This guide provides the information needed to master the basic characters and the syllybaries of Japanaese. A list of 284 extra kanji used in names is also included.

Author Biography

Wolfgang Hadamitzky is a librarian of the East Asia section of the Berlin State Library. He has worked in Oslo and Tokyo on the staff of the German Cultural Institute (Goethe Institute). Mark Spahn has a background in mathematics, engineering, and computer science. He has worked in Japan as a teacher, computer magazine writer, programmer, and translator. He presently resides in the United States, where he is active as a translator and consultant. Other titles by the same authors include "A Guide to Writing Kanji and Kana" (Tuttle) and "The Kanji Dictionary."