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Kodansha's Compact Kanji Guide: A New Character Dictionary for Students and Professionals (A Kodansha Dictionary)
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 495.611
EAN: 9784770015532
Edition: 1
ISBN: 4770015534
Label: Kodansha International (JPN)
Manufacturer: Kodansha International (JPN)
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 928
Publication Date: 1991-12
Publisher: Kodansha International (JPN)
Studio: Kodansha International (JPN)
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Editorial Review:
Whether full-time students, business people, or casual readers, all have felt the need for a compact, up-to-date, practical kanji dictionary. Something that would fit into a shoulderbag or briefcase, could be taken to class, or would sit unobtrusively on a desktop. Kodansha's Compact Kanji Guide is precisely that dictionary, designed specifically to meet the needs of the modern man and woman. It includes all of the 1,945 Joyo Kanji, the core kanji recommended by the Japanese Ministry of Education for use in Japanese newspapers and magazines. Knowing these kanji, the student can recognize virtually every Chinese character appearing in the daily press.
And that is not all. The Guide also features some 18,000 kanji compounds, both those with Chinese readings (on-yomi) and those with Japanese readings (kun-yomi). These compounds have been carefully selected for practicality, usefulness, and timeliness. The living language has received exclusive priority, including such words as "Gulf War," "favoritism," and "statute of limitations."
For those interested in securities, stocks and bonds, and the diverse terminology of the business world, related terms and jargon are clearly marked for easy reference. Simply open the book and look for the Yen sign. There you will find "current price," "aggregate market value," "issue at market price," and a great deal more.
For those who want to write kanji, the stroke order of each and every character has been duly noted. But more important, the Guide does its utmost to help the reader locate the needed character. Aside from the traditional radical chart on the back endpaper, there are three invaluable indices as well. The first is by the reading of the kanji, either Japanese (kun) or Chinese (on). The second is by radical, but not by traditional radical alone. Also included are variants and near-misses, directing the reader precisely to the right page. The third is by stroke number--if all else fails, count the strokes and track the character down.
With a copy of Kodansha's Compact Kanji Guide close at hand--with its definitions, stroke order, Chinese compounds, Japanese compounds, business terminology, and three helpful indices--the life of the typical student of Japanese should take a decided turn for the better.
Features * 1,945 Essential (Joyo) Kanji * 18,000 Common Compounds * 2,000 Practical Business Terms * Three Indices for Finding Kanji * Compact for Handy Reference * Functional, Up-to-Date, Timely
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Kodansha's Kanji guide VS. Casio XD-470
This is the best paper Kanji dictioanry that exists however...
The paper dictionary is larger and not as convenient to carry around the Electronic Casio XD-470 which is small and convenient.
Kodansha has 20,000 compounds
Casio has 108,000 compounds plus a Japanese to English, English to Japanese dictionary.
To use Kodansha you have to know something of how to look up Kanji by stroke order in the dictionary.
To use the Casio you simply have to know ... Read More
Rating:  - The best kanji book
This book is the best kanji book on the market. I found this book at my Univeristy co op in Hiroshima when I was studying there. I have never used another book since. It gives you both the ON and KUN readings and also it introduces some finacial words that are of some interest. I strongly urge anyone who wants a book in which to look up kanji fast and efficiently to buy this book. Another feature is the size of this book as it makes it good to carry around. When I am reading the Japanese newspaper ... Read More
Rating: - This book is a work of art
This is quite possibly my favorite book.
Let me explain what I mean by that.
My knowlege of Japanese is so minimal that I rarely make much use of this book, so I can't honestly say much about its content and you'll have to rely on the other reviewers for that.
But I had to write this review to say someting about the construction and simple artistry of the way this book is designed. While there's nothing revolutionary about any one aspect, the resulting whole has a perfection akin ... Read More
Rating:  - Good All-Around Product
I have used this guide for some years now, and I find it to be the most useful Japanese dictionary that I have. While of course it cannot compete with Nelson on the number of entries, or kanji for that matter, it is a good deal smaller than Nelson and I can take it to work with me without problem. For business uses and the popular press in general I have rarely run across a word that I could not find in here. And it's so durable!
Some may balk at the traditional radical order of the Kanji, but ... Read More
Rating: - Good Reference for Beginners
Kodansha's Compact Kanji Guide is an excellent reference for beginners learning the Japanese written language. It contains all the Jooyou Kanji (the official list of 1,950 essential Kanjis of the Japanese Ministry of Education) and some 18,000 compounds, focussing particularly on those appearing frequently in Japanese mass media. In particular, great emphasis is laid on compounds pertaining to the business world. Beyond this, however, the scope of this book is fairly limited. It contains few literary ... Read More
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