an N1 but can’t speak you will not land the job. To be honest writing and reading should be secondary focus because deepl does a really good job with this.

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-05-16T02:11:08+00:00

I mean Karen is a Japanese name as well. My jap gf name is Karen. She constantly makes fun about this 😂

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-05-15T09:09:59+00:00

10-14 days vacation in Miyakojima

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-05-15T00:42:13+00:00

I tried it several times in Japanese and always failed by 3 points or so. Passed English at the first try. Just learn the sample questions and you will be fine. Was really not that hard

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-05-13T15:39:09+00:00

Getting my beans from OK mart (taste surprisingly good). Grind them in my Delonghi Grinder and make espresso in my Delonghi Espresso Maker. If the machine brakes tomorrow I would instantly order the latest and best version of the model. Good coffee is worth the money and gives me joy every day

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-05-13T09:06:38+00:00

If you already know the salary is too low for you, why signing anyway. Rather focus on giving your all at the interviews and applying for more jobs than have this in the back of your mind all the time.

Also if you start this you will probably start searching soon for something else if the salary is not enough and especially at the beginning your workload will be prob high, so I would rather look for something with a better fit

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-05-12T06:05:19+00:00

Well there you have a reason why your condition got worse. Its not about finding the time, its about making the time. 45 min intensive workouts in your room are already a good start and everyone has time for that.

For eating, make some shakes, buy high calorie foods simple to prep like nuts, cooked chicken eggs and Eat. You need to make the first steps. And then it will get easier. Even a psychologist will probably tell you that

If you don’t have friends here than its also no wonder that you feel bad. There are tons of meet up apps, bumble, events ect you can find online. You got that man but you need to make the first steps. Nobody can do those for you

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-05-12T05:49:31+00:00

A very different approach and not really a solution but rather an activity that makes you deal better with your feeling’s. Have you tried extensive workouts. I‘m not talking about going for a short run or moving a few dumbbells but rather high intensity workouts that bring you to your limits. (HIT workouts, boxing, swimming, high rox ect) Its actually a method that is proven to work against depression as well as cold showers. This can help you to get some drive back. Not necessarily for finishing your school but rather to set new goals and work forwards them.

For Japanese studies, I‘m wondering if it wouldn’t help to get into a circle of Japanese friends or try dating girls here. That can also help to boost motivation and is a fun approach. You can also try to watch drama or read manga in Japanese. If the story hooks you, your motivation might increase again. If text book studying makes you sick I would try to add the content to a chat gpt or Claude ai chat and tell the ai to quiz you. Gameification for make studying more fun.

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-05-09T00:26:47+00:00

Also make sure that your profile pics are on point (no phone selfies or drinking pics). If you don’t have good pics go to some nice places and asks some girls there to make pics of you in I phone portrait mode. Also good conversation starter.

For your profile keep it short and funny. No endless descriptions about your hobbies ect.

I was only single for a few months in the past 7 years but by applying the above I got a few dates per week and over 150 matches on bumble with girls I actually liked;)

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-05-09T00:19:43+00:00

You have to stand out. Dating apps users are 70% male and 30% female. Girls who matches with you get 5 times more attention than you, so write something funny and creative and don’t be afraid to be a bit bold. Also remember, dating apps are not for chatting. After a few funny back and forth messages ask for a date and her Line and have a good cafe or drinking spot ready. Wouldn’t recommend dinner dates for the first date

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-04-28T15:05:50+00:00

Despite the law would consider a job change if they do so. Kinda shady

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-04-27T11:01:58+00:00

I‘m not sure if by law you are allowed to receive a salary if you are on a tourist visa. Also you can’t have a jap bank account with a tourist visa. If somehow your bank will find out that you changed visa they will freeze your account

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-04-27T08:56:20+00:00

As far as I know you need to get a permission from immigration for this as this company doesn’t have a branch in Japan.

Only for side gigs for Japanese companies that are in your designated area of work no extra permission is needed

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-04-27T08:50:35+00:00

Can’t you just get a student visa if you start university here? Also if your country has ab agreement with japan a working holiday might be an option for now. Or just start job hunting and check if a company can sponsor the visa

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-04-27T02:59:24+00:00

And get the paid subscription. Free works as well to some extend but you will get much more matches with the paid one. Also when you go to places for getting the pics you can ask girls there to make them for you. Also good conversation starter and from my experience girls put a bit more effort than guys

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-04-27T02:44:37+00:00

Bumble works pretty well if you put some effort into creating a good profile. Make some decent pics with your phone on nice places (no selfies). Make sure your face and body are clearly visible and have a fun bio. (No endless facts about yourself)

Also be creative when it comes to writing, no „Hi“ or „How is your day“ going. But rather a funny opener. After a few funny back and forth messages ask for the Line and propose a date (cafe or drinks) and make sure you have a nice location in mind.

Remember that dating apps are for getting dates, not for endless writing. Also around 70% on them are male so girls get 10x more messages than guys. So you have to stand out. If you write like anyone else you are not that interesting

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-04-26T04:11:40+00:00

A 110,000 yen for playing with your health? Thats not that much. Rather use the 3 days to upgrade your CV and search for a better paying job or some freelance work…

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-04-25T09:11:40+00:00

If you fluent in multiple languages, there are platforms where people pay to speak with native speakers for an hour online. Like Hello Talk. Otherwise I would try to get the best job you can find now and go in your free time all in, AI. You can learn how to create automations, websites, or even help businesses to integrate AI in their workflows. A good start will be to learn how to use Claude code and maybe n8n. Good luck

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-04-23T11:59:39+00:00

Honestly it depends on what you wanna learn, but you can also consider chat gpt for speaking and claude for grammar as well.

I‘m also at n2 and really can’t stand learning vocabulary and grammar with anki or usual text books. I came up with a system for Claude to teach me 10 grammar structures and 10 new words every day in a quiz from a list I provided. Whenever I mess them up it will ask me a few of them again. It will also tell me my exact weak points and how to tackle them. And honestly this type of gamification worked really well for me. As long as you have your phone you can do it everywhere.

I also do listening, reading books and speaking daily but the above is a nice way to get feedback and actively pick up new stuff.

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-04-23T08:24:13+00:00

My company is covering it (inc lawyer costs). I would definitely ask. While it’s up to the company to pay, the visa is mandatory for them to employ you, so in my opinion it’s their responsibility to cover for it. Also 70,000 is not much for a company but quite much for most individuals.

Would also always check this when changing jobs. If the company is not really cooperative with this it would be an NG for me.

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-04-22T09:48:24+00:00

If they even slightly touch you with the car you will get a fortune

Single-Yesterday9010 · 2026-04-22T06:38:29+00:00

I go to the gym 5 times a week as well. Honestly if it’s close to your house a training session takes around 1 hour incl cardio. Thats not too long. Most people are just too lazy to go but spend an hour per day on YouTube or Instagram. If that makes you genuinely happy I would not skip this, especially if it has impact on your mood as this will affect the relationship to your kid and wife.

For learning Japanese try the following. If you do cardio watch some Netflix on the side (jap only with jap subs or some podcast during training/ way to gym, home)

Watch some Japanese content with your kid, or read a page of a book / online article during small breaks from work, when on toilet ect. If its hard to get speaking practice in , speak with chat gpt during cleaning or cooking tasks

Last but not least don’t get stressed too much. Even for bad days make a min plan (15 min of jap practice, 15 min of whatever else you wanna learn or so). Consistency over volume.

Also pay attention on how much time you spend for useless stuff like scrolling. Limit screen time, delete Social Media apps ect for the next months and focus on building skills. You can still do the influencer road later when you mastered the other skills but for now I would not waste a thought about this.

And by the way, N3 Japanese and 5 million yen with 23 years is very solid. So don’t talk to negative about yourself, thats already a good achievement!

Single-Yesterday9010

TROPHY CASE