FAQ FOR SCI.LANG.JAPAN - BOOKS AND MAGAZINES FOR LEARNING JAPANESE

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The Nihongo Journal

General information: The Nihongo Journal, monthly magazine in English and Japanese, also available in Korean/Japanese and Chinese/Japanese. Price in Japan: 600 yens, tax included. Features a cassete tape, sold separately, for 2060 yens, tax included. Published on the first of every month. 120+ pages, some in color. Main features: Japanese lessons divided in beginning, upper-beginning and intermediate levels, including grammar and usage notes, and kanji reviews. For almost all kanjis, furigana is displayed. Also presents some topics on Japanese culture, news and lifestyle (in intermediate Japanese). Feature some series like "Writing is Fun" and "Going up against the Japanese Language Proficiency Test". The cassete tape have some articles recorded, to practice listening. In overall, an excellent magazine for beginner and intermediate learning. Addresses of publisher/distributors overseas: (as for April 1993)

An Introduction to Modern Japanese by Osamu and Nobuko Mizutani

General Information: Publisher: Japan Times. 1977. ISBN 4-7890-0058-3 Price: 3510 Yen
Main Features: both kanji/romaji, furigana where necessary. Tapes available for 16.000 yens (to be confirmed)

Japanese: The Spoken Language (Parts 1-3) by Eleanor Harz Jorden and Mari Noda

General Information: Publisher: Yale University Press. 1987. ISBN 0-300-03834-8 Price: 16.85 pounds
Main Features:all romaji but explanations good

Japanese for Busy People I by the Association for Japanese-Language Teaching

General Information: Publisher: Kodansha International. 1984. ISBN 0-87011-599-5 Price: 15.95 pounds, 3100 Yen, $19.95 Main Features: Both kanji (?) and romaji, furigana where neccessary. Two tapes available.

Japanese for Busy People II by the Association for Japanese-Language Teaching

General Information: Publisher: Kodansha International. 1990. ISBN 0-87011-919-2 Price: 16.95 pounds, 3500 Yen, $22.95 Main Features: big step from part one, 6 tapes available

Japanese for Today

General Information: (no or unknown author), Publisher: Gakken, year 1973 (26th print 1985), ISBN 4-05-050154-6, 3500 Yen (in Japan) Main Features: 30 lessons in the modern language, with every lesson divided in: kanji+kana reading section, grammar, vocabulary, conversation. Cassette tapes for the book can be bought separately (details and price unknown).
Review by Nico A.F.M. Poppelier (N.POPPELIER@ELSEVIER.nl) (edited)

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Rafael Santos (santos@mickey.ai.kyutech.ac.jp) Last Update: March 25, 1995