Cons:
see cons for Barron’s Japanese Grammar; Japanese text is now printed in black rather than stand-out dark red; more of a well-crafted grammar reference than a lesson guide

Part of Barron’s Foreign Language Guide series, Master the Basics: Japanese expands the contents of Akiyama’s Japanese Grammar. Since the heart of the book repeats the entirety of Japanese Grammar, it’s worth evaluating my review of that book first.

This lesson guide is bigger than the pocket sized Grammar, allowing for larger print and more space for notes. Apart from changing title and section colors from red to orange and Japanese examples from red to black, I don’t notice any changes to the text.

The star addition here is a series of practice activities at the end of the book that test your knowledge of each of the twenty-two chapters. Additionally, there’s a short diagnostic in the beginning that claims to illuminate how much you already know from the starting gate.

The lengthy test at the end of the book has a range of question types. All these questions test your understanding of a specific Japanese grammar topic. Each page of the exam tests you on a specific unit in the book. You’ll answer multiple choice and fill in the blanks but also do matching exercises, a word search and a crossword puzzle.

Unless you’re set on the small size or the red text, this book is recommended over the original Barron’s Japanese Grammar. It offers all the same great info, well laid out and well indexed, enlarges the text and gives you a better way to use the book by adding practice exercises. For beginners and early intermediate Japanese language learners, this is a great grammar resource.

Cons:
lack of exercises will bother practice-oriented students; lack of audio to help students pronounce all these example words and phrases; some longer word lists to memorize out of context; solid appendix material (esp. verbs on pages 78-84) are presented as lists that break the flow of chapters

It’s hard for beginners to judge what makes one learn Japanese book innovative, easy, step-by-step or complete and another not. At first glance, not a lot distinguishes Gene Nishi’s Japanese Step by Step: An Innovative Approach to Speaking and Reading Japanese from other book lessons with grammar explanations, sample sentences and vocabulary.

In the introduction, the author reveals where his intentions differ. Working as a language instructor with busy adults, he found many time consuming courses using the “direct method” (expose the student to as much Japanese as possible). These impractical courses did not meet the needs of his students. He set out to create a course that logically presents the structure behind Japanese. But how, and how well does it work?

The first chapter explains pronunciation, paying attention to syllables over single sounds, even carefulyl explaining intonation. Japanese tones are included in all examples, which are written in full script (kana & kanji) as well as English-friendly romaji beneath. High toned syllabes are in all caps, while low tones are not capitalized.

Chapter two does a decent job of introducing kana and kanji. Katakana and hiragana tables list the characters for every syllable, then students must read a series of words aloud written in each syllabary. This is hard if you struggle with kana, so I recommend using another resource to conquer the two Japanese syllablaries. Kanji are explained well enough, but you’ll definitely need much more practice before you even get the gist of these complex characters.

Chapters 3 through 13 present grammar and language structure topics in well-paced sections. Each chapter is broken down into bite-sized increments. For example, you’ll begin by learning sentence patterns ending in desu and masu. As you do, you’re given concise, pinpoint explanations for only that topic. Then, you’ll work through sample Japanese phrases relevant to that topic (with English translations). You’re encouraged to read these out loud and practice writing them.

Within many sections, material in gray boxes depicts the relations between the structures you’re learning, or gives a formula for rememberin the structures (NOUN+desu, for instance).

By the end of chapter thirteen, students can expect a good level of competency in reading the standard written language (and spoken if you’ve been reading along and supplementing your learning with conversation). You’ll cover nearly every aspect of beginner and early intermediate Japanese grammar.

The book ends with an appendix of useful phrases, an appendix of kanji radicals, one of numerals and classifiers, a short verb conjugation chart, a three page index and hiragana/katakana tables. The table of contents is also detailed enough for a quick reference.

The course has no practice exercises in the traditional sense. With so many useful Japanese sentences, it would be nice for beginners to have an audio accompaniment, particularly if used as a learn-on-your-own course.

Busy individuals who want to learn on their own, or small adult classes focusing on practical Japanese grammar for educated formal speech will get the most out of this book. Nishi’s Japanese Step by Step charges ahead at its own pace, but it’s a good one for the right type of learner. I’m not sure it’s all that innovative, but it works.

Cons:
some explanations are less clear; no index; few exercises (a “con” if you’re looking for practice); no index; switch between romaji in explanations and script in examples will deter some eyes; really good appendix material is tied up in the first chapter

Isoko Durbin’s Speak Like Native Speakers: Japanese Verb Conjugation I aims to change the way foreign learners of Japanese study and remember Japanese verbs. Verbs have long been recognized as the trickiest part of Japanese grammar for English speakers, and the author argues that this results from a simple misunderstanding.

Textbooks traditionally teach Japanese verbs by dividing them into four classes: -ru verbs, -u verbs and the irregulars ‘suru’ and ‘kuru’. Unfortunately, a whole bunch of complexities and exceptions arise when we follow that strategy.

Instead, as the introduction explains, we learners should adopt the native Japanese way of understanding verbs. We can do this by paying attention to how two pieces – roots and affixes (verbs and auxiliaries) – fit together. This requires mastering two concepts: 1) how to make a verb stem out of any verb, and 2) how to attach any auxiliary to any verb.

The first part of this book teaches you to handle those “roots” by dealing with stems and endings. For example, you’ll learn that the stem of a verb like ‘nomu’ is ‘nom’ and that the verb takes one of five endings (noma, nomi, nomu, nome, nomo) depending on the auxiliary attached to it. An exercise here allows you to practice pulling apart verbs to find their stems and endings.

The remaining five chapters of the book tackle a rather comprehensive list of Japanese constructions involving the verb stems you learned to use plus auxiliaries. Each section deals with one construction, titled with a cue in English (like “Did Not” or “Difficult to do”) and listed alongside the Japanese construction (“Nakatta” or “Nikui”), which you will find conveniently in the book’s table of contents.

Each verb construction includes a table demonstrating the stem + auxiliary in question, with examples for each conjugation. Then, there is a paragraph explaining the construction’s use, followed by sample sentences using the construction in fluent Japanese. Unfortunately for some students, the few practice exercises are limited to the stem-forming section at the beginning of the book.

Most of the grammar rules and conjugations are given in transliterated romaji. Even using romaji, the text explains which kana to use in tricky situations like consonant-final stems. However, examples are written in full Japanese script. The use of kana and kanji is commendable for learners at the late-beginner/early-intermediate level who stand to get the most from this book. All kanji have furigana readings above them, so anyone with a knowledge of hiragana can read every example.

A reference guide needs tools for continued use, like an index and appendix. This book has neither, but don’t let that deter you. The table of contents is thorough enough to list every verb construction in the book in both Japanese and English. Additionally, some material that would make for a really good appendix is lost somewhere in the first chapter, including full tables of Japanese verbs by conjugation type. It’s not perfect, but it does make this a good at-hand grammar reference once you’re familiar with the book’s layout.

Speak Like a Native Speaker: Japanese Verb Conjugation I is eager to teach you a better way to learn Japanese verbs. Its unique non-Western approach will reward students willing to work through some of the surface complexities. The author’s eager text leaves some rough edges, exercises are scarce and the lack of a final index is soothed only somewhat by a helpful table of contents. The lack of polish in places and switching between romaji and kana/kanji will deter some learners, but it’s worth getting over that for the Japanese grammar wisdom at this book’s core.

All in all, if you’re in the market for a reference guide to Japanese grammar, particularly if you’re struggling with the way you currently understand Japanese verbs, I can easily recommend this book.

Cons:
specific words and endings are listed with examples, without much indication of how this fits into overall grammar; all romaji, no Japanese script; the lengthy, extra vocabulary sections feel out of place; difficult to get a grasp on the book’s underlying goal

Rita Lampkin’s Japanese Verbs and Essentials of Grammar strives to present a comprehensive, searchable reference grammar book for beginning and intermediate students learning Japanese. About fifty pages of the book deal with Japanese verbs, while another seventy pages introduce other grammar points (“essentials of grammar”), like particles, noun expressions and adjectives.

In general, chapters present a specific topic (like the verb desu) in one to five pages. Most of those pages are filled with lists of important words (like key particles) or endings (like Base 1 Endings, used in forming negative verbs). Each important term will then list a short explanation and a couple Japanese examples. The particle kara, for instance, tells that it’s a “direction indicator: from. Follows an origin, source or beginnning point.” Then, there are examples of kara in use, like “?saka kara kimashita. He came from Osaka.”

Certain sections, like chapters on verbs and numerical classifiers, also give word forms in tables for visual understanding of patterns. As this is purely a grammar reference, there are no practice exercises or teacher-style lessons explaining various parts of grammar.

The book ends with themed vocabulary sections typical of what you might expect from a college textbook or Japanese travel phrasebook, but less attractive. You can find words or phrases about, say, shopping and education, but this feels oddly out of place.

This list of all hiragana and katakana, as well as the informative but formulaic four-page intro to kanji can hardly count as a real introduction to the Japanese script. What’s more, this is the only Japanese writing in the book, since all the examples in the actual body of the book are Romanized for English eyes. Fortunately, a good index saves the back of the book from being entirely third-rate material.

Japanese Verbs and Essentials of Grammar does cover quite a bit of elementary and intermediate Japanese grammar, but its tactics aren’t quite right. Listing forms followed by explanations and examples makes it hard to learn anything systematically here. Instead, we’re challenged to search for specific words or endings we’d like to learn about, which keeps students from really mastering the underlying substance of grammar.

If you can keep this as one of your reference books and come back to it when you need examples and a quick explanation of a specific Japanese construction, you’ll be able to make use of it. Otherwise, there are better ways to get a feel for how Japanese grammar work,s and friendlier, more detailed guides to learn specific aspects of Japanese grammar.

Cons:
missing a topic index; exercises are basic (you’ll need more practice for mastery); some pages look chaotic with all the kanji & kana, fonts, translations, footnotes and all; examples and approach are a bit stale

Late beginners and intermediate Japanese learners run into serious challenges when they start dealing with the complexities of adjectives, adverbs and verbs. These two grammar handbooks by Taeko Kamiya are intended to ease those growing pains.

Both The Handbook of Japanese Adjectives and Adverbs and The Handbook of Japanese Verbs follow a very similar pattern and handle their material in much the same way. If you like one as a Japanese language learning reference, you’ll like the other one.

The books begin by discussing the use and structure of verbs or adjectives. This gives a good overview of all their properties and plenty of believable Japanese examples. The next section deals with conjugation (yes, Japanese adjectives are conjugated like verbs). The conjugation sections have useful tables and, again, plenty of sample Japanese phrases.

The rest of the handbooks deal with usage explanations and examples (except for a further overview on adverbs later in The Handbook of Japanese Adjectives and Adverbs). In each of the remaining sections, you’ll find one or another construction in a long box, such as “Vneg + nai + tsumori da” (“don’t intend to ~”). Root forms are always abbreviated, so the basic dictionary form of verbs shows up as Vdic, negative verbs as Vneg, Adj cond stands for conditional adjective, and so on. This is explained in the text.

Below that box (which is given an index number for quick reference), there is a short explanation (“Vneg nai tsumori da expresses a person’s intention not to do something”). Then, there are a number of examples in romaji and full Japanese script – kana and kanji – also translated into English. The example phrases sound a bit formal, at least in English, but they are still realistic and convenient. The author even puts the adjective or verb construction in question in bold letters, so it stands out.

After a number of topics, you’ll find a practice exercise. Exercises are usually Japanese sentences that require you to fill in the blank or choose the correct form, but these simple grammar drills are welcome when dealing with such a complex aspect of Japanese grammar.

The books end with answers to the practice exercises, a numbered index of all sentence patterns discussed in the book (like Vneg or Adj cond) with reference to page numbers, and a verb or adjective word glossary in both English-Japanese and Japanese-English.

If you’re aiming to learn fluent Japanese, your mastery of grammar will eventually make or break you. Verbs and adjectives are two of the toughest points of Japanese grammar. For a reference trilogy on all the sore points of Japanese, add in All About Particles, too. If you’re a serious intermediate student or you want to become one, you’re just starting to crack the tough nut of Japanese grammar. These are handy go-to references to keep on your shelf.

Cons:
missing any systematic treatment of writing, but expects you to read hiragana, katakana and some kanji; grammar only presented as part of language functions; no exercises; explanations can be tedious at times; more of a reference than a complete course

Japanese the Manga Way attempts to capitalize on the already huge and growing Japanese manga market in the west by using manga to teach the Japanese language.

Like the author fully admits, this is more of a Japanese grammar or reference guide than a full-fledged lesson course. Audio recordings, practice exercises, quizzes, cultural side notes – these are all missing from this book. But, wait, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a look!

The thirty two lessons of Japanese the Manga Way introduce a dazzling array of useful Japanese by addressing language functions. Each section treats one of these functions. From telling time to negative verbs to honorific language to question words, the author accounts for nearly every piece of the linguistic structure of basic Japanese and intermediate Japanese.

Within each lesson, smaller sections deal with one topic apiece. Each topic includes a hefty, sometimes hard to swallow paragraph or two explaining the topic. Then, you’ll find a manga panel – a real, made and published in Japan manga cell, that contains a fluent Japanese example of that exact topic. Kudos to the author for searching out and arranging this huge number of relevant examples from so many different manga series!

The examples take center stage here, so let me break them down for you. The Japanese manga panels are analyzed like linguistic specimens in order to dissect the topic at hand. The text is repeated beside the comic in full native Japanese script. Beneath, you’ll see the romaji transliteration (in our Romanized characters). Then, below that line, you’ll find a word-for-word translation of the Japanese that helps you get a feel for the structure of the example. Finally, beneath that line, there’s a native English translation.

The book ends with an appendix full of further resources and a thorough index of Japanese words, phrases and language functions.

Japanese the Manga Way doesn’t systematically introduce foundational Japanese grammar. It also breezes over writing – the writer just starts throwing kana and kanji examples at you, and only once suggests ways for you to go off and study the script on your own.

This book isn’t a complete program for learning to speak Japanese, especially for beginning speakers. It focuses on language functions in usage, which heaves out students who are struggling with basic grammar. It also closes the door to learners who don’t know a thing about Japanese writing. But… and it’s a big but… the admirable selection of real manga conversations, spot-on analysis of example phrases, meaty explanations and strong coverage of language topics makes this a worthy addition to many reference shelves.

For students who could use a bit more practice with fluent, everyday Japanese in a well-organized fashion, it’s a great purchase. It’s a real challenge to learn to speak Japanese, and books that expose you to native Japanese in creative ways are typically a good buy. For manga lovers, it’s almost a must-have, as long as it’s not your first outing with the Japanese language.

Cons:
no Japanese script (only romaji, or Romanization); not in-depth enough for advanced students

Barron’s small, pocket sized Japanese Grammar sets out a comprehensive overview of every major aspect of Japanese grammar.

The layout of the book befits a reference guide perfectly. There are no exercises, no lessons, and explanations are kept short and relevant. Sections are numbered and written in red, and headings are subnumbered (like “2.1″) and titled in all caps. Japanese examples are also in red, and English translations in bold. Key words and points are set apart in boxes with a colored background.

The linguistic organization is hierarchical and logical. For instance, section 6, “Particles”, includes a subsection 6.2 “Particles Used with Words or Phrases” that explains and gives examples of 18 important particles. The examples are displayed in a very useful way. Each red Japanese word has a line pointing to it that indicates the grammatical function of that word below it. Then, the full English translation is given in bold. Extra information is brief, but occurs frequently and points you in the right direction.

The bulk of this Japanese grammar deals with parts of speech (nouns, particles, adverbs, pronouns and, especially, Japanese verbs and adjectives). Short sections on pronunciation, writing and word order give extra help to learners, but don’t teach those topics beyond the surface level. “Special topics” follow the parts of speech topics and deal with classifiers, numbers and a few useful categories of words. A Japanese-English vocabulary reviews many of the words used in this grammar.

The index and table of contents are both robust and easy-to-use, allowing you to quickly look up specific topics and find exact page or sub-section numbers.

For all that it does well, this guide is written entirely in Romanized characters. Students who have traveled deeper into their Japanese studies might find themselves disappointed. After all, you’re reading transliterated Japanese here, not “authentic” Japanese.

This little book isn’t detailed enough to answer every single question you’ll have about the Japanese language, but it covers all the topics of beginning and intermediate grammar. It gives real-life examples for each topic. It’s easy to flip and search through. It’s color coordinated. Granted, it’s missing true Japanese script, but you might overlook that for its organization and low price.

As a Japanese learner, I have been thoroughly impressed with the quality of many of the Kodansha materials I’ve purchased or borrowed. That’s not to say I don’t have my share of complaints (I’m a reviewer and a critic, after all). All About Particles is another of their solid publications that pigeonholes itself into a niche of Japanese grammar that pesters students: the elusive particle.

Japanese particles are small, grammatical function words that string together words and phrases, but their meaning is hard to pin down on their own. They’re often defined to learners as “grammar word that does X”. Simple concepts, like asking a question or making someone the subject of an action, require particles in Japanese.

This book introduces almost seventy particles, giving multiple ways each particle is used, including nuances. Then, the guide lists realistic Japanese sentences for each nuance. Similarly functioning particles are cross-referenced. Short explanations are given in English, but they’re always to the point – rarely lengthy or bogged down.

All particles and examples are written in Japanese script, then Japanese transliteration (“Romanization”). All examples are translated into English. An index of particles and important constructions ends the book.

As the back cover sleekly proclaims, this is a good at-hand reference guide for beginners and intermediate learners. It covers reading and referencing particles and sentences from multiple angles. To learn Japanese grammar and sentence structure, you really do have to master particles. While you can find similar lists with examples for cheaper (like Barron’s Japanese Grammar), none have this depth for this price.

Sure, it’s a very specific topic. But, if you’re at the stage where a stand-by, usage-filled book on particles would be handy, take the leap and buy this one.

The Barron’s 501 Verbs series offers a learner-oriented compendium of – you guessed it – 501 useful, practical verbs. Each and every verb is fully conjugated in the target language (that is, all possible forms are given). The Japanese version delivers here.

The book’s content is expected and acceptable, although it’s almost entirely written in transliteration. Students have to rely on Romanized characters rather than reading real Japanese. Akiyama’s revision of the text at least put it into the standard Hepburn system, whereas previous editions made learners wade through non-standard transliteration. Additionally, kanji/kana are now given for the root verb and in sample sentences for certain major “essential 55″ verbs. Still, that is hardly enough to win over students yearning to reference the real written language.

A somewhat helpful introduction explains differences in formality and speech levels, how the grammar of verb forms works, and even a bit of pronunciation and intonation. Throughout the text, further explanations come in the form of “essential 55 verb” notes, given for 55 tricky or useful Japanese verbs.

Unlike some 501 Verbs books, this volume does not give usage examples for each verb, although its entries are complete enough to indicate formal, honorific and humble forms.

It’s by and large a regular affair to learn Japanese verb forms, since verb stem + ending combinations are highly predictable. This fact makes much of the information redundant. Perceptive students could get the same information from a simple table of verb endings, like those introduced in the more attractive Barron’s Grammar (or Verbs) series, also reviewed here.

501 Japanese Verbs is not a useless reference, to be sure, but this guide will only serve a select group of learners, in my opinion. With hardly any explanations and very little actual written Japanese, I get by just as well without it.