Read and write Japanese scripts: Teach yourself

It's not easy learning a new language. Usually there's page after page of verb tables to gruellingly memorise, including some tenses we're not even aware of using in our own language. Japanese has the advantage of having relatively straightforward verbs, blissfully regular pronunciation... and pictures! For me it's the script that helps to make the meanings stick. Yes, there are 2000 of these Kanji in daily use, but once you've been shown how to recognise a few of the building blocks, you'll be able to see how these combine to form the more complicated-looking Kanji. The author of this book manages to do exactly that, straightforwardly and with humour.Her book is the very best you will find for showing you how to learn script. In no time at all you will know the days of the week, how to count, and will have acquired the kanji for basic concepts. I guarantee you'll learn painlessly, too. One initial task is memorising the hiragana and katakana, the two scripts used in combination with kanji. If you download some practice paper and write and rewrite them, and speak them aloud, a few each day, you'll be amazed how you'll be able to retain them.If you want to learn phrases for conversation, this is not the book you'll need. However, if you want to be able to read (or at least get the gist of) Japanese blogs, CD covers etc, this is the best introduction. Combine this with a good dictionary such as  Berlitz Language: Japanese Concise Dictionary: Japanese-English, English-Japanese (Berlitz Concise Dictionary) , or the romaji-free  Oxford Beginner's Japanese Dictionary , and a couple of bookmarked websites for pronunciation and grammar, and you'll have yourself a a very enjoyable learning experience. Berlitz Language: Japanese Concise Dictionary: Japanese-English, English-Japanese (Berlitz Concise Dictionary)Oxford Beginner's Japanese Dictionary

Teaches kanji from the very beginning, which is a great idea since it is really he heart of the matter. Kana syllabaries are also introduced, of course, but later. The result is great: you get to grips with kanji that you meet everyday, develop basic reading ability straight away, and learn the syllabaries as a secondary item (what they really are in Japanese). Japanese children learn kana first, but that's not a good approach for adult foreign learners. It must have been very hard to write this book, but the outcome is truly remarkable. Without question the best intro into Japanese writing.

Alright so this book isn't going to have you reading and writing in fluent Japanese anytime soon but that's not what it's for! What it will do is teach you what you need to know to get by when you arrive in Japan, including: numbers, dates and scheduling info; kana, kanji and basic grammar and; place/people names, signposts and warning signs. This book gives you everything you need to start recognising the information right in front of you as you explore Japan. You might not be able to talk very much Japanese but with a pen, paper and this book you'll be able to communicate a bit more smoothly with the locals. 本がギルフウリさんをありがとうございます。

Great book, plenty of practise exercises and tips to learn the kanji. Only thing I will say is that there are no pronunciations(romaji or kana), the book is solely for reading (and understanding) the scripts, so if you also want to learn how to speak, you must research how to pronounce each new kanji.

This is a very good book if you are just learning Kanji. It gives good ways of helping remember the kanji and everything is well explained. However it doesn't go onto the other alphabets unti about half way through the book and just sort of tells you what they are. It should be 'Read and write Japanese Kanji' because there wasn't really much else in it at all.But if that is what you are looking for then it is perfect, I have bought other books to help me with Katakana and Hiragana and this works well as a basic kanji guide.