/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>41162408
Well, my experience obviously leans overwhelmingly in one direction, but on that topic:

1. Write. As I posted above, muscular memory is very real.
2. If a kanji compound doesn’t seem to make sense, look up the problem characters individually in a good reference like 漢字源. Understanding the nuances helps immensely. Sometimes, you might encounter obnoxious and misleading substitutions like 障礙->障害.
3. Get at least the basics of literary Jap down. It helps a great deal in understanding expressions and idioms, like why it’s すべき and not するべき. Check out Japanese: A Grammar by Haruo Shirane; great place to start.
4. Invest in an electronic dictionary. The amount of time they’ll save you in the long run in immense. I recommend the Sharp Brain series: far less expensive than Casio stuff, better contents and performance. Just be sure to get the 教養 model.
5. Pic related was invaluable for getting accustomed to early-modern-style writing. Very good for forewarning of the pitfalls.
6. At least a high school-level of understanding of 漢文訓読 is very useful. The knowledge will tie together Jap and the Chinese language substrate which permeates it.