Nihongo Notes Vol. 1: Language and Culture

by Osamu Mizutani, Nobuko Mizutani

“Nihongo Notes vol. 1 - Language and Culture”is a book that is published by The Japan Times for learners with an elementary Japanese level. This 208-page textbook will allow you to master the Japanese grammar. Instructions in English are provided in this textbook.

The first volume of this two-part collection explores the socio-cultural context of greetings and other expressions used in everyday life from the perspective of non-native people. This is an excellent book for anyone interested in learning more about the Japanese language and culture.

207 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2011

About the author

水谷修

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This new edition of the Nihongo Notes articles from The Japan Times is pretty exceptional in that it collects a great deal more of the articles together into a volume than the old printings, and the topics are still fairly useful today. I am quite capable and comfortable in the Japanese language; however, even though this book dealt with everyday subject matter that I encounter on a regular basis, I still learned a few things. The articles seldom focus on the basics of a major subject regarding Japanese culture and language. Instead, it takes you from a commonplace topic to some details about that topic that help you improve your nuance. In my case, it aided me in speaking more politely in formal situations. Some of the writing is a bit dated now, but for the most part it holds up.