Ishikawa Entrance Japanese study plan
Ishikawa Entrance Japanese · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Reading comprehension of explanatory and literary texts & Vocabulary, kanji reading and writing
Read two explanatory essays of 1,200–1,600 characters each and write a one-sentence summary of every paragraph before checking any answers.
Build a personal list of 60 kanji compounds drawn from this week's reading and mark each one with its on/kun readings and a self-written example sentence.
Identify and label the topic sentence, supporting examples, and conclusion in five different explanatory passages so the structural pattern becomes automatic.
Time yourself on one full-length reading passage set per day (four days) and record completion time and accuracy in a log.
Your checkpoint
A reading log covering 8 passages with per-question accuracy percentages and a 60-entry kanji compound notebook.
Reading comprehension of explanatory and literary texts & Vocabulary, kanji reading and writing
Read two literary excerpts (modern short fiction or memoir) and annotate how the narrator's feelings shift from paragraph to paragraph.
Write 10 kanji from memory each day using only the meaning and reading as prompts, then self-correct against a dictionary.
Practice inference questions by underlining the exact sentence in the text that supports each chosen answer, for 30 questions total.
Summarize one 1,500-character literary passage in exactly 100 characters without losing the main emotional turn.
Your checkpoint
A 100-character summary of a literary passage plus a 30-question inference set with every answer backed by an underlined source sentence.
Reading comprehension of explanatory and literary texts & Grammar and sentence structure
Complete 40 grammar-and-structure items on connectives, referents (ko/so/a pronouns), and sentence-final expressions, then rewrite each missed item's sentence correctly.
Read three passages that contain long modifying clauses and bracket every relative clause to see how it attaches to its head noun.
Produce a one-page reference sheet mapping 20 connectives to their logical function (contrast, addition, cause, concession) with one original example each.
Do two timed reading sets under exam conditions and compare accuracy against week 1.
Your checkpoint
A connective reference sheet with 20 original example sentences and a comparison table of week 1 versus week 3 timed accuracy.
Classical Japanese (kanbun and koten) & Grammar and sentence structure
Learn the core kanbun reading rules (return marks, okurigana, rendaku) and apply them to 15 short kanbun passages by writing out full reading-order transcriptions.
Memorize 20 high-frequency classical function words and auxiliary verbs and write one modern-Japanese paraphrase for each.
Drill 30 classical grammar items on particles and conjugation, then explain each error in writing in one sentence.
Review the week 1–3 error logs and re-attempt every missed item until each is correct twice in a row.
Your checkpoint
Fifteen kanbun passages transcribed into correct reading order, plus a classical grammar error log with written explanations for all 30 items.
Classical Japanese (kanbun and koten) & Composition and written expression
Read four short classical literary passages and write a 150-character modern-Japanese paraphrase of each, preserving the original nuance.
Draft two 400-character opinion essays on assigned prompts, each with a clear claim, two supporting reasons, and a conclusion.
Self-edit both essays against a checklist of 10 common written-expression faults (mixed register, vague referents, redundant connectives) and mark every fix.
Memorize 15 classical vocabulary items that commonly appear in koten reading questions and use five of them correctly in modern paraphrase.
Your checkpoint
Two 400-character essays with a completed self-edit checklist showing at least five concrete revisions each, plus four classical paraphrases.
Composition and written expression & Vocabulary, kanji reading and writing
Write three 400-character essays under a 25-minute limit each, then compare them against the self-edit checklist and log recurring weaknesses.
Complete 100 kanji writing items from memory across all grade levels tested, recording every miss in a spaced-review list.
Practice 20 reading-to-writing tasks where you must summarize a short passage in 80 characters, then expand it back to 200 characters.
Rewrite your weakest week-5 essay from scratch and diff the two versions to confirm improvement.
Your checkpoint
A rewritten essay with a before-and-after diff, plus a 100-item kanji writing score sheet with a spaced-review list of misses.
Listening comprehension (where applicable) & Reading comprehension of explanatory and literary texts
Complete four timed listening sets, taking notes only on numbers, names, and stated reasons, then check answers against transcripts.
Shadow two short audio passages daily for five days to stabilize rhythm and catch sentence-final forms.
Do two full reading sections under strict timing and review every wrong answer by locating the supporting line.
Consolidate all error logs from weeks 1–6 into a single prioritized list of the 15 most frequent mistake types.
Your checkpoint
A consolidated top-15 mistake-type list with a targeted fix for each, plus four scored listening sets.
Reading comprehension of explanatory and literary texts & Classical Japanese (kanbun and koten) & Grammar and sentence structure & Vocabulary, kanji reading and writing & Composition and written expression & Listening comprehension (where applicable)
Take two full-length mock exams under real timing and score each section separately.
Re-drill every item from the consolidated mistake list until each is answered correctly three consecutive times.
Re-read the connective sheet, classical function-word list, and kanji review list aloud once per day for four days.
Write one final 400-character essay under exam timing and self-score it against the checklist.
Your checkpoint
Two scored mock exams with a section-by-section comparison table and a final timed essay with a completed scoring checklist.
Milestones
Week 2: Reading accuracy on timed sets is at least 60% and you can write 50 of your 60 kanji compounds from memory.
Week 4: You can transcribe an unseen short kanbun passage into correct reading order and score at least 60% on classical grammar drills; reading accuracy is at least 70%.
Week 6: You complete a 400-character essay within 25 minutes that passes at least 8 of 10 checklist items, and kanji writing accuracy is at least 80%.
Week 8: Both mock exams show at least 75% overall with no single section below 60%, and the top-15 mistake list is fully cleared.