Rating: 
Summary: Useful book, but the title is misleading
Review: (My review is about the 1961 revised edition; I don't know if the problems I mentioned have been fixed.) I have used this book, and found it helpful, but it is NOT a guide to reading and writing Japanese. It is best described as a beginner's dictionary to the Toyo kanji (1850 for standard use). That said, it is a reference book, not a primary text, and probably shouldn't be used as such. The first 881 (elementary) characters are given with stroke order, meanings, and 3 example compounds; on and kun readings in Hepburn romanization (which I personally don't like). The remainder of the kanji have neither stroke order or examples. Includes a kana syllabaries, on/kun reading index, and stroke order index, but no meaning index or radical index. Originally written post-war era, and showing its age and lacking some more modern uses. Some kanji missing important readings or meanings (example: kanji for oku-san does not give this reading or meaning of wife, only way I've seen it used). Not a bad book, quite compact, but probably not the best choice; those looking to read actual Japanese texts will quickly become frustrated. It is, however, extensively referenced in other texts from the same era.
Rating:
Summary: Useful book, but the title is misleading
Review: (My review is about the 1961 revised edition; I don't know if the problems I mentioned have been fixed.) I have used this book, and found it helpful, but it is NOT a guide to reading and writing Japanese. It is best described as a beginner's dictionary to the Toyo kanji (1850 for standard use). That said, it is a reference book, not a primary text, and probably shouldn't be used as such. The first 881 (elementary) characters are given with stroke order, meanings, and 3 example compounds; on and kun readings in Hepburn romanization (which I personally don't like). The remainder of the kanji have neither stroke order or examples. Includes a kana syllabaries, on/kun reading index, and stroke order index, but no meaning index or radical index. Originally written post-war era, and showing its age and lacking some more modern uses. Some kanji missing important readings or meanings (example: kanji for oku-san does not give this reading or meaning of wife, only way I've seen it used). Not a bad book, quite compact, but probably not the best choice; those looking to read actual Japanese texts will quickly become frustrated. It is, however, extensively referenced in other texts from the same era.
Rating: 
Summary: A valuable reference for learning and writing kanji
Review: As a North American professional who lives and works in Japan, my progressing Japanese studies have recently included kanji. While learning these Chinese characters seemed daunting and complex at first, I found this guide incredibly helpful. The book contains the 881 "essential" kanji designated by the Japanese Ministry of Education, along with the 1,850 characters designated as "standard" for everyday use in the publishing world (this includes the 881 essential kanji). Phonetic writings, definitions and everyday vocabulary are also supplied. One of the book's most valuable features is that kanji are clearly presented as handwritten, stroke-by-stroke models. This fosters a grasp of kanji construction, while making it easier to identify characters found in books, magazines, newspapers and on printed signs. An added benefit of the handwritten models is that reading personal letters or other correspondence becomes easier. My only small complaint is with the "romanized" (romaji) readings provided for each kanji. Since I began my studies by learning the two Japanese syllabaries (hiragana and katakana), I always find that reading romaji is distracting and like taking a big step backwards, since it merely serves as a guide to pronunciation. Overall, I'd enthusiastically recommend this book as an essential reference guide for students of Japanese at any level. Also, if available, consider the paperback version--it's lighter, more compact and easier to flip through quickly.
Rating:
Summary: Reference book only - But good for that
Review: For what it is, this is a good kanji book. The compact size makes it easy to carry around, and a whole lot of kanji are packed inside. The strokes are easily defined, and the unusual use of pen rather than calligraphy is appreciated. However, the book has some serious faults. First it is definitely not a "kanji learner." There is no workbook-style layout to trace the kanji stroke by stroke before writing alone. The strokes are outlined, but there is no room for practice. Second, aside from kanji, the book is almost entirely written in romaji, which is no help to learning Japanese and makes for more difficult searching of individual kanji. Third, there is no insight into kanji, no presentation of radicals, or anything to help a learner understand kanji. It presents each kanji as an individual character to be memorized. I would never recommend this as a sole kanji book, but it serves its purpose for reference and is a good tool overall.
Rating:
Summary: Reference book only - But good for that
Review: For what it is, this is a good kanji book. The compact size makes it easy to carry around, and a whole lot of kanji are packed inside. The strokes are easily defined, and the unusual use of pen rather than calligraphy is appreciated. However, the book has some serious faults. First it is definitely not a "kanji learner." There is no workbook-style layout to trace the kanji stroke by stroke before writing alone. The strokes are outlined, but there is no room for practice. Second, aside from kanji, the book is almost entirely written in romaji, which is no help to learning Japanese and makes for more difficult searching of individual kanji. Third, there is no insight into kanji, no presentation of radicals, or anything to help a learner understand kanji. It presents each kanji as an individual character to be memorized. I would never recommend this as a sole kanji book, but it serves its purpose for reference and is a good tool overall.
Rating: 
Summary: 40 year old friend
Review: I purchased A Guide to Reading and Writing Japanese in 1965. And it has been a good companion for nearly 40 years. The front and back covers are missing as well as the Title page and pages 16-17 that illustrate the first nine kanji. During my two years in Japan I purchased the 8 volumes of the
Naganuma textbooks (24 books), the Nelson Japanese-English Character Dictionary and numerous other books. In addition, I
earned 12 college credits through the University of Maryland
Far East Extension, and studied calligraphy under a retired Japanese school teacher. Yet, that little guide to reading and writing Japanese became my
favorite book. I learned hiragana and katakana in one week
while learning to pronouce all of the syllabic sounds in the Japanese language. As a part time student I learned 400 to 500
kanji. It is a great book!
Rating:
Summary: 40 year old friend
Review: I purchased A Guide to Reading and Writing Japanese in 1965. And it has been a good companion for nearly 40 years. The front and back covers are missing as well as the Title page and pages 16-17 that illustrate the first nine kanji. During my two years in Japan I purchased the 8 volumes of the
Naganuma textbooks (24 books), the Nelson Japanese-English Character Dictionary and numerous other books. In addition, I
earned 12 college credits through the University of Maryland
Far East Extension, and studied calligraphy under a retired Japanese school teacher. Yet, that little guide to reading and writing Japanese became my
favorite book. I learned hiragana and katakana in one week
while learning to pronouce all of the syllabic sounds in the Japanese language. As a part time student I learned 400 to 500
kanji. It is a great book!
Rating:
Summary: Great Beginner's kanji book
Review: I've studied Japanese for about 10 years, with 5 years spent in Japan. This book motivated me to focus on kanji from the beginning so that now I can read Japanese books and newspapers. This was the first book I ever used for Kanji. Thinking back now to those days in the library poring over it evokes much nostalgia. Every kanji is written with an ordinary pen, not a brush. Brushstrokes are useless for most of us who write with pens. This one excels in that you can copy the strokes precisely with a pen and with practice have your kanji looking as good as those in the book. My Japanese professor used to marvel at how beautifully I wrote for every assignment I handed in. I had used this book as a model for every kanji! By copying the beautiful characters in this book over and over, you will form good writing habits. It is essential that you follow a text such as this one from the beginning so that you know how important stroke order is for memorizing the more complex kanji you'll encounter later on. Once you learn the basic stroke order rules you will find the difficult kanji easy to remember too, as they are usually just an amalgamation of common radicals that you learn writing the easy kanji. This book is great for beginners who need to learn stroke order and for those who want to write more beautifully. It only contains the Joyo kanji (those taught in Japanese schools). If your remember them all you'll be able to read the kanji in the newspaper.
Rating:
Summary: A Toyo-Kanji dictionary
Review: Not a learning tool by itself, and a bit dated. However, this is a required book for most college classes in Japanese. It is a dictionary of the Toyo Kanji, kanji considered "standard education" by the Japanese ministry of education and required knowledge to pass high school. These kanji are what is considered fundamental (high school graduate) literacy in Japan. While I am looking for an updated dictionary, this is probably my most weathered Japanese book.
Rating:
Summary: 1850 Essential Charecters with stroke order
Review: This book is a reference book. It coveres 1850 essential Kanji, and the book shows you the stroke order. This book is great if you are learning Kanji or if you want help commiting some Kanji to memory.
I travelled all over Japan, and I found learning some Kanji helpful for reading from signs to find my way.
This reference is simple and well layed out.
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