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Best Japanese Learning Textbooks
Which Japanese textbooks (or dictionaries) did you find the most interesting and the best for improving your Japanese?
Score
A book’s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
| 1 |
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Genki I: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese
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4.32 avg rating — 1,784 ratings
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| 2 |
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A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar 日本語基本文法辞典 (Japanese Grammar Dictionary #1)
by
4.66 avg rating — 462 ratings
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| 3 |
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The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Course: A Step-by-Step Guide to Mastering 2300 Characters
by
Andrew Scott Conning (Goodreads Author)
4.38 avg rating — 95 ratings
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| 4 |
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GENKI: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese, Vol. II
by
4.35 avg rating — 686 ratings
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| 5 |
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Basic Kanji Book, Vol. 1
by
4.16 avg rating — 285 ratings
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| 6 |
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Minna no Nihongo I
by
4.08 avg rating — 426 ratings
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| 7 |
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Remembering the Kanji I: A Complete Course on How Not to Forget the Meaning and Writing of Japanese Characters
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4.25 avg rating — 869 ratings
score: 865,
and
9 people voted
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| 8 |
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Japanese the Manga Way: An Illustrated Guide to Grammar and Structure
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4.25 avg rating — 291 ratings
score: 678,
and
7 people voted
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| 9 |
|
Japanese for Busy People I: Romanized
by
3.78 avg rating — 466 ratings
score: 564,
and
6 people voted
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| 10 |
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Read Japanese Today
by
3.99 avg rating — 188 ratings
score: 492,
and
5 people voted
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| 10 |
|
Japanese from Zero! 1: Proven Techniques to Learn Japanese for Students and Professionals
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4.36 avg rating — 863 ratings
score: 492,
and
5 people voted
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| 12 |
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みんなの日本語―初級2本冊
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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 138 ratings
score: 477,
and
5 people voted
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| 13 |
|
Kodansha's Essential Kanji Dictionary
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4.19 avg rating — 26 ratings
score: 398,
and
4 people voted
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| 14 |
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The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary
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4.48 avg rating — 283 ratings
score: 397,
and
4 people voted
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| 15 |
|
A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar 日本語文法辞典【中級編】 (Japanese Grammar Dictionary #2)
by
4.51 avg rating — 215 ratings
score: 391,
and
4 people voted
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| 16 |
|
Genki I: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese I - Workbook
by
4.33 avg rating — 525 ratings
score: 389,
and
4 people voted
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| 17 |
|
Japanese Sentence Patterns for Effective Communication: A Self-Study Course and Reference
by
4.34 avg rating — 124 ratings
score: 387,
and
4 people voted
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| 17 |
|
Breaking into Japanese Literature: Seven Modern Classics in Parallel Text
by
4.15 avg rating — 356 ratings
score: 387,
and
4 people voted
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| 19 |
|
Japanese English Bilingual Visual Dictio
by
4.12 avg rating — 93 ratings
score: 381,
and
4 people voted
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| 20 |
|
Basic Connections: Making Your Japanese Flow
by
3.88 avg rating — 82 ratings
score: 378,
and
4 people voted
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| 21 |
|
Tobira: Gateway To Advanced Japanese Learning Through Content And Multimedia
by
4.35 avg rating — 153 ratings
score: 375,
and
4 people voted
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| 22 |
|
250 Essential Kanji for Everyday Use, Volume 1
by
3.84 avg rating — 45 ratings
score: 369,
and
4 people voted
|
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| 23 |
|
Japanese for Busy People (Kana version) Vol. II
by
3.91 avg rating — 224 ratings
score: 362,
and
4 people voted
|
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| 24 |
|
Kanji Pict-O-Graphix: Over 1,000 Japanese Kanji and Kana Mnemonics
by
Michael Rowley (Goodreads Author)
3.81 avg rating — 303 ratings
score: 297,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 25 |
|
A Guide to Japanese Grammar
by
4.49 avg rating — 368 ratings
score: 296,
and
3 people voted
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| 26 |
|
A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar 日本語文法辞典【上級編】 (Japanese Grammar Dictionary #3)
by
4.74 avg rating — 101 ratings
score: 294,
and
3 people voted
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| 27 |
|
Let's Learn Hiragana: First Book of Basic Japanese Writing
by
4.29 avg rating — 164 ratings
score: 288,
and
3 people voted
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| 28 |
|
Let's Learn Katakana: Second Book of Basic Japanese Writing
by
4.30 avg rating — 102 ratings
score: 287,
and
3 people voted
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| 28 |
|
Exploring Japanese Literature: Read Mishima, Tanizaki and Kawabata in the Original
by
4.28 avg rating — 80 ratings
score: 287,
and
3 people voted
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| 30 |
|
Remembering the Kanji II: A Systematic Guide to Reading Japanese Characters (Remembering the Japanese Characters Series)
by
4.16 avg rating — 105 ratings
score: 286,
and
3 people voted
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| 31 |
|
Authentic Japanese: Progressing from Intermediate to Advanced
by
3.53 avg rating — 19 ratings
score: 284,
and
3 people voted
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| 31 |
|
Pimsleur Japanese Level 1 CD: Learn to Speak and Understand Japanese with Pimsleur Language Programs [Lessons 1-30]
by
4.47 avg rating — 70 ratings
score: 284,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 33 |
|
Making Sense of Japanese: What the Textbooks Don't Tell You
by
4.17 avg rating — 676 ratings
score: 282,
and
3 people voted
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| 33 |
|
A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Sentence Patterns
by
4.15 avg rating — 59 ratings
score: 282,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 35 |
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A Japanese Reader: Graded Lessons for Mastering the Written Language
by
3.43 avg rating — 23 ratings
score: 280,
and
3 people voted
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| 36 |
|
日本語総まとめ問題集 2級 読解編 [Nihongo Sōmatome mondaishū - Nikyū Dokkai hen]
by
4.20 avg rating — 5 ratings
score: 278,
and
3 people voted
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| 37 |
|
Nakama 1A
by
3.91 avg rating — 32 ratings
score: 200,
and
2 people voted
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| 38 |
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Kodansha's Hiragana Workbook: A Step-by-Step Approach to Basic Japanese Writing
by
4.60 avg rating — 35 ratings
score: 198,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 38 |
|
Kodansha's Furigana Japanese Dictionary: Japanese-English English-Japanese
by
4.24 avg rating — 106 ratings
score: 198,
and
2 people voted
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| 40 |
|
Kana Can Be Easy
by
4.16 avg rating — 25 ratings
score: 197,
and
2 people voted
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| 41 |
|
Read Real Japanese Essays: Contemporary Writings by Popular Authors
by
Janet Ashby (Editor)
4.08 avg rating — 153 ratings
score: 196,
and
2 people voted
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| 42 |
|
まるごと 日本のことばと文化 入門 A1 かつどう- Marugoto: Japanese language and culture Starter A1 Coursebook for communicative language activities
by
独立行政法人国際交流基金 (Editor)
4.21 avg rating — 19 ratings
score: 195,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 42 |
|
まるごと 日本のことばと文化 入門 A1 りかい - Marugoto: Japanese language and culture Starter A1 Coursebook for communicative language competences
by
独立行政法人国際交流基金 (Editor)
4.40 avg rating — 20 ratings
score: 195,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 44 |
|
Let's Learn Japanese Picture Dictionary
by
4.01 avg rating — 73 ratings
score: 193,
and
2 people voted
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| 45 |
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Essential Kanji: 2,000 Basic Japanese Characters Systematically Arranged for Learning and Reference
by
4.17 avg rating — 211 ratings
score: 192,
and
2 people voted
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| 46 |
|
Japanese Step by Step
by
3.87 avg rating — 101 ratings
score: 191,
and
2 people voted
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| 47 |
|
Kanji Power: A Workbook for Mastering Japanese Characters
by
3.52 avg rating — 33 ratings
score: 190,
and
2 people voted
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| 48 |
|
Mangajin's Basic Japanese Through Comics Part 2
by
3.95 avg rating — 44 ratings
score: 189,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 49 |
|
Kodansha's Katakana Workbook: A Step-By-Step Approach to Basic Japanese Writing
by
4.55 avg rating — 20 ratings
score: 187,
and
2 people voted
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| 50 |
|
Absolute Beginner's Guide to Hiragana
by
David Victor Petersen (Goodreads Author)
3.43 avg rating — 7 ratings
score: 181,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 51 |
|
Bosley Sees the World: A Dual Language Book in Japanese and English
by
Tim Johnson (Goodreads Author)
4.12 avg rating — 94 ratings
score: 180,
and
2 people voted
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| 52 |
|
First Thousand Words in Japanese
by
4.15 avg rating — 72 ratings
score: 177,
and
2 people voted
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| 52 |
|
Mangajin's Basic Japanese Through Comics
by
3.96 avg rating — 81 ratings
score: 177,
and
2 people voted
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| 54 |
|
Basic Japanese Kanji: High-Frequency Kanji at Your Command!: 1
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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 17 ratings
score: 169,
and
2 people voted
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| 55 |
|
Kanji Look and Learn: 512 Kanji with Illustrations and Mnemonic Hints
by
4.23 avg rating — 105 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 55 |
|
How to Sound Intelligent in Japanese: A Vocabulary Builder
by
3.65 avg rating — 55 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 55 |
|
Living Language Japanese, Complete Edition: Beginner through advanced course, including 3 coursebooks, 9 audio CDs, Japanese reading & writing guide, and free online learning
by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 38 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 55 |
|
Read and write Japanese scripts
by
4.23 avg rating — 31 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 55 |
|
KANJI THE JAPANESE WRITING SYSTEM
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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 55 |
|
The Handbook of Japanese Verbs
by
4.42 avg rating — 79 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 61 |
|
Nakama 1B: Introductory Japanese Communication, Culture, Context
by
3.62 avg rating — 21 ratings
score: 99,
and
1 person voted
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| 61 |
|
Japanese Kanji & Kana: A Complete Guide to the Japanese Writing System
by
4.56 avg rating — 55 ratings
score: 99,
and
1 person voted
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| 61 |
|
Japanese Visual Dictionary: A photo guide to everyday words and phrases in Japanese
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4.50 avg rating — 24 ratings
score: 99,
and
1 person voted
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| 64 |
|
Kōmoku Seiri 2 Kyū Mondaishū: Nihongo Nōryoku Shiken Taisaku
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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating
score: 98,
and
1 person voted
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| 64 |
|
Remembering the Kanji III: Writing and Reading Japanese Characters for Upper-Level Proficiency
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4.35 avg rating — 60 ratings
score: 98,
and
1 person voted
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| 64 |
|
Read Real Japanese Fiction: Short Stories by Contemporary Writers
by
Michael Emmerich (Editor)
4.22 avg rating — 268 ratings
score: 98,
and
1 person voted
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| 64 |
|
Nakama 1a: Student Activities Manual
by
3.80 avg rating — 5 ratings
score: 98,
and
1 person voted
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| 64 |
|
A Frequency Dictionary of Japanese
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4.56 avg rating — 16 ratings
score: 98,
and
1 person voted
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| 69 |
|
項目整理 3級問題集 : 日本語能力試験対策
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3.67 avg rating — 6 ratings
score: 97,
and
1 person voted
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| 69 |
|
An Integrated Approach To Intermediate Japanese
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3.94 avg rating — 159 ratings
score: 97,
and
1 person voted
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| 69 |
|
NEJ: A New Approach to Elementary Japanese vol. 1 (Nej・nij)
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4.33 avg rating — 9 ratings
score: 97,
and
1 person voted
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| 69 |
|
Japanese for Busy People I: Kana Version (Japanese for Busy People Series)
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4.02 avg rating — 154 ratings
score: 97,
and
1 person voted
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| 73 |
|
NEJ: A New Approach to Elementary Japanese vol. 2
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3.67 avg rating — 3 ratings
score: 96,
and
1 person voted
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| 73 |
|
広辞苑（Kōjien）
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4.20 avg rating — 5 ratings
score: 96,
and
1 person voted
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| 73 |
|
Japanese Verbs and Essentials of Grammar
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3.71 avg rating — 52 ratings
score: 96,
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1 person voted
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| 76 |
|
Essential Japanese Grammar: A Comprehensive Guide to Contemporary Usage
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4.05 avg rating — 77 ratings
score: 95,
and
1 person voted
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| 76 |
|
Nihongo 1: Kyokasho, libro de texto 1
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4.12 avg rating — 8 ratings
score: 95,
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1 person voted
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| 76 |
|
Nakama 2: Japanese Communication, Culture, Context: Imtermediate Japanese
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3.73 avg rating — 30 ratings
score: 95,
and
1 person voted
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| 79 |
|
More Making Out In Japanese
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3.69 avg rating — 62 ratings
score: 92,
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1 person voted
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| 80 |
|
Dirty Japanese: Everyday Slang from "What's Up?" to "F*%# Off!"
by
3.77 avg rating — 277 ratings
score: 90,
and
1 person voted
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Comments Showing 1-5 of 5 (5 new)
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message 1:
by
Morgan
(new)
Feb 25, 2010 02:34PM
This is a very unusual list.
reply
|
flag
Goodreads has a lot of unusual lists, this was one of the few that hadn't been made yet, so I made it.
This is a very useful list, thanks for doing it. I'm going to add "An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese". It's kind of the "sequel" to the Genki books and it's just as good in my opinion.
Glad that after making this list 6 years ago, it is still useful. Good luck to everyone studying Japanese.
You're missing the Nakama (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b) books and the NEJ books (New Approach to Elementary Japanese vol. 1 & 2). I also have the Marugoto (rikai) books for a1-a2b, and I wouldn't rate them as high as your list does. They have their merits, but they're too compact for all that they're trying to teach. Those Basic Japanese Through Comics books were also not that great. Not for beginners anyway. A person needs a lot of ground work and cultural knowledge for those to be helpful.
Anyone can add books to this list.
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