Kodansha’s Hiragana Workbook: A Step-by-Step Approach to Basic Japanese Writing

Beginner-level students wishing to read Japanese need to learn hiragana, the most basic of three Japanese scripts, used for writing words of native origin. Kodansha’s Hiragana Workbook is an all-new, streamlined workbook designed precisely for such students. It introduces all aspects of the script--reading, writing, and pronunciation--in a fun, accessible format, packed with illustrations and exercises.

One page each is devoted to the 46 basic characters. These include instructions for character formation and space to practice writing, as well as a selection of vocabulary for further reading and writing. The vocabulary are all commonly used words that students can put to immediate use in conversation; and their readings--pronounced by a professional voice actor--are available as free downloads from the Net. Frequent review pages allow students to test their understanding of the hiragana at various stages.

The appendixes offer additional practice exercises, as well as grids for playing hiragana Battleship and Bingo. There are also 120 pull-out flashcards for playing Memory, Scrabble, and other games.

ANNE MATSUMOTO STEWART is a professional Japanese language instructor with more than 20 years of experience teaching at all levels, from kindergarten through university. She pursued graduate studies at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and Cornell University and has authored and co-authored Japanese language instruction books. She is a member of the Association of Teachers of Japanese and the National Council of Japanese Language Teachers, and currently teaches and resides in Seattle.