Learn Japanese Writing: Master Hiragana & Katakana for Beginners

No Face: This book helped me understand Hiragana & Katakana quite wonderfully, especially the flash cards. Unfortunately I can't find it anywhere, I might have to order another one! Despite me already knowing it, I'd like to give this book to a sibling or a nephew who's also interested in learning more about Japan & its language.

United States on Oct 07, 2023

Antoinette B.: I great way to enhance your skills

United States on Sep 27, 2023

MakaylaMakayla: En mi opinión es el que más me ha gustado de todos los libros de hiragana y katakana aparte del matter in kana. Sin duda lo recomiendo; las ilustraciones ayudan mucho a memorizar y además vienen ejercicios adicionales

Mexico on Sep 14, 2023

Su: Good product

Japan on Apr 30, 2023

AhmedAhmed: Learning a new language isn’t a walk in the park, we are well aware of that. But when it comes to Japanese, a language that has three writing systems: Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji, which don’t even remotely resemble the English Alphabets, you must wonder where to begin. Quite simple. Grab yourself a copy of ‘Japanese Hiragana & Katakana for Beginners: First Steps to Mastering the Japanese Writing System’.

Pros:
1. Teaches basic 46 Hiragana and 46 Katakana characters (with little drawings that make it easier for you to remember the characters), along with the additional characters.
2. Covers ‘Tenten and Maru’, ‘Combined Characters’, ‘Small “tsu”’, ‘Long Vowels’, and ‘Sentence Particles’.
3. Comes along with reading and writing practice, which isn’t like the normal tests we are used to. This is fun!
4. Flash Cards!

Cons:
1. None

I’ve been learning Japanese for over a month now. But before I joined the Japanese school I’m currently at, I picked up this book and decided to learn the basics. Having to know Hiragana & Katakana (Kana) beforehand came as an incomparable advantage because the book covered the...

India on Oct 12, 2019

Stamewo: I am trying to learn Japanese these days.
I tried listening to audio lectures, youtube videos but at the end of the day, I think what a book can do nothing else can do.
The book is written by an American who settled in Japan and learned Japanese.
It does not just jump directly to teach you Japanese but first tells you a bit about them, the differences and all and then later it has exercises based on visualization methods which helps you in better understanding of the language.
It teaches you all the three Japanese scripts - Hiraki, Katakana and Hiragana.
The book is an old version and comes with a CD but Laptops today does not have a CD player anymore so that is one waste of money.
The book is quite pricey for 1000 Rs. and it is not a very thick book. It is quite thin compared to the price but I think the book is imported one and that is why the high price tag.
But for good books, one should consider the price.
Also, there aren't many other books I found on Japanese learning which were good and had good ratings.
I say, if you are aJapanese language learner, then this book must be part of your collection.
And remember to arrange for a computer which...

India on Jul 11, 2019

PeterPan: Loved this book. Flash cards are included, you have to download them off the internet and print and cut them. I worked with the book and the flash cards, and I learned Hiragana in a week. The mnemonic system is great and helped me a lot. I would recommend to anyone wanting to learn Hiragana and Katakana.

One important thing to know: the book teaches you a sort a writing style that is somewhat “traditional” with the strokes written like you would with an ink brush. Which is fine !! But I found out it was easier (and more fun) for me to write the characters like they are on, say, a Japanese keyboard. Bottom line is there are many writing styles and the book only teaches you one kind, which is okay but I wish I had understood that at the beginning of my studies and not halfway through.

10/10 would recommend !!

Canada on Jun 07, 2019

C.: I have an extreme interest in learning Japanese.

Ever since I was in High School over 10 years ago, I have tried to take courses (only to have them cancelled due to lack of enrollment). It has been frustrating.

I purchased Japanese Hiragana & Katakana, with Learn Japanese in 7 Days, and the Japanese Vocabulary QuickStudy. This has been the BEST of those purchases by far. I'm sure after I get a good grasp of the basics, those other ones will be really useful as well, but for my visual learning style this REALLY helped. HOWEVER, I will warn you the CD it comes with isn't going to have the workbook pages on it- it was HIGHLY frustrating. Just a the writing quiz for Hiragana/Katakana, Answers, Flash Cards (12x12 format you have to duplex them yourself but there are cut marks which come in handy), and the "writing practice" that is on it is more like an intermediate test where (as an example from the book)- there is a blank line, then A KA (red) - you hand write in the right Hiragana (in that case). However, the actual practice on graph paper is no where besides the (very permanent) book.

This was a pain for me because I do not want to write in a book. In a...

United States on Jan 07, 2016

LamiaZlogonje: If you are learning Japanese, this is the book to pick up. Nothing is more important then learning the basics first. And this book gives you everything basic you can hold in your hand. In the beginning of the book, it gives you a back story of the man who invented TUTTLE. As soon as I stumbled upon the Tuttle Collection, it has been a blessing. And so far, learning Japanese has been a blast!
After reviewing the man behind the name in a paragraph or two. It gives you information on how to use the book, vowel pronunciations and even the past of the character sets themselves. Don't worry, it doesn't overload you with textbook definitions. It gives you brief and to the point back story's. Trust me, none of it is a waste of your time. All of it is useful and interesting information.
The Hiragana Chart is then introduced and you learn how to write them. This is important. If you are going to write in Japanese , you need to know the stroke order and stroke types. It keeps it neat and legible. When I first started using it I immediately wanted to buy another one. So I suggest, buy two or copy the pages so you can keep practicing off paper. The book provides wonderful practice as...

United States on Apr 29, 2012