Guide to Learning Hiragana & Katakana

I had this book recommended to me by a Japanese speaking friend, and I fell in love with it almost immediately. The structure is simple enough to be picked up quickly, and I've actually managed to retain the information that I've learned. I am rapidly becoming able to read the language. As a note, this is not a one-stop for everything Japanese. Grammar is not touched on in this book, and the words learned here are limited. This book also doesn't take on Kanji at all. But, for a beginner looking for a starting point or an learning student looking for a companion, this book is absolutely worth the money. I do recommend either getting or making a set of flash cards as a study aid, and I also recommend practicing at least a little every day. As a nice bonus, the introduction explains a bit about the language and how it's evolving in modern society. It also explains the difference between Hiragana and Katakana, and when to use each. Very useful.

This is a small 120 page book that will teach you to read and write Hiragana and Katakana in the most time-efficient manner. The first part of the book teaches Hiragana. The Hiragana is split up into smaller sections so you don't have to battle with learning the whole thing at once but step-by-step. The book shows you how to draw each letter. After each section there's a review where you practice what you have learned. There's also a large final section where you train ALL the Hiragana you have learned. The second part covers Katakana, and is structured in exactly the same way as the Hiragana section: small sections, practice sections, and a large final review practice section. After all this there's a final review that tests both your Hiragana and Katakana skills. Finally, there's a word-search cross-word game, and do-it-yourself Kana charts. The book ends with the Iroha verse, an old Buddhist-based verse that uses all the Kana symbols except 'n'. This small book is both highly efficient and effective, you can complete it in a matter of weeks with daily practice. I still use it when I do quick revisions.

I bought and used this book to learn basic Japanese writing before going to Japan. Good explanations of the stroke order and way to write each character, big practice boxes that you can photocopy if you need extra sheets. Nothing more to say. It does its job well by presenting common compounds and sample words. Easy to learn with and a good guide for beginners.

I can't stand doing boring work. I have very little patience and I lose interest in studies easily. This is the ONLY Japanese book I've ever finished. Why? It kicks ass from beginning to end. Seriously, if you want to learn Kana, this is the book for you. It starts with a good explanation of the why/how/what of these two syllabaries. Then it goes right into hiragana but doesn't overwhelm you. After you've been introduced to enough material, you get a review. (There are tons of reviews and they all cover word examples that are practical to know for cultural or historic events.) Once you've completed hiragana, the book moves on to katakana. The system builds upon itself and the two syllabaries make sense the way they're presented in this book.I started this book back in XMAS 2003. Three months later, I know both kana syllabaries like the back of my hand. Best Japanese purchase EVER.

I've had this book for a while, and it teaches you alot in the way of reading kana, and also teaches quite a few words that pertain to the group you've learned and review those previous.