Whether you are aiming for the JLPT, trying to figure out what that kanji on your microwave means, or just trying to learn some Japanese for fun, here are some websites that should help you out!
SpeedAnki.com - Kanji Flash Cards
By far one of the easiest to use kanji flashcard websites that I have ever come across. It is really useful for learning and practicing both kanji and vocab. If you register to the site (free of charge), speedanki will save your progress and track how many kanji/words you have learnt. It is great for learning new words (the example sentences it displays give you an idea of context) and reviewing (I used this to cram for the JLPT and it worked like a charm).They have just added a randomise option to use when reviewing kanji, which I am sure will help keep you on your toes.
Eijiro @ alc.co.jp - J<>E Dictionary
alc.co.jp, or Eijiro as it is called is a great online dictionary. While the site is in Japanese, it is great for looking up both Japanese to English, and English to Japanese. It is a life saver when you are trying to find translations for phrases or grammar points. One down point is that the Japanese rarely has the readings for kanji, so it is best used together with rikaichan (see below)
Rikaichan - addon for Firefox
Did you see that seemless segway? Beautiful. Anyway, Rikachan is an addon for firefox web browser. It is great for reading Japanese on the web. Install it to your firefox (if you don't have firefox, you can download it for free via the link below). Once you have installed it and the dictionaries, right click on the webpage, and in the menu that appears should now have Rikaichan option at the bottom. Clicking on that will activate the addon. Now, run your mouse over any Japanese text on the web, and it will bring up a little box giving the reading and meaning in English! There is also a lookup bar, which can be turned on which is great for looking up words. The lookup bar also provides a great break down of the kanji in each word. If you haven't already guessed by the tone of this paragraph, I love rikaichan. I really do.
