Easy Hiragana: First Steps to Basic Japanese Writing (Passport Books) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Rika Samidori (Calligrapher)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Beginning This step-by-step guide to hiragana includes writing models by award-winning Japanese calligraphers, concise explanations, and numerous exercises to improve students' writing style, build vocabulary, improve pronunciation, and increase knowledge of Japanese language structures, counters, and punctuation.

About the Author

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Product Details

• Paperback: 156 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (January 11, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844285188
• ISBN-13: 978-0844285184
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #606,393 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, February 18, 2004

By	Stephen M. Silva "nineislands" (New Haven, CT USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is great- it shows stroke order and encourages practice. However, I greatly disagree with the ease of writing order. For example, I can make a "ma" and a "ya" MUCH easier than I can make a ku, i, or he. Also, the book needs to dedicate about 10 pages of text to a passage of any kind (short story or series of poems) that is written strictly in hiragana for reading practice. It's one thing to recognize symbols and be able to write down a sound in a different writing style, it's an entirely different thing to read at even a first or second grade level.

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must for Japanese learners, May 10, 2000

By	Dmytro Gorozhankin (Kharkov, Ukraine) - See all my reviews

If you're about learning Japanese writing, then this book is a must for you. It will smoothly teach you how to cope with Hiragana and explain the concepts.

Very good book for beginners.