Merriam-Webster's Japanese-English Dictionary

Rating:
Summary: Great for beginners
Review: I've been studying the Japanese language on my own for six years now. Of all the Japanese-English dictionaries I laid my hands on, this one has been the most helpful and the one I take anywhere.

This compact version of my favorite M/W Japanese Learner's Dictionary has every word listed explained sufficiently, and differences in usage are shown in the examples. As certain English words have different meanings depending on context, that context is also mentioned here as not to confuse with others. Words with same kana writing but different kanji are written in separate entries as well.

A quick reference for translating from English to Japanese is also included in the back, but since it's only the dictionary form, you'll have to conjugate it before using it.

Grammar notes, counting suffixes, era tables in Japanese history are also included.

You'll need a separate reference for kanji, by the way.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite
Review: Like many students of Japanese I have several dictionaries, but this is the one I keep coming back to. It has numerous examples, usage notes, and cross references to synonyms and antonyms. Of all my dictionaries it has the highest hit rate when trying to find an unfamiliar word. It has good explainations of each particle, too. Just like it says on the cover, this is a Japanese to English dictionary with a short English to Japanese glossary in an appendix. Although the main entries are in roomaji, the main entries are also in kana/kanji and the examples are both in roomaji and kana/kanji. $6.95 well spent.

Rating:
Summary: No good for novice English Speaking students.
Review: You have to be careful before buying this book. It only includes Japanese to English translation. If you are an novice English Speaking student trying to learn Japanese, this book is definitely not for you! If you are an Advanced student and only need an occasional glance you might think about it.