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Read Real Japanese Essays: Contemporary Writings by Popular Authors Paperback – 30 Apr 2008

by Janet Ashby (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 4 customer reviews
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Read Real Japanese Fiction: Short Stories by Contemporary Writers 1 Free CD Included
Read Real Japanese Fiction: Short Stories by Contemporary Writers 1 Free CD Included
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Product details

  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Kodansha International; 1st edition (30 April 2008)
  • Language: English, Japanese
  • ISBN-10: 4770030576
  • ISBN-13: 978-4770030573
  • Product Dimensions: 20.8 x 2.3 x 14.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 831,809 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

About the Author

Janet Ashby is a freelance writer and translator who has lived in Japan since 1975. She has written a long-running literary column in the Japan Times and has a particular interest in Japanese popular culture. She is co-author of Japanese: The Spoken Language in Japanese Life and the author of the original Read Real Japanese, of which this book is a remake.

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

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Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent range of topics with audio
By Chorismos on 10 May 2009
Format: Paperback
This version of 'Read Real Japanese' far surpasses the previous, which has become somewhat outdated and used Romaji.

The editor's advice to listen, read and listen, then read and pronounce, is commendable.

The texts are wide-ranging, from lifestyle type columns to academic topics to contemporary issues.

I had some reservations having purchased the earlier (same titled) version two years ago but highly recommend this replacement.

The text should suit students who have achieved JLPT 3 onward. More advanced students (JLPT 2+) will find the readings easier but good practice. The audio is professional and almost at newsreader speed. Recommend ripping this to your favourite audio player codec and listening when commuting.

Positive:
- full audio provided (CD)
- copious grammar notes
- simultaneous facing translation
- full Furigana provided (at first mention)
- stimulating contemporary topics
- true layout (vertical text)
- no Romaji

Negative:
- relatively few essays
- prefer the Giles Murray 'Read Real Japanese' layout (which has dictionary and basic grammar instructions at base of page not at back of book)
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5.0 out of 5 starsGreat purchase
By Anya C. on 7 Jan. 2010
Format: Paperback
The essays featured in this book really are fascinating and provide a wonderful insight into Japanese culture and contemporary thought. Although it's aimed primarily at intermediate speakers, the dictionary (containing every word used in the book) and grammar guide (which is quite good although does omit some sentences that I thought should be included) both mean that even lower-level learners such as myself should be able to learn from it albeit slowly at first.

The CD is a great addition and is very useful if you don't get a lot of exposure to spoken Japanese otherwise.

However one slight problem is that the layout of the translation page seems quite messy, and can be difficult to understand as it is translated rather literally instead of into natural English.
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3.0 out of 5 starsgreat book but sub-optimally produced
By Amazon Customer on 7 Feb. 2016
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Please see my comments in relation to its companion book as my criticism is aimed at the physical item and applicable to both.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Read-Real-Japanese-Fiction-Contemporary/dp/1568365292/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

In short: great book but sub-optimally produced.
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5.0 out of 5 starsBrilliant.
By Booklover on 30 Dec. 2014
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Love listening to the CD! Great to study the book, then listen to the audio cd and see how much you can understand. Fun to go through with lots to learn and enjoy.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)

Amazon.com: HASH(0x8ebbd78c) out of 5 stars 22 reviews
40 of 42 people found the following review helpful
HASH(0x8e94d048) out of 5 stars Stellar Reader 31 Aug. 2008
By ARK - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Once I read the Fiction version in this series, I jumped for the Nonfiction as quickly as possible. This little series is absolutely top-notch for those who have taken advanced Japanese classes. I can't help but repeat myself in this review: "This reader is the one I compare all others to."

It goes above and beyond in every respect. It features enjoyable stories, furigana by every kanji, a dictionary wherein every term is listed, a line-by-line "literal" explanation, and in the back of the book the grammar and cultural points of each line is discussed in depth. And as icing on the cake, there's a fabulous CD wherein an actress reads each story aloud. How can it get any better than this?

Frankly, I am being spoiled rotten by both of the books in this duo. It's going to be hard to go back to other readers that lack comprehensive dictionaries and feature complex kanji with no furigana.

Still, don't be fooled by all the goodies it gives you -- it's not holding your hand. Furigana is only listed once, forcing you to recall it when the kanji is repeated later in the story. Any new devotees of the Japanese language will probably be bowled over -- it's definitely for the intermediate students, who will benefit most from seeing all of those grammar forms they only previously knew in textbooks.

If you're a student of Japanese, you'll find this reader helpful and fun. It's definitely worth the money -- you're paying for some wonderful features that many other readers skimp on. I suggest getting the Fiction version of this set as well, as it features all of the same perks.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
HASH(0x8e94d450) out of 5 stars Good study material 9 Sept. 2008
By Kaodake - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Paperback
This is a great book for advanced students. It presents real written Japanese and breaks it down into bite-size segments. Everything you need (except for a note book) is right there. The CD is an excellent aid for listening. No dry reading and grammar points. I find it is best to make photocopies of the section you are working through so you can lay it flat (the hadrcover version won't always stay open). You can also increase the font size and make notes whithout marking up the book (I'm a nitpicker).

Best to use the CD with mediaplayer on a computer. This way you can break the tracks down and focus on the individual sentences, without having to sit through the entire track (big time saver).

You must still work at it though. The best materials in the world do nothing if you don't use them. This book makes language study a little less painful!
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
HASH(0x8e94d4d4) out of 5 stars Amazing! 6 Sept. 2008
By Amazon Customer - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Paperback
For anyone disappointed by the fact that the Japanese language books in the book store are too easy, but Japanese books are too hard, this is the book for you. It's definitely a great tool for students that are interested in gaining more reading comprehension strength while being able to enjoy what they are reading. The length of the essays are short which prevent boredom and since they are written by authors instead of educators they leave you wanting to read more! I love the literal translations on the side that still let me think of what the author is saying instead of telling me what it says! I can't wait to buy the short stories book too!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
HASH(0x8e94d834) out of 5 stars Good practice 12 Jan. 2014
By SG - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
These bilingual books are very well made. They don't simply translate each sentence, they give you a sense of the grammar behind it and let's you interpret the actual meaning by being faithful to the flexible nature of Japanese (no gender, plural, etc...). Comes with a CD to listen, and with a glossary.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
HASH(0x8e94d5e8) out of 5 stars Kodansha does it again. And again. 13 Jan. 2009
By KanjiHanzi - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Paperback
Kodansha is simply the best publisher of this kind of books. Period. No other publisher gets even close. I have bought almost every title from them, starting with what was called Power Japanese Series at that time, now published again in new editions without the power label.

I have the previous "edition" of this book, but it's actually not at all the same book as this one, since the stuff there is totally different. (Get both!) The major difference is of course the better format of this book. AND THE CD! It's great to have the text read by a professional actress, even if she does like ALL native Japanese talkers do: break the speed limit. Even if I have been listening to spoken Japanese on and off for almost ten years, I still have to repeat and repeat until WORDS start to appear from the machine gun syllables :-)

I am currently engaged in really weird discussions on the net by simply asking "Is Japanese the most difficult language (for English-etc-speaking persons) to learn?" Part of my argument - apart from my own experiences - is found in this particular book. Quoting Janet Ashby:

"""[...] Yet Japanese remains a deeply frustrating language to study. So much so that I remember finding it positively encouraging when my Japanese professor remarked one day that it took seven years to learn the language - I had despaired pf ever being able to pick up up a Japanese magazine or newspaper and read it more or less easily.

The problem is not only the kanji barrier, high though that can be for Western learners of Japanese, but also the differences in the spoken and written language and the unfamiliar vocabulary, set expressions, sentence patterns, and even the way of thinking. And despite all the changes in the learning environment over the years, there still aren't many intermediate reading materials available, especially ones that can be used for independent study."""

That's a perfectly honest assessment. Why people get upset by telling them that Japanese is extremely difficult, is really beyond my understanding. I am currently focusing on Mandarin, so I am not ACTIVELY studying Japanese. But if I did, this would be one of the books I would focus on. And also don't forget the companion book "Read Real Japanese Fiction" by Michael Emmerich.
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