Kana Pict-o-Graphix: Mnemonics for Japanese Hiragana and Katakana (Paperback)

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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

Product Description

This compact book is a lively collection of contemporary memory aids (mnemonics) that teaches you the shapes and sounds of hiragana and katakana, the two basic syllabaries used in written Japanese. Combining clever drawings and text memory aids, each hiragana and katakana pair is presented on a single page for comparison, with separate visual and text mnemonics. Fits handily into any pocket.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 72 pages
• Publisher: Stone Bridge Press (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880656183
• ISBN-13: 978-1880656181
• Product Dimensions: 4.9 x 3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #37,635 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 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 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.

20 of 21 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)

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!!

13 of 13 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

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.