Remembering the Kanji, Vol. 2: A Systematic Guide to Reading Japanese Characters (Japanese Edition) [Paperback]

James W. Heisig (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Following the first volume of Remembering the Kanji, the present work takes up the pronunciation of characters and provides students with helpful tools for memorizing them. Behind the notorious inconsistencies in the way the Japanese language has come to pronounce the characters it received from China lie several coherent patterns. Identifying these patterns and arranging them in logical order can reduce dramatically the amount of time spent in the brute memorization of sounds unrelated to written forms.

Many of the "primitive elements," or building blocks, used in the drawing of the characters also serve to indicate the "Chinese reading" that particular kanji use, chiefly in compound terms. By learning one of the kanji that uses such a "signal primitive," one can learn the entire group at the same time. In this way, Remembering the Kanji 2 lays out the varieties of phonetic patterns and offers helpful hints for learning readings, which might otherwise appear completely random, in an efficient and rational way. A parallel system of pronouncing the kanji, their "Japanese readings," uses native Japanese words assigned to particular Chinese characters. Although these are more easily learned because of the association of the meaning to a single word, Heisig creates a kind of phonetic alphabet of single-syllable words, each connected to a simple Japanese word, and shows how they can be combined to help memorize particularly troublesome vocabulary.

Unlike Volume 1, which proceeds step-by-step in a series of lessons, Volume 2 is organized in such as way that one can study individual chapters or use it as a reference for pronunciation problems as they arise. Individual frames cross-reference the kanji to alternate readings and to the frame in Volume 1 in which the meaning and writing of the kanji was first introduced.

About the Author

James W. Heisig is professor and permanent research fellow at the Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture in Nagoya, Japan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 397 pages
• Publisher: University of Hawaii Press; 3rd edition (January 2008)
• Language: Japanese
• ISBN-10: 0824831667
• ISBN-13: 978-0824831660
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Japanese
  • #19 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Japanese

More About the Author

James W. Heisig is professor and permanent research fellow at the Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture in Nagoya, Japan.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Do not waste your time with this one, March 19, 2011

By 

TravisV10 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Remembering the Kanji, Vol. 2: A Systematic Guide to Reading Japanese Characters (Japanese Edition) (Paperback)

I have yet to hear of any learner that truly enjoyed this volume and found it useful.

Volume 2 of Remembering the Kanji is simply a reference tool. There are no mnemonic devices that aid to your learning what-so-ever.

I am almost certain you will be disappointed in your purchase if you get this book.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remembering the Kanji, January 26, 2012

By 

cindycat6k - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Remembering the Kanji, Vol. 2: A Systematic Guide to Reading Japanese Characters (Japanese Edition) (Paperback)

My son wants to learn Japanese and requested Remembering the Kanji I,II, III for Christmas. I was able to secure the 3 books, from 3 different sources, through Amazon. I saved nearly $55.00 over bookstore cost, buying new and nearly new, another $40.00 was taken from the price by opening an Amazon credit acct. The books arrived timely and in good condition.

8 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars my friends love it, August 8, 2009

By 

Ivan Rorick - See all my reviews

This review is from: Remembering the Kanji, Vol. 2: A Systematic Guide to Reading Japanese Characters (Japanese Edition) (Paperback)

Although I learned the kanji using the more straightforward methods of flash cards, writing them repeatedly, and memorizing the meanings and sounds of the semasio-phonetic components, every person I know who has tried the Heisig method has gotten amazing results. Based on that, it seems to me to be quite effective, and you might want to give it a try if the standard rote memorization learning methods are not effective for you.

Ivan Rorick