Japanese

I bought a Japanese-language picture book to try to learn vocabulary. I've tried everything else, and my teacher came up with the idea, and loaned me some children's flash cards. I don't know whether they're helping a lot yet, but it's a lot more fun studying this way. The only problem is when you find something that has no clear cultural context - "Hey, Anna, Mimi - is this a pillow or some kind of candy? And what's this weird red monkey thing wearing a tiger-striped bikini?"