Update: It’s now easier to keep up to date with new Japan-related Twitterers by following @JapanList. Here’s a short post on how JapanList works.
Do you wish there were other ways to get information about Japan and learning Japanese other than reading websites? Do you want to make friends interested in Japan and learning Japanese?
One such way is to follow people on Twitter. It’s a great way to get an insight into daily life in Japan as well as connect with people who are learning Japanese. You can often find some very helpful tips about learning methods and resources.
I’ve been using Twitter since about April 08. I first signed up to keep in touch with friends, and added a couple of people I knew from their Japan-related blogs. However I quickly realized that it’s a great way to get an insight into life in Japan and learn Japanese.
From Wikipedia:
Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service, that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.
The 140 character limit means people tend to be short and sweet with their messages, giving only the facts. It’s also a great way to ask questions and get responses. Sometimes you have to be clever with your answers to fit all the information into one tweet, but it keeps the ‘noise’ level down.
Don’t be afraid to follow people. The reason they are on Twitter is either to make new friends, promote their blog and follow interesting people, or a combination of all three! I love getting new followers, knowing that someone is interested in what I have to say, and I get to meet a new interesting person to follow back.
So where do you start? Here’s a list, in no particular order, of people I follow that often have something interesting to say about Japan or learning Japanese.
- Danny Choo on Twitter @dannychoo
- Neil Duckett on Twitter @Neil_Duckett
- Shane Sakata on Twitter @ShaneSakata
- Peter Payne on Twitter @jlist
- kenleewrites on Twitter @kenleewrites
- Nick Ramsay on Twitter @nick_ramsay
- ヨナス on Twitter @yonasu
- 2nihon on Twitter @2nihon
- ジェイソン (Jason) on Twitter @matigo
- Jamaipanese on Twitter @Jamaipanese
- JapanMike on Twitter @JapanMike
- Danisidhe on Twitter @Danisidhe
- Laurel on Twitter @laurelrinkya
- fatblueman on Twitter @fatblueman
- Héctor García on Twitter @kirai
- kansai_pj on Twitter @kansai_pj
- Declan on Twitter @kanakanji (Everyone welcome Declan to Twitter!)
- Jason Collin on Twitter @jasoncollin
- Tofugu on Twitter @tofugu
- Alex Brotman on Twitter @victorymanual (Everyone welcome Alex to Twitter!)
- IsshoniVanessa on Twitter @IsshoniVanessa
- Erick Kwiecien on Twitter @kwech
- Paul Hartrick on Twitter @Paul_Hartrick
- Xorsyst on Twitter @xorsyst
- Michael Downey on Twitter @michael_downey
- uktokyoite on Twitter @uktokyoite
- Japancast on Twitter @Japancast
- Black Tokyo on Twitter @blacktokyo
- Skillster on Twitter @Skillster
- 1rick on Twitter @1rick
- dshack on Twitter @dshack
- Carlie Kimm on Twitter @GoddessCarlie
- Philip Seyfi on Twitter @seifip
- Shibuya246 on Twitter @shibuya246
- …Oh and feel free follow me too @chrisgaunt :)
You may also want to check out my list of Top Japan-related websites to follow on Twitter and Top Japanese language twitterers to help you learn Japanese.
If you want to be added or removed(!) from this list please contact me or leave a comment.
