Learn to recognize, read aloud, and write katakana and hiragana. Acquire a basic knowledge of the structure and mechanics of kanji (i.e. distinguishing one kanji character from another, stroke order), which is essential for using dictionaries and indexes, and for recognizing and remembering kanji. This textbook covers the most common words in an enjoyable and humorous way. This texbook - designed for college students and business people learning Japanese - provides a practical introduction the the Japanese written language. The lessons are presented in contexts that beginning students are likely to encounter. Such survival situations include finding one's way around Japan and Tokyo, reading street and other signs, and shopping and dining (lots of useful information about Japanese dishes is included!).