This introduction to reading Japanese characters, or kanji, is based on the characters most frequently used in everyday situations. Twenty-one lessons illustrate situations in places like train stations, banks, post offices, restaurants, hospitals, and university campuses while in Japan. All the tools you need to feel comfortable and accomplish your goals in these environments are right here in this book.

Unfortunately, the kanji taught in most textbooks are not always those mostly commonly encountered in everyday situations. To fill this gap, a group of Japanese-language lecturers from the prestigious University of Tokyo have pooled their talents to create 250 Essential Kanji for Everyday Use, Volume II, a workbook that when used in tandem with Volume I teaches 500 kanji characters most frequently seen in daily life in Japan.

47 Ronin Story is the classic Japanese story of Lord Asano of Ako and one of the bloodiest vendettas in Japan's feudal history. In a shocking clash between the warriors and the merchant class of seventeenth century Japan, there emerged the most unlikely set of heroes: the forty-seven ronin, or ex-samurai, of Ako.

Westerners familiar only with stereotypical images of bowing geisha and dark-suited businessmen will be surprised by the cast of characters translator Lane Dunlop introduces in this anthology. Lovers of fiction and students of Japan are certain to find these stories absorbing, engaging and instructive.

Inazo Nitobe, a Japanese philosopher writing in eloquent English, outlines the origins of bushido, or the way of the samurai, and shows how the code permeates traditional Japanese culture. Nitobe's extensive research results in an eclectic and far-reaching book. He delved into Buddhism, Shintoism, and Confucianism while seeking similarities and contrasts by citing philosophers going back to the Romans, the Greeks and Biblical times.

Business Japanese is for students of the Japanese language with a special interest in business, finance, and economics. Appropriate for self-study or classroom use, it teaches more than 1,700 kanji frequently used in Japanese business and economic newspapers and magazines. Written in both Japanese and English, this book is designed for students with a basic level of Japanese language skills.

The Code of the Samurai is a four-hundred-year-old explication of the rules and expectations embodied in Bushido, the Japanese way of the warrior. Bushido has played a major role in shaping the behavior of modern Japanese government, corporations, society, and individuals, as well as in shaping the modern martial arts within Japan and internationally.

With clear explanations of grammar, a Kansai-ben dictionary, and a helpful index, Colloquial Kansai Japanese is an indispensable guide to the rich speech of Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe.

The Complete Book of Sushi is a definitive collection of traditional, contemporary and innovative recipes for lovers of this Japanese cuisine. Fresh and delicious, sushi is one of the healthiest foods you can eat, as it's low in fat and high in essential vitamins and minerals. Aesthetically pleasing, sushi is also surprisingly simple to make. This practical book will show you how to create beautiful and elegant sushi dishes with ease.

In old Japan, sexual love among the samurai was permissible, and often matured into lifelong companionships. Comrade Loves of the Samurai touches the subject of both normal and abnormal love with honesty and tenderness.

Contemporary Japanese: A Text for College Students is designed for beginning students of Japanese language at the university level, intended for use in the classroom as well as for self-study. Each lesson is based on a single communicative objective and uses a "guess and try" approach to learning, which encourages problem-solving instead of rote learning.

The lessons in this book take you beyond rudimentary Japanese in more advanced dialogue. For example, topics include exchanging opinions, customary language used in giving and receiving, and describing the appearance of people and things.