Generally I'm suspicious of any book whose title intimates a quick and easy alternative to studying a language, but Japanese the Easy Way is an exception. For one thing, it doesn't actually say that Japanese is easy. Just that some methods for learning it are easier than others.

This book's aim is to provide supplemental material. It targets two groups of learners: students of beginning Japanese who need extra practice and an alternative explanations to those offered in their textbooks, and people who have studied Japanese previously and need a review. I think it hits the target on both counts.

Japanese the Easy Way has a stronger emphasis on grammar than business Japanese books like Japanese for Busy People. But the explanations are very simple and straightforward with clear examples and helpful notes. The author's, Karen Sandness's tone is very casual; it's as if she's sitting right there, a friendly and knowledgeable tutor. I get the feeling she's used to teaching Japanese to American high school students. She includes sections called "Watch Out!" with commonly made mistakes. Each chapter ends with a summary and review exercises (the answers are in the back of the book).

The book is written primarily in romaji. However, for vocabulary both the kanji and the kana are given. Personally, I prefer to see Japanese written in standard Japanese script, but the romanization in this book is in keeping with the intended purpose as supplemental material.

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Recommended for: Beginner and Intermediate Students