A course in spoken Japanese featuring :

• Basic course covers survival expressions, meaning and pronunciation;
• free audio of all key phrases and expressions by native Japanese speakers.

The JLPT prep page offers a series of simple tests that cover all the
kanji characters required for Levels 1-4 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test.

The 21st Century Japan blog is a collection of translations of articles from leading local media publications covering a range of themes domestic and international from the Japanese point of view.

Also available for free :

• a collection of photographs from around Japan featuring many of the beautiful/spectacular/natural sights that visitors to the country can hope to see while they are here.

• a visual database of real Japanese sushi – now present on most supermarket shelves around the world, what does the real thing look like? Learn about the fish and the dishes through a categorized and search-able collection of photographs. Visitors can learn the names of the dishes as well. See if that whets your appetite…

A free-access database of language-related links. Anyone can :

• submit sites relevant to any enabled categories/languages, anonymously if preferred;
• edit, rate site entries submitted by themselves or others;
• propose deletion of irrelevant entries.

The database keeps a track on the most popular, highly-rated entries.

A multi-lingual bbs for members to share their interest in languages. Features include :

• forums for 40 languages – more can be requested by any member;
• any aspect of the arrangement of the forum (eg., language families) may be taken up for discussion by members;
• members can maintain their own personal profile, including funky avatars;
• posts may be submitted in any language – in that sense the nearer the whole thing teeters on linguistic anarchy the better;
• simple and elegant design.

A quick glance at the bbs stats (at the bottom of the page) will reveal the most popular forums and posts and ‘busiest’ contributors. As with any bbs, the quality of the system will depend on the quality of the contributing members.

Language Learner blog features :

• a chance to read a range of articles related to the learning and teaching of languages;
• contribute your own articles or comment on others’;
• take a deeper look at language learning in its real world context.
• a broad tolerance of experimental opinion means contributors can publish a rough draft and return to modify it according to the response they get.

Presenting ideas in a forum like this may help people to develop confidence in their work.

The following sites are personal – the diary is open for anyone to view, the other two are password-protected :

• my Japan diary chronicles the things I think may be of interest to family and friends back home.
  
• my Karate and Health blog chronicles daily life insofar as it features any kind of exercise or sport.
  
• my Lesson Planner blog keeps track of my duties at work and, when properly maintained, helps me remember what I am supposed to be doing…

Through the following two sites translation services are available, principally offering Japanese-English translation. Rates will depend on the nature and volume of work.
Please click on the link in your native language.