For this reason, the book covers all the characters you will need to know for the new Level N5 (103 characters) and Level N4 (an additional 181 kanji ) tests, as well as many of those required for Levels N2 and N3. Note that the JLPT switched from 4 to 5 levels in 2010. New levels N4 and N5 were formerly Levels 3 and 4 and merely underwent a name change. The new level N3 exam was introduced at the same time.
In addition, you may wish to use this book to help prepare for the Advanced Placement (AP) Japanese Language and Culture Examination, or as a supplemental resource for university-level Japanese courses. This book includes all 410 kanji recommended for study for the AP Japanese test. Moreover, since the AP Japanese kanji were selected based on the frequency of their inclusion in the leading 1st- and 2nd-year Japanese textbooks used by colleges and universities, learning the AP kanji will also be highly relevant to those studying the language in such courses.
In fact, given that the 464 kanji introduced herein are the most important and commonly seen kanji that you will find in everyday reading materials, mastering these kanji will take you a long way towards fluency in reading and writing Japanese.
The Layout of the Text
The book has been divided into three sections or ‘parts’. Each part has then been sub-divided into a number of sets, with 12 target kanji for each set.
| PART ONE | Sets 1–9 | 108 characters |
| PART TWO | Sets 10–25 | 192 characters |
| PART THREE | Sets 26–39 | 164 characters |
The table located on the inside covers is provided to allow quick access to specific characters.
An important aspect of the presentation of characters herein is that, within each part of the book, the characters appear in order of ascending number of strokes. Characters with the same number of strokes appear according to their on-yomi, or Chinese reading, and are arranged according to the Japanese a-i-u-e-o order.
My choice to present characters in this order, of course, has certain short-comings. It does not allow for a thematic approach to the acquisition of kanji. However, it is my belief that a systematic approach to learning characters, where the kanji become steadily more complex, is somewhat kinder to the uninitiated student of the Japanese language.
As was the case with the original version of Japanese Kanji Power, a set of exercises has been included after every three sets of characters, with a review following, to consolidate the kanji covered in a cumulative way. In order to simplify the process of acquiring new kanji, the reviews have generally been restricted to characters covered up until that particular point. Answers to the exercises and reviews are provided at the back of the book.
An ON-KUN reading index has been added at the back of the book to allow students quick access to particular character readings found herein.
Presentation of the Characters
The figure below shows a typical entry from the book. The circled numbers refer to the numbered explanations provided below the figure.
① The Character Reference Number
The characters are numbered 1 to 464 throughout the book.
② The Target Character
The character being presented is written in bold brush type.
③ The Meaning of the Character in English
A limited number of common meanings are provided to assist with memorization.
④ The Readings of the Character
Most kanji have more than one reading. Firstly, the on-yomi, or Chinese reading(s), is shown in katakana script, followed by the kun-yomi, or Japanese reading(s), written in hiragana script. The jōyō kanji readings, as designated by the Japanese Ministry of Education, have been made as comprehensive as possible, space permitting. Romanized readings are provided as well— ON readings being capitalized, with kun readings being set in lower case. Note that the portion of the reading given after the dot (in hiragana ) and inside the brackets (in Romanized script) constitutes the portion of the Japanese reading referred to as okurigana. Irregular, unusual or rare readings are indicated by an asterisk in the Japanese script.
⑤ Background Information About the Target Character
This may include details about the etymology of the character or a suggestion to aid memorization. Certainly, when it comes to the question of the derivation of characters, there is much speculation. For students interested in furthering their understanding of kanji origins, Kenneth G.. Henshall’s comprehensive work, A Guide to Remembering Japanese Characters (Tuttle Publishing, 1998), is highly recommended and, indeed, has been of great assistance to me in compiling this text.
⑥ Kanji List Reference Numbers
Four references are used— GR 1, for example, refers to a first grade character in the Kyōiku Kanji List, the 1,006 commonly used characters recommended by the Japanese Ministry of Education. N5, on the other hand, represents a character in the list of kanji designated for study for Level N5 of the new Japanese Language Proficiency Test (103 kanji ). AP indicates that the character appears in the list of kanji recommended for study for the Advanced Placement Japanese Language and Culture Test. Finally, JK indicates that the character is found in the Jōyō Kanji List, a prescribed list of some 2,000 kanji used in everyday language situations.
⑦ Example Sentences
A number of example sentences are provided to illustrate the various uses of the target character in context. Wherever possible, the various readings of a kanji, both on-yomi and kun-yomi, are introduced in the order in which the readings are given. This method of presentation has been adopted to help simplify the process of kanji acquisition. Each example sentence is written in Japanese script, Romanized letters ( rōmaji ) and accompanied by an English translation. In each example sentence, the word or phrase employing the target kanji is underlined in both rōmaji and English to help you identify it and focus on its usage. The example sentences frequently employ conversational–style Japanese.
⑧ Common Compounds and Phrases
A set of seven common compound words or phrases, each containing the target kanji, is presented here. Japanese and rōmaji scripts and English equivalents are provided. Often, to reinforce familiarization, a kanji compound from a sample sentence will reappear in the ‘Common Compounds and Phrases’ list. Note also that an item marked with an asterisk represents an unusual or irregular reading. The rōmaji reading for the target kanji is underlined in each example.
⑨ Writing Hint
This section gives a brief suggestion about the writing of the character—this may take the form of advice on how to write particular strokes or the order of the strokes. Occasionally, similar characters that can be easily confused with the target kanji are presented.
⑩ Number of Strokes
This figure represents the total number of strokes or stroke count of the target character.
⑪ Stroke-order Diagram
A stroke-by-stroke schematic is presented as
