Abstract

Discover Hiragana and Katakana—and Explore Japan Along the Way!

Let's Explore HIRAGANA&KATAKANA is a fun and highly visual introduction to the two Japanese phonetic scripts, designed for complete beginners who want to become familiar with hiragana and katakana before moving on to more systematic Japanese study.

Drawing on the perspective of an English-speaking author, the book takes readers on an engaging journey through popular destinations, Japanese culture, and everyday life while introducing hiragana and katakana along the way. It is an enjoyable first encounter not only with the Japanese writing system, but also with Japan and its culture.

Every hiragana and katakana character comes with an easy-to-follow pronunciation guide specially designed for English-speaking readers. All Japanese words are accompanied by romanized readings and English translations, while place names and cultural references include brief explanations that give readers additional insights into Japan.

Filled with charming illustrations and photographs, Let's Explore HIRAGANA&KATAKANA makes learning approachable, visual, and fun. Its attractive design also makes it an ideal souvenir from a trip to Japan or a delightful gift for anyone curious about Japan and the Japanese language.

Rather than asking beginners to start with intensive study and memorization, this book encourages them to discover the fun of hiragana and katakana, become familiar with the characters, and take their first step toward learning Japanese.

Free Downloadable Audio:
Japanese recordings of all 46 basic hiragana and 46 basic katakana characters, along with the words featured in the book. The audio also includes selected examples of characters with dakuten and handakuten, contracted sounds, onomatopoeia, and mimetic words.

Author’s Information

Bret Mayer: Born in New Jersey, USA, in 1982, he currently lives in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. After graduating from university, he moved to Japan and began working as an English conversation instructor. Raised in a culture where kanji is not traditionally used, he became the first foreigner from a non-kanji background to pass Level 1 of the Kanji Kentei (Japan Kanji Aptitude Test), its highest level. He also passed Level 2 of the Kotowaza Kentei (Japanese Proverb Proficiency Test). In 2013, he was certified as a Kanji Education Specialist by the Shirakawa Shizuka Institute of East Asian Characters and Culture at Ritsumeikan University. Today, he works primarily as a professional Japanese-English translator while also sharing his expertise in kanji as a Kanji Education Specialist through radio and television programs and other media.