Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle Reading App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Apple
Android
Windows Phone
Android
To get the free app, enter your email address or mobile phone number.
$28.49
FREE Shipping on orders over $35.
Only 2 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Gift-wrap available.
Frequently Bought Together
{"currencyCode":"USD","itemData":[{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":28.49,"ASIN":"0887277365","isPreorder":0},{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":31.63,"ASIN":"1568364075","isPreorder":0},{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":32.3,"ASIN":"0824835921","isPreorder":0}],"shippingId":"0887277365::xW1o60wOe%2FkQ9MSFDg387PtaaBvQd5JV51tLvrimbk2mPg%2F7m%2FF3O9oAKlxe1HOjxoNFaRB%2Bh2iMc%2FVi8Y7TYuwfKowEBaqj94IaN4Na1BOwtPcewr2Gtw%3D%3D,1568364075::kNarZQLMM1YNi%2FATKr5gwxQF4QMqxnmEGOPIMgQY%2B5bPWUXH8e23PS9T7qZHjY2MmfMPCiNcJ9J9OPpkuj1uAo7%2BtaznlDnAKbtwcmPWU0mqRZVqdZeJfg%3D%3D,0824835921::UWl%2Bou1OfMUu8Y5FXyzhQzz9M%2BFqA0%2FrNm9gyHwzw7FXAUhw1WboOhmJ1AbcKunU7PVSES6Pq5sLC6%2FOEVNCMrWquD0dmWhKVe5vbJnatNLPc7FKrTpF5Q%3D%3D","sprites":{"addToWishlist":["wl_one","wl_two","wl_three"],"addToCart":["s_addToCart","s_addBothToCart","s_add3ToCart"],"preorder":["s_preorderThis","s_preorderBoth","s_preorderAll3"]},"shippingDetails":{"xz":"same","yz":"same","xy":"same","xyz":"same"},"tags":["x","y","z"],"strings":{"addToWishlist":["Add to Wish List","Add both to Wish List","Add all three to Wish List"],"addToCart":["Add to Cart","Add both to Cart","Add all three to Cart"],"showDetailsDefault":"Show availability and shipping details","shippingError":"An error occurred, please try again","hideDetailsDefault":"Hide availability and shipping details","priceLabel":["Price:","Price for both:","Price for all three:"],"preorder":["Pre-order this item","Pre-order both items","Pre-order all three items"]}}
Best Books of the Month
Want to know our Editors' picks for the best books of the month? Browse Best Books of the Month, featuring our favorite new books in more than a dozen categories.
Specifically designed to be a 'user friendly' reference for students of Kanji from novice beginners to graduate school students, "The Key to Kanji: A Visual History of 1100 Characters" by Noriko Kurosawa Williams is founded on her etymological research. The result is an impressive compendium of eleven hundred essential kanji, each with an illustrated entry accompanied by a succinct summary in English explaining the evolution of its written form and meaning from ancient to modern times. It should also be noted that these kanji images are also provided with on- and kun- pronunciations, a section header in a traditional kanji dictionary, a clear stroke order illustration, and sample words that are useful for learners. An essential instructional reference, "The Key To Kanji" is a core addition to academic library and curriculum language studies reference collections, and ideal for personal use by anyone seeking to master kanji.
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
I used this book to study for the N2 Exam of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) this past year and found it absolutely amazing. Learning kanji as a unified system using it's etymology as apposed to blunt memorization or mnemonics is definitely the way to go.
When I set out to begin studying for the exam I really wanted to deepen my understanding of kanji using a systematic approach rather just trying to "memorize" each one, as was the approach taught to me in my university Japanese classes. Anyone really looking to attain a high level of Japanese skill will soon find that the blunt memorization approach to learning kanji drops off in effectiveness rather quickly. This is partially because there are many kanji that contain similar radicals, and this makes distinguishing one kanji from another difficult if you don't understand why each radical is present and what they "mean". For example, there are multiple kanji with the same on-reading of han but each is used in very different words, and being able to distinguish between when each is used is crucial in order to read and write them effectively. Another reason is because in general learning things by understanding them as a part of a system is more effective than learning disparate facts at random. Learning random kanji via drilling flashcards can be a great supplement to a systematic understanding of kanji, but in my experiences that alone can't get all 1000+ kanji in the Kyouiku series or the 2000+ kanji in the Jouyou series to really "stick" into one's brain. For me blunt memorization caused a sort of snowball effect where I would forget old kanji after learning new one's, causing an ever-increasingly long series of review and relearning.Read more ›
1 Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
I had originally started with the "Remembering the Kanji" series by James W. Heisig, and while I enjoyed familiarizing myself with the different particles that make up kanji, I wasn't learning pronunciation or actual history but rather creating my own stories.
The Key to Kanji is everything the previously mentioned series isn't. You get a simplified breakdown of how the kanji originated, pronunciation, example words and more. It appears the pages are layed out to look like reference / flash cards, and I think I'd prefer having cards instead of the book. No doubt the pages will be pretty worn out by the time I'm done with it.
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
This book is a genuine treasure, and Ms. Williams has now convinced me that kanji memorization is not an utter impossibility. I felt a genuine sense of relief and empowerment that I haven't felt from other instructional texts. The opening chapters really helped make some sense out of it all the different readings. I'm now thoroughly spoiled by her excellent explanations, and hoping Ms. Williams will consider putting together a sequel someday.
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
The reason for 4 stars is because at 1100 kanji, it only includes about half of the required kanji. There have already been many times that I pulled this book out to look-up a kanji only to find out that it was not listed.
I really enjoyed the first 3 chapters that go into a detailed history of the kanji. They really helped me make sense of a lot of the terms I have been seeing in my self-study of kanji. Other than that, I see this book as more of a reference book than a way to systematically learn the kanji.
Like one of the other reviewers, I'm using the Heisig book to learn kanji. If one of his stories does not do it for me or if I am having a hard time creating an image for a kanji, I will look it up in this book (assuming it is listed) to see if the etymology will help me better create an image/story for remembering how to write the kanji.
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
