Japanese at a Glance

I recently took this book to Japan. I found it very helpful for all kinds of situations. It has phrases that you NEED to know how to say, for example: "What time is the earliest train?" The best part of the book, is that you can simply point to the phrase because it is written in English and Kangi - so if your Japanese isn't very good you can still be understood. Very comprehensive.

"Barron's Japanese at a Glance" is actually much more than I anticipated. Rather than "at a glance" it provides much more to prospective travelers, and to students of the Japanese language in general, than I had expected. The best feature of all is that it provides every entry in Japanese (hiragana/katakana/kanji), then in romaji, then in English. This is one of the few books of its type that I've seen that actually has the phrases and sentences in REAL Japanese, as well as romaji. This book provides background information regarding pronunciation, basic Japanese grammar (including word order and the parts of speech) and the writing system. The book declares on the cover that it contains "Over 1500 expressions for every travel situation" and I believe it! The topics range from frequently used expressions (greetings, yes/no, question words, common adjectives, numbers, etc.), geography, seasons, weather, introducing people, food, clothing, telling time, and more...I was amazed at how many different complete sentences and phrases that this book contains, for being pocket-sized (though 461 pages). This book is not just rudimentary lists of traveler's phrases; it contains specialized information regarding Japanese customs (like bowing and gift-giving), points of interest for traveling, ordering food and drinks at restaurants, hotel information, important holidays, doctors and dentists, as well as a guide different types of Japanese road signs look like and what they mean. An English-Japanese, Japanese-English dictionary is provided in the back. This book would not only be indispensable for any traveler, but would also be very handy for someone more experienced in the Japanese language. Being that it is not written in romaji alone and also has the sentences written with the appropriate hiragana/katakana/kanji, this book can allow excellent reading and speaking practice in Japanese, since a very large amount of essential phrases and useful sentences are represented here.

I had to use the Spanish version of this book in high school, and while it's not great for grammar (none), I did learn a ton of vocabulary and set phrases. I haven't looked through the Japanese version completely yet, but it looks like it will deliver just as I'd hoped. The themes are extensive and in-depth, with lots of phrases and questions for different situations. The phrases are presented in romaji and kanji/kana and there is a chart in the back for hiragana and katakana. Each section includes a cultural commentary on the topic. While I wouldn't recommend this book as a study of the Japanese language, any gaijin looking to survive in Japan either as a tourist or to live should find it extremely helpful. I gave it 5 stars for being a great source for survival material.

This was my introduction into Japanese. I began studying after working with a colleague (and now friend) from Tokyo. He subsequently helped me with translating a karate certificate and many names for people from my karate class. The form of this book is just what I like in a reference manual. It's bound well and the pages are high quality paper with a smooth finish and clear text. The layout is exceptional (though I suppose it has to be to fit in this much information). The 6"x4" size is great for travel (and one reason I bought it). This guide covers a lot of ground, from pronunciation and descriptions of romaji/kanji/hiragana to commonly used travel/expat phrases and a mini-glossary/dictionary. If you are headed to Japan on a trip, this is the book you want with you. I have a larger Japanese dictionary, and that's great for translating and writing. But for a pocket reference where you don't have access to a translator or a Japanese person with decent English skills, this thing can't be beat. I have since seen a version of this book with a plastic outer shell and that looked like the updated version (though it may have been that someone took the cover off the copy I purchased!) I can't find fault in ANY way with this book and I use it all the time.

This book can be indispensable to travellers on their way to the Land of the Rising Sun. Beginning with an easy to understand pronunciation guide, the book lists thousands of practical phrases in a multitude of contexts, from taking a taxi to getting a haircut to haggling for the best price in the shops of Akihibara in Tokyo. The phrases are transcribed into the Roman alphabet ("romanized") in a way that makes each syllable easy to understand; each phrase is also written in the Japanese script to the side -- in case you just can't make yourself understood verbally, you can just point to the phrase you're trying to communicate to your Japanese friend. The book also includes a respectably sized Japanese-English, English-Japanese glossary, and brief explanations of the Japanese writing system and grammar. This book has greatly aided my facility with Japanese and I highly recommend it.