Best books for learning Japanese

Eriko Sato, Ph.D.

This is an invaluable study guide and practice book for learning basic Japanese kanji. Learning Japanese Kanji Practice Book is intended for beginning students or experienced speakers who need to practice their written Japanese. Kanji are an essential part of the Japanese language and together with kana (hiragana and katakana) comprise written Japanese. This book presents the kanji characters that are most commonly used. All the kanji and related vocabulary words in this book are those that students are expected to know for Level 4 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). Characters that appear in the AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam are flagged. Readings, meanings, and common compounds are presented. The correct method of writing each character is clearly indicated, and practice boxes with strokes that can be traced are provided, along with empty boxes for freehand writing practice. Lots of exercises are included to give students the opportunity to practice writing sentences containing the kanji. Indexes at the back allow you to look up the characters by their readings and English meanings. This kanji book includes: Step-by-step stroke order diagrams for each character. Special boxes with grid lines to practice writing characters. Words and phrases using each kanji. Romanizations (romanji) to help identify and pronounce every word.

Eriko Sato, Ph.D.

This is an invaluable study guide and practice book for learning basic Japanese kanji. Learning Japanese Kanji Practice Book is intended for beginning students or experienced speakers who need to practice their written Japanese. Kanji are an essential part of the Japanese language and together with kana (hiragana and katakana) comprise written Japanese. This book presents the kanji characters that are most commonly used. All the kanji and related vocabulary words in this book are those that students are expected to know for Level 5 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. (JLPT). Characters that appear in the AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam are flagged. Readings, meanings, and common compounds are presented. The correct method of writing each character is clearly indicated, and practice boxes with strokes that can be traced are provided, along with empty boxes for freehand writing practice. Lots of exercises are included to give students the opportunity to practice writing sentences containing the Kanji. Indexes at the back allow you to look up the characters by their readings and English meanings. This kanji book includes: Step-by-step stroke order diagrams for each character. Special boxes with grid lines to practice writing characters. Extra printable practice grids Words and phrases using each kanji. Romanizations (romanji) to help identify and pronounce every word.

Eriko Sato

This is an invaluable study guide and practice book for learning basic Japanese kanji. Learning Japanese Kanji Practice Book is intended for beginning students or experienced speakers who need to practice their written Japanese. Kanji are an essential part of the Japanese language and together with kana (hiragana and katakana) comprise written Japanese. This book presents the kanji characters that are most commonly used. All the kanji and related vocabulary words in this book are those that students are expected to know for Level 4 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). Characters that appear in the AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam are flagged. Readings, meanings, and common compounds are presented. The correct method of writing each character is clearly indicated, and practice boxes with strokes that can be traced are provided, along with empty boxes for freehand writing practice. Lots of exercises are included to give students the opportunity to practice writing sentences containing the kanji. Indexes at the back allow you to look up the characters by their readings and English meanings. This kanji book includes: Step-by-step stroke order diagrams for each character. Special boxes with grid lines to practice writing characters. Words and phrases using each kanji. Romanizations (romanji) to help identify and pronounce every word.

Timothy G. Stout, Kaori Hakone

This is an invaluable study guide for learning basic Japanese characters. Basic Japanese Kanji, Volume 1 is your introduction to the first 205 of the 410 core characters in Japanese (plus 18 additional kanji that serve as building blocks). These kanji are the most frequently used in newspapers, conversations and the top college-level beginning Japanese textbooks. Using a focused combination of proven traditional methods and unique new methods, this book will help independent learners and university or high school students to write, read, speak and use Japanese better. Basic Japanese Kanji makes studying easier by using a combination of proven traditional methods and unique new methods to learn kanji: Clear explanations of the kanji, example compounds, useful vocabulary, and extensive writing practice. Hundreds of readings with comprehension questions similar in format to those on many important national and international Japanese exams. Additional natural and level-appropriate exercises. Original mnemonics for every kanji. Key features of the downloadable CD content: Interactive software offers exam-quality practice. Gives instant feedback/correction. Extensive kanji exercises. Reading comprehension passages and questions. A set of printable kanji flash cards, for on-the-go practice.

Clayton MacKnight

Don't worry--there's no need to stress about JLPT test prep! As the founder of JLPTBootCamp.com--a test prep website with more than 300,000 annual visitors--Clayton MacKnight has helped tens of thousands of students to pass the JLPT N5 exam. Now, he's distilled his study resources and tips into a handy must-have volume for anyone prepping for this important language test. MacKnight's complete study package fully prepares the exam-taker by providing: Clear and simple grammar lessons with sample sentence patterns Printable vocabulary, Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji flash cards Over 300 sample test questions Three printable practice tests (all with answer keys and free online audio recordings for the listening portions) Exam-takers can stop worrying and take the uncertainty out of exam prep because the JPLT Study Guide shows them exactly what to expect--and how to pass the test with flying colors! The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is the standardized test taken by everyone who wants to study or work in Japan.

Clay Boutwell, Yumi Boutwell

Master Japanese Sentence Patterns (文型) the Smart Way — Now with Makoto+ Sentence Explorer Integration! Learning Japanese grammar doesn’t have to be overwhelming. This practical, step-by-step guide helps you understand and apply 34 of the most essential JLPT N5-level sentence patterns (文型 bunkei) through clear explanations and lots of practice. Each pattern includes five or more plug-and-play example sentences to help you naturally absorb the structure and vocabulary. Plus, every sentence now comes alive in the Makoto+ Sentence Explorer, a free interactive tool that lets you dive deeper into each sentence with: ✅ Word-by-word breakdowns ✅ Native or high-quality TTS audio ✅ Clickable grammar and vocabulary explanations ✅ Fun quizzes and games to reinforce understanding No subscription required. Just sign up for the free tier (no credit card required) of Makoto+ and unlock the content using the code provided in your book. 📘 What’s Inside: ✔️ 34 core sentence patterns for beginners ✔️ 200+ example sentences with real-world vocabulary ✔️ Breakdowns of every sentence—learn the how and why ✔️ Clear English explanations of each grammar form ✔️ Practice prompts with answer keys ✔️ FREE audio files (200+ MP3s) recorded by native speakers ✔️ Includes PDF version of the book for on-the-go study 💡 Why This Book Works: Rather than drilling grammar rules in isolation, you’ll see how sentence patterns work in natural contexts. Read, listen, and repeat each example sentence until it becomes second nature. Then, test your knowledge by building your own sentences. This isn’t a full grammar textbook—but it’s the perfect supplement. If you already know hiragana and a few grammar basics, you’re ready to go. Use this book alongside your main studies to reinforce key structures and expand your ability to create your own Japanese sentences. 📥 Bonus materials (MP3s + PDF) are available via the download link on the last page. Questions? We’re just an email away and happy to help. Newly Updated! This edition now includes full integration with our Makoto+ Sentence Explorer—a powerful companion that brings each sentence to life. Explore each sentence at your own pace, hear it read aloud, click for definitions, and take quizzes to reinforce what you’ve learned. Start mastering Japanese sentence patterns today—one bite-sized sentence at a time. Great for JLPT N5 prep, classroom learners, or motivated self-studiers.

Yumi Boutwell, Clay Boutwell

Have you ever dreamed of becoming a kanji master? Jump start your kanji ability by using this kanji writing practice notebook. This book, Japanese Kanji for JLPT N5 Writing Practice, works with the previous volume in the series to give you substantial practice on 103 of the most useful kanji in the language. Practice writing each of these basic kanji 24 times in the squares provided. While this book is not intended to be an in-depth study guide, it does have basic information atop each page such as, stroke number, on and kun readings, and the core meaning. * Covers the 103 most basic Kanji * Works best with Clay & Yumi's Japanese Kanji for JLPT N5 (see volume 2 in this series on the JLPT N5) * Includes link to a PDF so you may print copies for additional practice * Includes stroke order rules and guidelines * Each kanji has basic information such as stroke order, meaning, and pronunciations * Includes a download link to the PDF so you can print extra sheets for difficult kanji (found on the last page) Even if you aren't taking the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, these 103 kanji are absolutely essential for any beginner student of Japanese. One click now to begin your journey to kanji mastery.

Michael L. Kluemper, Lisa Berkson, Nathan Patton

Don't let yourself become overwhelmed by the Japanese language! Now there is a way to get the most out of your time spent learning Japanese. This companion workbook to Beginning Japanese is the perfect guide for practicing basic conversational Japanese and written Japanese. Beginning Japanese Workbook includes: Dialogues for contextual learning and practice. Translation exercises to reinforce Japanese characters (kanji and kana). Written Japanese (kana, and kanji) practice to create your own sentences. Plentiful comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar exercises throughout the book. An engaging storyline, useful for practicing reading as well staying engaged and interested in the learning process. Developed by Japanese language experts and experienced high-school Japanese teachers, it includes practice activities for reading, writing, speaking, listening and understanding Japanese. The activities are varied and interesting, mirroring the book, and they help you polish every aspect of your Japanese language skills. Written activities center around practicing writing kanji, hiragana, and katakana in the context of the textbook. Whether you're learning Japanese for fun, preparing for a Japanese proficiency exam, want to achieve AP or IB level competency, or just want to get an A in Japanese class, the Beginning Japanese series is your key to becoming a confident Japanese-speaker. All exercises are designed to be used along with the Beginning Japanese textbook but can also be used independently to supplement any other Japanese language textbook.

Glen Nolan Grant

This book enables you to to recognize the 500 most essential Japanese Kanji easily--and to memorize their readings and meanings quickly and easily! This book teaches an innovative new method to learn the basic 500 Japanese characters--teaching you how to recognize the Kanji easily and to remember their readings and meanings. Learning to read Japanese and write Japanese requires knowing hundreds of Kanji. Traditionally, the ability to learn Kanji characters was accomplished purely by rote memorization. This method is extremely slow, tedious and time-consuming. The new science of mnemonics has changed all that. By associating an easily-remembered visual image and story with each Kanji, the learner is able to commit the characters to long-term memory far more easily and quickly than ever before. mnemonics also dramatically helps students to write kanji as well. This revolutionary new method has been tried by many thousands of students, and it really works! Using a systematic building-block approach to written Japanese, this beginner kanji book also shows you how more complicated characters are constructed from simpler elements. And similar mnemonic strategies are provided for learning the different pronunciations or "readings" of the characters. Use the downloadable audio recordings by Japanese native speakers to perfect your pronunciation. It also provides a unique interactive software program showing you how to write each character and allowing you to write it yourself on screen! This book can be used by anyone and requires no prior knowledge of the Japanese language. It can be used in conjunction with any Japanese textbook to learn the important Kanji characters upon which the language is based. Key features of this book include: Drawings and stories to create mental associations for the characters that stick in the brain and allow you to recall their meanings and readings. Downloadable content shows you how to write each kanji character Native speaker audio recordings for all the Kanji characters, vocabulary and sample sentences. Sample sentences to expand your vocabulary by showing you how the Kanji are actually used. Extensive review exercises to reinforce what you've learned. User-friendly indexes allowing you to look-up the Kanji and use the book like a Kanji dictionary. The 500 Kanji characters provided in this book include all the characters needed for the AP and JLPT Level 4 and 5 exams-giving you access to approximately 80 percent of all the Kanji characters you encounter in Japan!

Glen Nolan Grant

This is a comprehensive, self-study workbook for learning Japanese characters. Mastering Japanese Kanji can help you greatly reduce the time and effort involved in learning to read Japanese and write Japanese. It does so by introducing a method that is both effective and easy to use in memorizing the meanings and pronunciations of Kanji--the array of characters that are used in the Japanese language to symbolize everything from abstract ideas to concrete nouns. Learning any of the kanji is a two-step process, requiring that you remember both the visual aspect of a character (so you can recognize it when you see it) and the aural aspect (so you will know how to say and, thus, read it). The method employed by Mastering Japanese Kanji will show you how to tackle both of these aspects from the outset, and by so doing enable you to immediately get down to the practical (and fun!) business of recognizing and reading kanji on everything from street signs to newspapers. By the time you finish this book, in fact, you will be able to boast of a Japanese vocabulary numbering in the thousands of words. Key features: Downloadable audio helps to reinforce the written material Teaches the 200 most common kanji and the hundreds of compounds that use include them. Unique, specially-designed drawings and entertaining stories help you learn more quickly. Sample sentences, along with common words and compounds, expand your vocabulary by showing each kanji used in context. Stroke-order diagrams show the correct way to write each chapter. Chapter and cumulative review exercises help ensure master of what you've learned. Complete indexes show Japanese readings and English meanings for all Kanji. Contents of the downloadable audio: Stroke order animations for all 200 kanji characters. Native speaker audio recordings of all: Kanji characters. Common words and compounds. Sample sentences.