Let's Learn Hiragana: First Book of Basic Japanese Writing (Kodansha's Children's Classics) [Paperback]

Yasuko Kosaka Mitamura (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0870117092 | ISBN-13: 978-0870117091 | Publication Date: June 15, 1985

There are three types of Japanese script-katakana, hiragana, and kanji. It is possible to read Japanese knowing only a limited number of kanji, but it is not possible with only a limited number of katakana or hiragana-one must know all of them. Let's Learn Hiragana, and its companion volume Let's Learn Katakana, is a textbook that introduces the learner to the basics of one of these fundamental Japanese scripts. Being a workbook, it contains all the exercises that allow the student to master hiragana by the time the book has been finished. Let's Learn Hiragana is a classic in the field, and the huge number of students that have used it successfully is a sign of its preeminence as a self-study guide.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Y K Mitamura is a Kodansha International author.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Preface

The Japanese writing system is so different from the English alphabet that written Japanese may seem to be more complicated than it really is. Actually, Hiragana symbols, which comprise the basis of Japanese writing, are not difficult to learn. By using this workbook as a study guide, the student should be able to learn all the Hiragana symbols easily, in a relatively short time.

This workbook is specially designed and organized so that the beginning student, who is studying Japanese as a foreign language, can learn Hiragana through self-study, without the aid of an instructor. Each section contains sufficient explanation and exercises to enable students to study and practice on their own until proficiency has been attained. Consequently, the use of this workbook will eliminate the need for extensive writing drills in class. The class time can then be utilized more effectively for matters that require the presence of an instructor, such as question-and-answer type oral drills.

This book is composed of four chapters: chapter 1 introduces the forty-six basic Hiragana and the sixty-one modified symbols which are derived from them. Chapter 2 explains how to write words using Hiragana symbols. Chapter 3 shows how to write sentences, and chapter 4 contains review exercises. The derivation of Hiragana is presented in Appendix B.

In learning any foreign language, it is important to place equal emphasis on the four skills: hearing, speaking, reading and writing. Therefore, it is an essential prerequisite to become very familiar with Hiragana for the eventual mastery of Japanese. The student will find that diligent use of this workbook will be of great benefit in the quest for proficiency in Japanese.

Throughout this workbook, the Modified Hepburn System is used, for the most part, to Romanize Japanese words and sentences. This widely used system comes the closest to representing the correct Japanese sounds and facilitates learning Japanese pronunciation. It is also known as the Hyojun, or standard, System. (The original Hepburn System is no longer used, so references to the "Hepburn System" actually mean the Modified Hepburn System. The two are nearly identical, differing in only a few points.)....

Product Details

• Paperback: 72 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha USA (June 15, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870117092
• ISBN-13: 978-0870117091
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #160,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #28 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Language Nonfiction > Japanese

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a fantastic learning tool., October 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Let's Learn Hiragana: First Book of Basic Japanese Writing (Kodansha's Children's Classics) (Paperback)

Let's Learn Hiragana is the first book all students wanting to learn to read and write Japanese should buy. I learned all the 107 hiragana in two weeks practicing only a couple hours each day. There are only really 46 hiragana to learn. The remainder are made with the addition of what look like " ,or with the addition of a small circle, or by writing one hiragana on top of another to make a new syllable. This book shows you the basic stokes which are numbered and easy to follow, and it gives a tracing exercise for each syllable. After you have mastered all 107 syllables/(46 symbols) it walks you through how to write words. Then it walks you through how to write sentences. It gives lots of practice translating romanji to hiragana and vice versa but manages to ween the learner from romanji which builds confidence. It points out ample, pertinent examples of spelling and writing "exceptions" in the exercises. Six stars. Next get Let's Learn Katakana. Mitamura-san is a wonderful sensei. The only critisism I can offer is that the hiragana are written in brush and it can be confusing for the beginner to know the importance of those little check marks at the end of the lines. I advise begginners to look in other Japanese books to get a sense for the amount of flexibility permitted in Japanese writing and to expose themselves to print styles other than ink brush, but this is a very minor critisism. With this book alone, you will easily be able to write beautiful Japanese even if you are in a Siberian jail in solitary confinement..which thankfully, I am not.

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Immerses You Before You Know It!, October 18, 2004

By 

xheavenxsentx (Chattanooga, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Let's Learn Hiragana: First Book of Basic Japanese Writing (Kodansha's Children's Classics) (Paperback)

I am new to learning Japanese. It seemed daunting to me, but I wanted to do it anyway.

After reading many reviews on Amazon. I started here. Everyone talked about how quickly this book got them going and I must say it is very true. I had a week of fall break and ordered this book. At the end of the week I have completed the book.

As I went about it from the beginning, I was thinking, "This isn't going to help me memorize the Hiragana." But as I went on the repetion of the quizzes brought me into a quick memorization. By the end, I was able to complete a word search in hiragana and could tell/write the sound for any of the symbols and vice-versa.

The great thing is that you can set your own pace. There's no rush of a classroom. Just go along as you get each section. You can do it in as short a week if you like. Or you can take a month.

I would recomend this book to anyone who has never studied japanese.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear, Well-Organized, and Very Helpful, November 10, 2006

By 

L33tminion (Somerville, MA, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Let's Learn Hiragana: First Book of Basic Japanese Writing (Kodansha's Children's Classics) (Paperback)

This book is an excellent resource for self-study. I found it very helpful.

Note that the book is intended for older children or adults, despite the bright cover and the "Kodansha's Children's Classics" at the top of the Amazon page.