Intermediate Japanese Textbook

I like the story and a nice range of activities and a lot of kanji throughout but very basic for intermediate - 〜ませんか invitations, adjectives, a lot of stuff like that. I would say it is equivalent to the second half of Japanese For Busy People Beginner or the first Minna No Nihongo/Genki stages in terms of grammar, although you will get a lot more kanji and practise reading kanji than JFBP 1,certainly, and it is much easier to follow on your own than Minna or Genki. You certainly couldn't used it as your first Japanese book, but it'd work well as a second. A few of the letters and dialogue are quite challenging though, which might be a pro or con for you! There is a LOT of map-related stuff, like find a Japanese town on the same longitude as your hometown, where you wish they'd be some Japanese language activities. Lots and lots of cultural stuff (Chinese zodiac, Ainu culture, food) which you'll either love or hate. The audio recordings are quite poor quality with the starts quite abrupt and some of the actors hard to follow (go to Timeforjapanese.com and you can hear them all). To be honest, I was expecting better from a Tuttle book (their other Japanese language books are excellent). But it is varied and quite fun and I've learnt quite a bit about Japanese history. The vocabulary isn't tied to just one context (eg school, University, business) which is refreshing. I bought this for self-study and it has been working quite well - a lot of the group tasks you can do on your own, although there are no answers and I have spotted one activity so far in the first chapter which has been misprinted so you'd not be able to find the right answer. Everything is very plainly explained though, so you won't get stuck. I paid £10 and found it good value as a way to do a bit of daily reading, listening and review in the mornings, and if you've completed another beginner book, or have progressed further but want something light, this is a logical next step. There are some useful online resources too.IN SHORT:PROS -Clear, varied, lots of kanji, fun, lots of cultureCONS -Beginner grammar, poor quality audio, too much geography etc and not enough actual Japanese!

Fun lessons broken up into bite-sized pieces that combine kanji, vocabulary and conversation to create an engaging learning experience that is great for students and instructors alike.

Quick delivery and interesting read.

No answer key is the biggest downfall of this text for me b/c I study on my own. I am five chapters in and already my reading comprehension and kanji recognition are improved. There are a variety of exercises to suit your learning style at the end of each chapter.

It’s been a really good step up from all the basic Japanese workbooks and has a simple clear and structured approach without being boring or old fashioned