Might be you are wondering- does anyone still read books? But, you will be amazed to know that still, books are one of the best ways for learning a language around the world.
Here are some Japanese books for beginners or newcomers.
1 – New Nelson Japanese-English Character Dictionary : Author: Andrew N Nelson
This book has been the standard Kanji in the language industry for years. Kanji is a system of Japanese writing using Chinese characters. The Nelson dictionary contains enough characters for the beginners knowledge needs. What’s more, this book can be looked up by radical, pronunciation, stroke count, etc. This book is ideal for- Improving Japanese vocabulary.
2 – Japanese from Zero! : Authors: George Trombley and Yukari Takenaka
This book is relatively new in the market but is approachable and easy to use. It is a book series with additional work books, which you can buy separately as a learning aid. This book is ideal for – Learning through a lesson-based structure covering grammar, vocabulary, writing, pronunciations, step by step.
3 – Japanese Verbs & Essentials of Grammar : Author: Rita L Lampkin
It is around 160 pages comprehensive beginners guide to the Japanese language. The best about this book is the logical organization of chapters for easy reference. The book also has a section with cultural information, which makes this book more interesting. This book is ideal for – Gaining a quick hand on important grammatical concepts.
4 – Arashi no Yoru ni : Author: Yuichi Kimura
The title of the book translates into One stormy night. It is a story of a goat named Mei, who wanders into a barn one night, seeking shelter from a storm. It meets another refugee in the barn & the story rolls around their friendship, love, and a feeling of companionship for each other. This book was first published in 1994 and a worth read to notice how Japanese value the emotions.
5 – Do You Know New : Authors: Mari Takabayashi and Jean Marzollo
This book contains lovely illustrations and gentle poems that echos people’s first attempt at the language.
6 – Crayon Shin-chan : Author: Yoshito Usui
Almost everyone of us is aware of the naughty Shin-chan character. Crayon Shin-chan is an illustrative book that portrays the importance of family by everyday cute adventures of this Japanese Kid. It is a Japanese manga series starring a 5 year old trouble making boy. Manga is a style of Japanese comic books & graphic novels, typically aimed at adults as well as children. It is definitely one of the must read Japanese books for newcomers or beginners.
