This set provides flash cards for all of the Kanji which were required knowledge for levels 3 and 4 (the two easiest levels) of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) prior to 2006. Please note that JLPT levels are cumulative, so if you wanted to take the L3 exam you would need to know all the L3 and L4 Kanji.
The JLPT has now changed to a 5-level system, N5 to N1, with level N5 being essentially the same as the old L4 and level N4 being the same as the old L3. The kanji covered in this set are suitable for revision for the new testing scheme.
As with their Kana flash card box, White Rabbit have planned this set out very well indeed and built on the experience of their previous releases.
What's in the box?
- A printed card guide explaining the layout, which also includes a large yomi index and a stroke index,
- One double-sided Hiragana/Katakana chart,
- 103 Level 4 (N5) Kanji cards (green),
- 181 Level 3 (N4) Kanji cards (dark blue),
- 3 or more recommend-a-friend cards,
- A couple of cards about White Rabbit.
The cards and even the box they come in have been designed to be both appealing and informative. There is little clutter, and simple design in combination with a controlled colour palette means the information is easy to digest.
The 3.5x2.5" cards are glossy with rounded corners and apparently are coated with "UV varnish" which presumably makes them fade resistant to some degree.
The Kanji cards are well-designed. Unlike the kana cards, they are presented horizontally to allow more information to be fitted in. Moving down the card and from left to right, you have:
- The Kanji symbol itself,
- A list of example kanji compounds (giving a total vocabulary of 1700 compounds across all the cards),
- The card number (1-284),
- A grid containing similar-looking kanji, with their meanings and card numbers,
- The stroke numbers for writing the kanji,
- The radical/s for the symbol,
- The stroke order diagram for drawing the kanji.
Flip the card over and you have...
- The "On" reading (borrowed Chinese), written in Katakana,
- The "Kun" reading/s (Japanese), written in Hiragana,
- The meaning/s in English,
- A diagram of the kanji elements, with their separate meanings,
- A handy "progress meter" which shows how far through the 284-card syllabary the current kanji appears,
- List of Hiragana readings of example compounds, with meanings in English.
As you can see, there is a lot of information packed into this set.
Be aware that there is NO ROMANISED READING on these cards, other than the English translations, so you do need to know your kana. I recommend using the White Rabbit
Kana Flashcards set (also reviewed).
I also recommend using the cards in conjunction with a free language resource site which gives audio clips, or a reputable Kanji learning text which provides Japanese pronunciation guides.
I definitely recommend this set for anyone who wants to learn the basic Kanji. This set is very portable (although you may wish to get hold of some elastic bands - you'll see what I mean) and can be kept in a bag, glove box, etc. Check out the publisher's web site for additional resources!