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The Kanji Code: See the Sounds with Phonetic Components and Visual Patterns
Intermediate students of Japanese are well aware of the term ‘ON reading‘ and know that memorising kanji readings is one of the biggest hurdles when learning to read Japanese. This handbook provides a wealth of information to help you tackle this difficult aspect of kanji study.
So many Japanese resources mention phonetic components in passing, only offering one or two examples. It is very hard to find a definitive list of the phonetic components, as opposed to radicals which can be found in most kanji dictionaries and in multiple online resources. The Kanji Code provides that list, introducing 150 phonetic components to help you learn the ON readings of 450+ common kanji characters. The book can be used as a textbook and studied from start to finish, but it is particularly helpful as a handy reference guide, used in tandem with standard kanji textbooks.
It provides useful background information to give you a deeper understanding of the history of kanji and the roles of the different components. It includes an easy-to-understand explanation of the keisei moji (形成文字) or form-sound kanji. In addition to the phonetic components, it introduces two innovative mnemonic methods for learning kanji ON readings.
The first method is association with hiragana and katakana, which were originally based on kanji characters. The second method involves applying art theory to group similar-looking kanji. Graphics show the visual connections. The research chapter will appeal to linguistics students and Japanese teachers, while those looking for more practical tips can skip to Chapter 1, since the bulk of the book contains practical reference materials.
It will be of most use to intermediate learners who have already mastered around 300 kanji or passed N3 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. It will also appeal to visual learners and those who like to take a creative approach to learning. Compact and easy to carry, it is an essential companion handbook for serious kanji students.
So many Japanese resources mention phonetic components in passing, only offering one or two examples. It is very hard to find a definitive list of the phonetic components, as opposed to radicals which can be found in most kanji dictionaries and in multiple online resources. The Kanji Code provides that list, introducing 150 phonetic components to help you learn the ON readings of 450+ common kanji characters. The book can be used as a textbook and studied from start to finish, but it is particularly helpful as a handy reference guide, used in tandem with standard kanji textbooks.
It provides useful background information to give you a deeper understanding of the history of kanji and the roles of the different components. It includes an easy-to-understand explanation of the keisei moji (形成文字) or form-sound kanji. In addition to the phonetic components, it introduces two innovative mnemonic methods for learning kanji ON readings.
The first method is association with hiragana and katakana, which were originally based on kanji characters. The second method involves applying art theory to group similar-looking kanji. Graphics show the visual connections. The research chapter will appeal to linguistics students and Japanese teachers, while those looking for more practical tips can skip to Chapter 1, since the bulk of the book contains practical reference materials.
It will be of most use to intermediate learners who have already mastered around 300 kanji or passed N3 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. It will also appeal to visual learners and those who like to take a creative approach to learning. Compact and easy to carry, it is an essential companion handbook for serious kanji students.
275 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 25, 2019
15 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Natalie J. Hamilton
1 book2 followersNatalie Hamilton is a writer, translator and lecturer in Translation Technology. She turned her focus to Japanese study while living and working in Japan’s rural Oita Prefecture on the JET Programme. She was awarded a Master of Japanese Translation in 2014, which included a linguistics dissertation entitled Cracking the ON Yomi Code. She is NAATI-Certified in Australia for professional translation from Japanese to English and has translated academic papers in social science and technical and corporate content for companies including Fujitsu, MUJI and Sony. She formerly wrote online content and elearning materials for global corporations. Natalie has taught English in Japan and Japanese at the Japan Foundation. She studied Japanese until Year 10 and resumed self-study while living in Japan.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 1, 2019
In The Kanji Code, Natalie Hamilton has created an enjoyable and useful weapon for the non-native speaker’s kanji-learning arsenal. Clearly laid out and complemented by an attractive, uncluttered design aesthetic, over 189 pages Hamilton provides several different ways of organising kanji into codes. This codification aids the learner by mapping lines of meaning across kanji and in doing so allowing predictions to be made toward the pronunciation and/or meaning of previously unseen characters. Hamilton’s aim is to increase learner confidence and decrease the feeling of overwhelm learners often experience when attempting to engage with kanji learning. The various organisational codes utilise of a variety of learning styles, allowing learners favouring one style rather than another to derive benefit from the book.
However, the book’s main focus is the phonetic code introduced in the second section. I really liked the way the author has chosen kanji that share the same pronunciation and then provides an accessible explanation of the visual similarities between them that aid memorisation. These explanations are in themselves really interesting- I definitely had aspects of kanji I have used for years without noticing pointed out to me. This phonetic code is the book’s greatest success and is a valuable tool in kanji acquisition. Showing how kanji that already share the same sound can be grouped by visual similarity gave me a twofold feeling of reassurance; these kanji were learnable as they were bonded by two compatible systems. In doing this the book left me with that calming, vaguely self-satisfied feeling I get whenever I encounter any tool that manages to explain an aspect of Japanese to me.
The Kanji Code is a painstakingly researched book that is consistently clear and patient in its explanations. Facility to be used to access stand-alone ‘chunks’ of information, based around a sound or character, are particular strengths. On a more meta level the discussions on learning style differences between Chinese and English background learners in the opening chapter added some self-awareness to the way that I learn, and have learnt, kanji that was both useful and interesting. Having experimented with both English explanation (think Genki) and all-Japanese (Kanzen Master) I think there is much to be said for detailed, L1 language explanations, so if you like this style of explanation, you’ll really enjoy that aspect of this book. I feel I learn best by listening and struggle to remember accurate visual details of a character's construction- I remember the shape of a character but struggle with its constituent radicals, especially when compared with other very similar characters. Due to this I really liked Hamilton’s phonetic system of kanji organisation based around sounds.
The Kanji Code will resonate particularly with several ‘types’ of Japanese learner. Firstly, people who delight in kanji for its own sake. Hamilton identifies and teaches aspects of a character’s design that I had never noticed before, and in discussing its constructions often tells a story that created a surprisingly powerful mnemonic with me. Secondly, I think the book has lots of offer those who are a bit ‘stuck’ with their kanji learning. The Code offers several new ways of approaching the business of character learning altogether, which could help rekindle the all-important fires of motivation essential to progress with kanji. I found the codes surprisingly ‘chunkable’- I loved the feeling that I could learn three or four characters and their linking sound or shape and thus take something concrete from every time I picked the book up. I found the Code motivating in that it is a genuinely enjoyable read, and is a great antidote to the deleterious effect trudging through days of JPLT practice exercises has on one’s motivation. I think this book would be very effective in a supplementary capacity to a more traditional programme of study, whether self-study or taught. I felt it had the effect of ‘tidying up’ my own methods of organising already learnt kanji, and since reading, has helped me to parse out meaning and pronunciation of kanji I hadn’t previously encountered. Hamilton states in her introduction that her book’s intention is to reduce reliance on rote learning of kanji, and she is successful in doing this. The Kanji Code provides a really enjoyable, eminently usable pier out into the sea of kanji that the learner of Japanese has to navigate.
However, the book’s main focus is the phonetic code introduced in the second section. I really liked the way the author has chosen kanji that share the same pronunciation and then provides an accessible explanation of the visual similarities between them that aid memorisation. These explanations are in themselves really interesting- I definitely had aspects of kanji I have used for years without noticing pointed out to me. This phonetic code is the book’s greatest success and is a valuable tool in kanji acquisition. Showing how kanji that already share the same sound can be grouped by visual similarity gave me a twofold feeling of reassurance; these kanji were learnable as they were bonded by two compatible systems. In doing this the book left me with that calming, vaguely self-satisfied feeling I get whenever I encounter any tool that manages to explain an aspect of Japanese to me.
The Kanji Code is a painstakingly researched book that is consistently clear and patient in its explanations. Facility to be used to access stand-alone ‘chunks’ of information, based around a sound or character, are particular strengths. On a more meta level the discussions on learning style differences between Chinese and English background learners in the opening chapter added some self-awareness to the way that I learn, and have learnt, kanji that was both useful and interesting. Having experimented with both English explanation (think Genki) and all-Japanese (Kanzen Master) I think there is much to be said for detailed, L1 language explanations, so if you like this style of explanation, you’ll really enjoy that aspect of this book. I feel I learn best by listening and struggle to remember accurate visual details of a character's construction- I remember the shape of a character but struggle with its constituent radicals, especially when compared with other very similar characters. Due to this I really liked Hamilton’s phonetic system of kanji organisation based around sounds.
The Kanji Code will resonate particularly with several ‘types’ of Japanese learner. Firstly, people who delight in kanji for its own sake. Hamilton identifies and teaches aspects of a character’s design that I had never noticed before, and in discussing its constructions often tells a story that created a surprisingly powerful mnemonic with me. Secondly, I think the book has lots of offer those who are a bit ‘stuck’ with their kanji learning. The Code offers several new ways of approaching the business of character learning altogether, which could help rekindle the all-important fires of motivation essential to progress with kanji. I found the codes surprisingly ‘chunkable’- I loved the feeling that I could learn three or four characters and their linking sound or shape and thus take something concrete from every time I picked the book up. I found the Code motivating in that it is a genuinely enjoyable read, and is a great antidote to the deleterious effect trudging through days of JPLT practice exercises has on one’s motivation. I think this book would be very effective in a supplementary capacity to a more traditional programme of study, whether self-study or taught. I felt it had the effect of ‘tidying up’ my own methods of organising already learnt kanji, and since reading, has helped me to parse out meaning and pronunciation of kanji I hadn’t previously encountered. Hamilton states in her introduction that her book’s intention is to reduce reliance on rote learning of kanji, and she is successful in doing this. The Kanji Code provides a really enjoyable, eminently usable pier out into the sea of kanji that the learner of Japanese has to navigate.
April 16, 2019
An excellent companion book for intermediate learners!
This book is frankly impressive. There is an awe-inducing level of academic rigor here, showing a huge investment of time and effort by the author. At first, it’s slightly intimidating (especially if you’ve always struggled with kanji, like me), but that said, there are a lot of gems to unearth here.
The author sets the context beautifully with an explanation of the different writing forms and their development through time. The historical insights peppered through are not only useful, but fascinating – even as something of a kanji-hater, I kept stumbling across “Aha!” moments and drawing connections that peaked my interest.
Once the stage is set, the book proceeds to introduce the eponymous “Kanji Code,” a phonetic-based learning approach. Each concept is supported by beautifully illustrated examples, illuminating connections between sound and image. It is almost like the author is letting us in on her own, personal mnemonic method – the extensive network of visual cues and shortcuts she has developed through her thorough study of the characters.
The system relies on some foreknowledge of the language, so it seems best suited to intermediate students. Also , this is not a workbook – it is a reference, and will require some self-motivation for students to get the most value from its pages. I think it will especially appeal to visual and conceptual learners – can I say, for a moment, that I love how she’s grouped radicals in the index by category rather than number of strokes? Thank you!
Overall, this text struck me as an excellent compliment to the mainstream kanji method of radicals and rote memorization – not replacing that method entirely, but harmonizing with it to help students build better reading instincts and a more well-rounded understanding. A recommended addition to the library of any Japanese language enthusiast.
This book is frankly impressive. There is an awe-inducing level of academic rigor here, showing a huge investment of time and effort by the author. At first, it’s slightly intimidating (especially if you’ve always struggled with kanji, like me), but that said, there are a lot of gems to unearth here.
The author sets the context beautifully with an explanation of the different writing forms and their development through time. The historical insights peppered through are not only useful, but fascinating – even as something of a kanji-hater, I kept stumbling across “Aha!” moments and drawing connections that peaked my interest.
Once the stage is set, the book proceeds to introduce the eponymous “Kanji Code,” a phonetic-based learning approach. Each concept is supported by beautifully illustrated examples, illuminating connections between sound and image. It is almost like the author is letting us in on her own, personal mnemonic method – the extensive network of visual cues and shortcuts she has developed through her thorough study of the characters.
The system relies on some foreknowledge of the language, so it seems best suited to intermediate students. Also , this is not a workbook – it is a reference, and will require some self-motivation for students to get the most value from its pages. I think it will especially appeal to visual and conceptual learners – can I say, for a moment, that I love how she’s grouped radicals in the index by category rather than number of strokes? Thank you!
Overall, this text struck me as an excellent compliment to the mainstream kanji method of radicals and rote memorization – not replacing that method entirely, but harmonizing with it to help students build better reading instincts and a more well-rounded understanding. A recommended addition to the library of any Japanese language enthusiast.
March 26, 2019
This textbook is ideal for beginners, intermediate or advanced Japanese language learners. Japanese teachers will love this textbook as well! If you’re serious about learning Japanese of if you’re planning to live in Japan you need to read this book and integrate its principles into your studies. I completed a BA with a major in Japanese language and culture at university and I remember just how difficult it was to learn hundreds of kanji characters. Using flashcards, I used to write each kanji character on the front of a card and on the back was its meaning as well as the “on” and “kun” reading. I memorised these cards over and over again but now I know this was overly time-consuming and not the best way to learn all of those kanji. If I’d read this book at that time and applied all of its principles, I know I would have been able to learn so many more kanji characters a lot quicker and I would’ve enjoyed the process so much more.
The first chapter in Natalie Hamilton’s book is really fascinating. She has obviously spent a lot of time looking at the history of kanji, researching how people learn, and discovering how behavioural and psychological factors impact different people when they learn. Hamilton has also looked at the way Japanese, Chinese and Western students learn the Japanese language and the way the process differs in each of the three groups. Hamilton has obviously strived to find the best way to learn kanji. In this textbook she breaks down the whole process of learning Kanji, making it infinitely simpler for the learner, and in doing so all the characters become easier to memorise using what she calls “the kana code”, “the phonetic code” and “the visual code”.
The second chapter is when it all starts to make perfect sense! Hamilton recommends several ingenious methods that really do have the power to make your studies and your time in Japan a lot easier. You’ll be able to understand a lot more after you’ve read this book. You can forget about slaving away for hours on end rote learning kanji that you know will slip from your mind in a couple of days if you don’t see them all the time. In this chapter, Hamilton showed me how easy it is to instantly see the “on” reading in so many kanji simply by recognizing a katakana symbol inside a kanji character using "the kana code"!
I moved on to Chapter Three and I was blown away again when I discovered how many more kanji characters you can understand using "the phonetic code" if you learn the 150 phonetics Hamilton has set out really clearly in just a few pages. Chapter Four goes on to show you how you can learn hundreds more kanji just by visualizing or looking at the same trace elements in different kanji, the same geometric shape, the composition of the components, the structure of the lines in the kanji, and the components in a series within a kanji character. She calls this method "the visual code".
Hamilton explains all of this in her easy to understand book that is revolutionary in its approach. I do think you’ll grasp the principles in this book even quicker if you’ve done at least one year’s study of the Japanese language or if you’re familiar with the 46 katakana and hiragana symbols. However, I think most people who live in Japan get to know these pretty quickly so the next step, if you’ve reached that level, is to read this book and save yourself a lot of wasted time learning kanji if you’re only using more traditional methods.
The first chapter in Natalie Hamilton’s book is really fascinating. She has obviously spent a lot of time looking at the history of kanji, researching how people learn, and discovering how behavioural and psychological factors impact different people when they learn. Hamilton has also looked at the way Japanese, Chinese and Western students learn the Japanese language and the way the process differs in each of the three groups. Hamilton has obviously strived to find the best way to learn kanji. In this textbook she breaks down the whole process of learning Kanji, making it infinitely simpler for the learner, and in doing so all the characters become easier to memorise using what she calls “the kana code”, “the phonetic code” and “the visual code”.
The second chapter is when it all starts to make perfect sense! Hamilton recommends several ingenious methods that really do have the power to make your studies and your time in Japan a lot easier. You’ll be able to understand a lot more after you’ve read this book. You can forget about slaving away for hours on end rote learning kanji that you know will slip from your mind in a couple of days if you don’t see them all the time. In this chapter, Hamilton showed me how easy it is to instantly see the “on” reading in so many kanji simply by recognizing a katakana symbol inside a kanji character using "the kana code"!
I moved on to Chapter Three and I was blown away again when I discovered how many more kanji characters you can understand using "the phonetic code" if you learn the 150 phonetics Hamilton has set out really clearly in just a few pages. Chapter Four goes on to show you how you can learn hundreds more kanji just by visualizing or looking at the same trace elements in different kanji, the same geometric shape, the composition of the components, the structure of the lines in the kanji, and the components in a series within a kanji character. She calls this method "the visual code".
Hamilton explains all of this in her easy to understand book that is revolutionary in its approach. I do think you’ll grasp the principles in this book even quicker if you’ve done at least one year’s study of the Japanese language or if you’re familiar with the 46 katakana and hiragana symbols. However, I think most people who live in Japan get to know these pretty quickly so the next step, if you’ve reached that level, is to read this book and save yourself a lot of wasted time learning kanji if you’re only using more traditional methods.
July 7, 2019
This book is exceptionally amazing. I am still reading the book but I can tell you what I encountered this far. This book is very detailed and well written. From the very first pages you can feel how much hard work and research the author put into every line. I have personally been studying Japanese for quite a few years already, yet this book is teaching me kanji history that I’ve never been exposed to in all the books I’ve read. If you are really into learning kanji and Japanese the proper way, this book will do that for you.
July 12, 2019
Very interesting and informative! As a native speaker and Japanese teacher, it is sometimes hard for me to understand the difficulties that my students face. It gives me a different perspective. This is a great guidebook for both students and educators.
July 5, 2019
The Kanji Code: See the Sounds with Phonetic Components and Visual PatternsA great book for anyone studying for the JLPT N2 or N1. Unlike most kanji textbooks aimed at self-learners, this one is focused on the readings or pronunciation, rather than the meaning. And unlike many of those, it uses the real components and radicals to help you learn, rather than random images of baseball bats or guns, which gave nothing to do with kanji's roots. It gives a lot of really practical information about the history of kanji, including showing which kanji characters hiragana and katakana were based on. The list of phonetic components was the most useful part for me. Since I started studying them last month I've already got much better at guessing the readings of kanji - even ones I've never seen before. Definitely recommended for serious students of Japanese.
August 16, 2019
The theory/concept is extremely interesting. From a historical linguistics and morphology point of view, the book has some great parts. However, the application is rather inefficient. I personally didn't find it useful in helping me learn kanji.
January 16, 2025
This is a great resource and useful framework. Reading Japanese invariably involves a lot of memorization. If I ever really try (again, again, again?) to learn reading Japanese in more depth, I’ll come back to this. Compared to Heisig v2, I found this far less mind-numbingly overwhelming.
October 30, 2019
Fantastic work for studying the characters, aimed at students of basic and intermediate level. The kind of book that made me think, "I wish I had read this when I started".
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews