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Kanji Starter 1
With just these two books, students can learn a quarter of the two thousand characters designated for “daily use” by the Japanese government. Volume 1 concentrates on pictographs and contains some two hundred kanji with memory aids, explanatory drawings, examples of kanji formation by combining elements, and common-use word compounds. Volume 2 contains three hundred more kanji, including those of more abstract construction. Each volume is in a handy size and contains a complete stroke-count index. Recommended as a classroom supplement for all levels.
207 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 3, 2022
I absolutely love this book.
The first couple of kanjis were very basic, and the words got more complex as I progressed. The pictograms were so well-made and, despite the simplicity of the drawings, they were very informative. The author, without saying anything explicitly, illustrated how Japanese culture is embodied in its language. While not all kanjis ended up making sense (which was the aim of the author in making this book), I am so glad I picked it up. I'm sure I'll be coming back to it in the days to come.
Thank you, Kusuya-san!
The first couple of kanjis were very basic, and the words got more complex as I progressed. The pictograms were so well-made and, despite the simplicity of the drawings, they were very informative. The author, without saying anything explicitly, illustrated how Japanese culture is embodied in its language. While not all kanjis ended up making sense (which was the aim of the author in making this book), I am so glad I picked it up. I'm sure I'll be coming back to it in the days to come.
Thank you, Kusuya-san!
December 10, 2011
First of all, I thought I hated this book more than it seems I actually do. It's been sitting on my shelf along with volume 2 for several years unread and only barely perused. I was using another, more technical (I guess) book that I really love and in contrast this book seemed kinda ghetto. I have a photographic memory and a creative brain so I don't really need 1.)pictures other than the kanji or 2.) the pictures made for me. When I see a kanji and it's meaning for the first time I either think, "Ahhh, that looks like it's meaning" and I'll have my own picture or "Yeah, that doesn't really look like anything," but I'll remember it anyway. This book gives you the pictures and in some cases morphs the picture to fit the kanji. It messes with my already established pictures.... OR just confuses me because some of these pictures really don't look like the kanji at all. And since I've seen them, I now have to work to forget them. (does this make sense?) Also, the uglier pictures kind of detract from the beauty of the kanji.
Anyhow, I'm just saying some of the pictures are a stretch and some kanji I'd be better off not having a visual association for. (I don't know if this is making sense for anyone...)
BUT, here're the good parts I just noticed:
SECTION 2: INTEGRATION of Two or More Characters This section shows you some more complex kanji that combine two or more simple kanji from SECTION 1 to form a new kanji. I find it useful to see the two kanji that went into the new kanji standing side by side so I can go,"Mountain plus Stone equals Rock" and then I'll remember Rock because I'll see the Mountain and the Stone within. :)
SECTION 3: COMBINATION of Two or More Characters This section shows you the meaning of two or more kanji standing together (but not forming a new kanji, just sitting next to each other in a sentence, like a phrase). This is another reallllly useful thing to have. It's organized by theme, too. (like, the first ten have the kanji for fire, the next few have the kanji for earth, then mouth, etc.) This is very useful because just learning kanji is not enough to be able to read Japanese since ideas are formed using multiple kanji.
Alright, time for (more) complaints.
1.) I don't like the exclusion of stroke order. How hard would it have been to include tiny arrows on the kanji for this? (then again, it occurs to me, you only need to know that if you're going write Japanese the old-school manual way. Doesn't matter for reading or typing....:\ STILL.)
2.) I really don't like that only the kunyomi is provided throughout SECTION 1, but in SECTION 3 you're magically supposed to know the onyomi? The author does make a note of this on the first page of SECTION 1, but that doesn't make it any less annoying. It's not much more difficult to include the other readings.
So, overall, I'm going to be generous and give it 3 stars because I think I'll be using SECTIONS 2 and 3 in the near future, but probably completely ignoring SECTION 1.
Anyhow, I'm just saying some of the pictures are a stretch and some kanji I'd be better off not having a visual association for. (I don't know if this is making sense for anyone...)
BUT, here're the good parts I just noticed:
SECTION 2: INTEGRATION of Two or More Characters This section shows you some more complex kanji that combine two or more simple kanji from SECTION 1 to form a new kanji. I find it useful to see the two kanji that went into the new kanji standing side by side so I can go,"Mountain plus Stone equals Rock" and then I'll remember Rock because I'll see the Mountain and the Stone within. :)
SECTION 3: COMBINATION of Two or More Characters This section shows you the meaning of two or more kanji standing together (but not forming a new kanji, just sitting next to each other in a sentence, like a phrase). This is another reallllly useful thing to have. It's organized by theme, too. (like, the first ten have the kanji for fire, the next few have the kanji for earth, then mouth, etc.) This is very useful because just learning kanji is not enough to be able to read Japanese since ideas are formed using multiple kanji.
Alright, time for (more) complaints.
1.) I don't like the exclusion of stroke order. How hard would it have been to include tiny arrows on the kanji for this? (then again, it occurs to me, you only need to know that if you're going write Japanese the old-school manual way. Doesn't matter for reading or typing....:\ STILL.)
2.) I really don't like that only the kunyomi is provided throughout SECTION 1, but in SECTION 3 you're magically supposed to know the onyomi? The author does make a note of this on the first page of SECTION 1, but that doesn't make it any less annoying. It's not much more difficult to include the other readings.
So, overall, I'm going to be generous and give it 3 stars because I think I'll be using SECTIONS 2 and 3 in the near future, but probably completely ignoring SECTION 1.
July 5, 2014
Very nice way to remember kanji. I'll just keep reading this until I memorise them...
November 6, 2015
Probably what I love the best is it size. No larger than my hand. Two kanji per page. Simple but effective. And I am still learning.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews