Read Japanese Today: The Easy Way to Learn Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji

The intelligent approach to learning the Japanese writing system that has helped thousands!

Japanese characters may seem mysterious and difficult, but Read Japanese Today explains the writing system in a way that's clear and easy to understand. This proven approach teaches you the essential characters you need to know, how they developed and what their basic components are, so you can quickly decipher and learn new characters that you encounter later!

This new edition includes:

• An introduction to the 142 hiragana and katakana phonetic characters every Japanese learner needs to know
• Detailed, easy-to-understand descriptions of the 400 most common kanji characters complete with phonetic pronunciations, stroke order diagrams, and common words written with the character
• Simple drawings that introduce each character to help you to remember it, explaining how it developed and what its various components are
• Writing practice problems so you can test yourself on the new characters and words
• A complete index to the English meanings and a summary table for all the characters is included at the back

This is definitely the book to get if you want to learn the Japanese writing system quickly and easily!

Author: Len Walsh
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Published: 01/06/2026
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 9.00h x 5.90w x 0.80d
ISBN13: 9784805319574
ISBN10: 4805319577
BISAC Categories:
- Language Study | Japanese
- Language Arts & Disciplines | Alphabets & Writing Systems
- Language Arts & Disciplines | Study & Teaching

About the Author
Len Walsh (1931-2014) studied and taught Japanese in both the United States and Japan. He also served in the U.S. Army and Air Force during the Korean War and worked in various industries in Vietnam, Japan, Tanzania, and the U.S. Walsh is the author of Why U.S. Intelligence Fails to Steal Enemy Secrets -- And What Can Be Done About it! (2007).