Kana Pict-O-Graphix: Mnemonics for Japanese Hiragana and Katakana

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Summary: Easy method for learning kana.
Review: At first I was skeptical of the mnemonic method of learning kana. But it does work (the hiragana for "no" looks like a "no smoking" sign, etc). It sticks in your brain, but after a while you don't even think of the mnemonic - you just recognize the symbol immediately.

It is less helpful for learning to writing the characters, as no stroke order is given. But I was able to memorize reading the hiragana and katakana in about a week each, using the mnemonics.

All in all, this is a useful tool for those starting out (before taking a Japanese language class, try reading this book to get a head start). Also, the book is very small (about 2"x4" paperback, 70 pages) and fits in a pocket easily.

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Summary: An Excellent Supplement
Review: I got this book after rote memorization failed to work. The creative and memorable mnemonics helped me learn all the kana in about three or four days. I really recommend this as a supplement to any Japanese study to decrease dependecy on romanji.

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Summary: A Great Start
Review: I got this book, along with Rowley's "Kanji Pictographix," as a gift before I moved to Japan. This book was a very useful tool in remembering Katakana and Hiragana. It's small so it's easy to carry around in your pocket or bag. The book is organized according to the Japanese alphabet. (For example, it starts with "AH," "EE," "U," "EI," and "O"). On one page, you get to see both the Katakana and Hiragana for each sound. Some of the mnemonic images Rowley uses are easier to remember than others. My recommendation on how to use this book: Study one of the syllabaries first (Katakana or Hiragana). I studied Katakana first because all borrowed words are written in Katakana (and the letters are just strokes, compared to the more squiggly Hiragana). Study five sounds (e.g. KA, KII, KU, KEI, KO) at one time. If the mnemonic picture that Rowley uses doesn't click with you, then try to create your own. It really helps to write down the kana as well; however, this book does not show stroke order. It also helps to see the kana used in actual Japanese words (which this book also doesn't do). While I remembered a lot of the kana, it wasn't until I arrived in Japan and kept trying to read Japanese signs that I really became successful in reading Hiragana and Katakana. Use this book as a starting point, but don't let it be the only book you use to learn or remember kana.

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Summary: Memorable Mnemonics Are Tremendously Helpful
Review: I love this book! Learning two new alphabets with 46 characters each (not including the modifiers, which makes each alphabet 71 characters) was a daunting task for me, but this book really did the trick. There's one kana per page, with both the katakana and hiragana on it for comparison. Best of all, the mnemonic devices are really memorable...they stick in your head like glue!
The only thing I would say that is negative about this book is that it lacks stroke order; actually, it doesn't tell you how to draw the kana at all. But since that really isn't the point of the book, I would highly recommend it to all who want to remember the kana. Buy it! Now! You can't go wrong.

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Summary: Small, but not bad.
Review: There are good things and bad things about this book. One, it is small, and I assumed it would be bigger, but the size makes it very convient for travel. However, it has a very good way of helping you to memorize both hiragnana and katakana. It is good use as reference guide, but do not expect it to teach you how to write, but one thing it does give close sound pronouncation for each character. I would recommend it, but you should also try other books too!

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Summary: A good book of mnemonic devices for learning the kana
Review: This book, like many others that use a similar method, makes use of mnemonic devices to help you remember something very foreign for native English speakers, Japanese kana. The kana are the closest thing Japan has to an alphabet, and are properly called syllabaries. Unlike the English alphabet which makes use of combinations of letters to form sounds, each symbol in the kana represents a whole syllable. Using the 46 basic sounds and combinations of them, one can produce every sound, and thusly every word, in Japanese. As previously stated, this is a dramatic departure from English, and any edge you can gain to help you learn the kana is a good one!

This book will help you learn both sets of kana. Hiragana is the more flowing and rounded of the two, and is used for words of Japanese origin. It is also used for particles (function words that represent things like "my" and "at") and for verbal and adjectival endings. Katakana, on the other hand, is more boxy and angular. Its primary use in modern day Japanese is for words borrowed from other languages and for onomatopoeia (the "spelling of sounds", like CHOO CHOO for a train whistle). Each page in the book shows you the English/Romanized approximation of the syllable at the top of the page. Below that the mnemonic for the hiragana is shown, usually a short phrase or one word. Then the actual hiragana is drawn as you would see it in Japanese and next to it is a stylized version of the same symbol that goes along with the mnemonic. The katakana follows the same layout right below that, frequently with a different mnemonic device. The kana is laid out in dictionary order, which can help you remember the order later if you need to look up something in a Japanese dictionary.

The mnemonics in this book are fairly good and in general make it easy to remember the kana. They aren't as silly as some of the mnemonics in other books, for example James W. Heisig's Remembering the Kana (ISBN 4889960724). However, they also don't flow into one another like Remembering the Kana's mnemonics do. At the end of the book, the author briefly touches on a few of the anomalies that you'll see in the kana as well, like the voiced and unvoiced versions (which slightly modify how you say a particular syllable), doubling of vowel and consonant sounds, and combination forms. There is also a page on commonly confused kana to help you keep them clear and distinct. Lastly, the inside covers of both ends have a chart covering the hiragana and (nearly all) the katakana.

All in all this is a good book to help you learn the kana, which is a very important step in learning Japanese for fluency or fun. While you could teach yourself to write the kana using this book, it does not show you the stroke order at all, and picking up a kana writing guide along with it might be a good idea. The price can't be beat, and it's small enough to carry around with you in a pocket for quick reference.

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Summary: Might be better to buy Kanji Pict-o-Graphix instead
Review: This is ok so far as it goes, but there's very little to it. Also, this book is reprinted in the same author's kanji pict-o-graphix book, so there's no point in buying this book if you're going to get the kanji one.

Rating:
Summary: Might be better to buy Kanji Pict-o-Graphix instead
Review: This is ok so far as it goes, but there's very little to it. Also, this book is reprinted in the same author's kanji pict-o-graphix book, so there's no point in buying this book if you're going to get the kanji one.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Book
Review: With this book, it took me only two days to memorize all the characters of Hiragana and Katakana. The original mnemonics encouraged me and made me believe that I can learn the Japanese "alphabet".The book is a great help to start leaning Japanese.

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Summary: Oh Man!! I learned how to read in 1 night!
Review: Wow!! I recieved the book yesterday afternoon, read it last night, and then took an online quiz in Hiragana this afternoon. I got 99 out of 104 correct. That's 95% correct! I didn't look at the book or anything. This book is so amazing, that I actually went from not reading any japanese what so ever, to reading 95% correctly in one night! My friends were astonished.

I thought learning to read Japanese would be a painful experience spread over many months. But this book is amazing. The mnemonics in this book are right on. If you are a beginner of Japanese and want to know how to read, I would not hesitate another moment and pick up this book today. You will not regret it. In one night you too can learn to read Japanese!!