I have decided to take the “Kanji Kentei”, or “test of Chinese characters”. This is an exam for native Japanese speakers and it tests writing ability. It goes from level 10 to level 1. Most adult native speakers start to struggle around level 3 apparently. My target is level 2. The characters tested beyond that are not really in everyday use, and level pre 1st grade and 1st grade have a ridiculously low pass rate. So, I’m starting at level 10, which is really easy. I covered half the book in an hour. I’m going to aim to get level 3 next October.

I also read a few pages from my cosmetics test book.