Nagai Shinai
Japanese Learning Resources
While you are in Nagai, it is a good idea to try and pick up some Japanese language skills (if you don't already have them). Luckily, there are a number of excellent online resources you can use for this! Some of them are free, some of them are paid. To get a sense of the best ones, I asked other ALTs and JETs which ones they use. We will go over a short list of the answers below.
Skritter
Skritter is a paid website (with an app as well, if you. fancy it) that allows you to learn Japanese AND Chinese. There is a focus on writing the Kanji, and the website is very cleverly designed so that it shows you a character, shows you the steps and correct stroke order to make the character, then asks you to create the character yourself. The program is very intuitive to use, and the optional vocabulary sets follow all sorts of popular learning courses such as the Genki series. It also has a recording of the character being read out for pronunciation. https://skritter.com/ .
Anki
Anki is probably the most popular (and also, the most effective free) learning service when it comes to Japanese. The way Anki works is first you download the program on your computer or phone, then, you scour the web for pre-made Anki decks that are fully designed courses to download (for free) and follow. For Japanese, one good course you can follow for example is this one: https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/911122782 . This is a deck designed to slowly introduce you to common vocabulary and grammar while using short stills, images and recordings from anime to give you the contextual/listening practice. Of course, lots of other great decks exist, too.
iTalki
iTalki is probably going to be your most expensive option. And for good reason - it is a place to find online, private Japanese tutors. The tutors there range from certified professionals to everyday, average Japanese people who wanted a little extra income. The good news is that they receive ratings and reviews from their students. Together with their welcome videos and profiles, this can help you choose the tutor who is right for you (note: Preply is a similar service to iTalki, though slightly less well put-together). https://www.italki.com/
Steven-Kraft
Looking for a one-stop shop for all your Japanese learning needs? Steven Kraft provides that. It is a bit of a more informal website, and seems to be a labor of love by the creator, but it is still a great place to find articles on both vocabulary and grammar topics. As well as lots of practice options. You can find it here: https://steven-kraft.com/projects/japanese/ .
WaniKani
Wani Kani is a paid service. Like the other paid services, however, you are rewarded for your money with a pretty premier learning experience and package. It has come highly recommended by some ALTs. See the link here: https://www.wanikani.com/ .
HelloTalk
HelloTalk is an option for online conversation practice. The idea is you find a language partner to do a free language exchange with. A pretty cool, if somewhat disorganized, concept. https://www.hellotalk.com/ .
Renshuu
A pretty expansive website for Japanese learning, with lots of offerings. Renshuu also pairs up well with other programs, such as Anki. Definitely worth taking a look at: https://www.renshuu.org/ .
LingoDeer
A pretty expensive service, but also one that comes with some high reviews from the ALTs who use it. See the link: https://www.lingodeer.com/ .
Tobo Japanese
A Japanese learning app that is exclusive to Android. See the App Store for the app.
Bunpro
Bunpro comes very highly recommended by the ALTs who've used it. It's a grammar learning resource. There is a free trial available, and you get access to a list of reading resources and different grammar points that are explained well.
Tofugu
Another resource mainly for grammar learning. See the link: https://www.tofugu.com/learn-japanese/ .
Bailey Snyder
A grammar resource mainly focusing on verb conjugations practice. Can be found here: https://baileysnyder.com/jconj/ .
J-crosswords
Exactly what it sounds like - Japanese vocabulary-practice crossword puzzle games. See the link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.renshuu.renshuu_crosswords&hl=en_US&pli=1 .
Kanji Study
A good app you can download (directly from the website) for practicing the Kanji and vocabulary. See the link: https://mindtwisted.com/ .
Jisho
A free, online dictionary for Japanese. See the link here: https://jisho.org/ .