Kana Pict-o-Graphix: Mnemonics for Japanese Hiragana and Katakana [Paperback]

Michael Rowley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1995

Pocket-size visual guide for remembering the Japanese syllabaries--perfect for beginners!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Rowley has created a visual vocabulary that is striking and, most importantly, memorable." -Wired Magazine -- -Wired Magazine

"Rowley has created a visual vocabulary that is striking and, most importantly, memorable." -Wired Magazine -- Review

About the Author

Michael Rowley is an illustrator and graphic designer living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Product Details

• Paperback: 72 pages
• Publisher: Stone Bridge Press (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880656183
• ISBN-13: 978-1880656181
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #91,905 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Japanese
  • #8 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Asia > Japan
  • #8 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Words & Language > Reference

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I learned all my Hiragana in a week!!!, September 17, 2005

By 

Christopher Calabrese (Watertown, CT, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kana Pict-o-Graphix: Mnemonics for Japanese Hiragana and Katakana (Paperback)

This book is fantastic. I'm a first-year Japanese student, and while the rest of my class learns five Hiragana characters per class, I whipped up 46 flash cards using the mnemonic devices within this book and successfully memorized all of them in a week. I am now weeks ahead of the rest of my class, because I can now sight read Hiragana while everyone else still needs to use Roman characters.

I highly recommend this to any English-speaking westerner who is beginning to learn Hiragana and Katakana. Some reviewers complain that it doesn't examine the true basis for these characters, however that element is totally useless and tedious. Hiragana is used to represent sounds, and the quicker you learn it, the easier your life will be. Some of the mnemonic devices are extremely corny and far-fetched, however the results do not lie!

On a side note, if you are struggling with your Kanji, I highly recommend "Remembering the Kanji, Volume 1," by James W. Heisig.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh Man!! I learned how to read in 1 night!, December 17, 2004

By 

R. Rahmani "Student" (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kana Pict-o-Graphix: Mnemonics for Japanese Hiragana and Katakana (Paperback)

Wow!! I recieved the book yesterday afternoon, read it last night, and then took an online quiz in Hiragana this afternoon. I got 99 out of 104 correct. That's 95% correct! I didn't look at the book or anything. This book is so amazing, that I actually went from not reading any japanese what so ever, to reading 95% correctly in one night! My friends were astonished.

I thought learning to read Japanese would be a painful experience spread over many months. But this book is amazing. The mnemonics in this book are right on. If you are a beginner of Japanese and want to know how to read, I would not hesitate another moment and pick up this book today. You will not regret it. In one night you too can learn to read Japanese!!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy method for learning kana., December 4, 2004

By 

oyabun "yakuzaboss" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kana Pict-o-Graphix: Mnemonics for Japanese Hiragana and Katakana (Paperback)

At first I was skeptical of the mnemonic method of learning kana. But it does work (the hiragana for "no" looks like a "no smoking" sign, etc). It sticks in your brain, but after a while you don't even think of the mnemonic - you just recognize the symbol immediately.

It is less helpful for learning to writing the characters, as no stroke order is given. But I was able to memorize reading the hiragana and katakana in about a week each, using the mnemonics.

All in all, this is a useful tool for those starting out (before taking a Japanese language class, try reading this book to get a head start). Also, the book is very small (about 2"x4" paperback, 70 pages) and fits in a pocket easily.