In brief, the New Japanese-English Character Dictionary is an excellent reference for understanding kanji. Each kanji entry provides core meanings, and this is very useful to the student of Japanese. I wish I had this dictionary when I first began studying Japanese back in 1985, and I recommend it without reservation. Now for the details... Kanji dictionaries are one of the most useful language tools for the student of Japanese. While there are many such works in print, most are designed for the native speaker of Japanese.
Full review."Jack Halpern ... has based himself on authoritative research conducted in
both China and Japan. The unique arrangement of this dictionary makes the study
of Chinese characters a fascinating pursuit for foreigners. The publication
of this dictionary will beyond doubt be invaluable in promoting international
cultural understanding."
"... should provide a useful reference for all those interested in the serious study of the Japanese writing system. ... several very useful features of your work are not found elsewhere, and accordingly it should prove to be a welcome addition to the existing literature. For example, you have provided for each character a core meaning or meanings, which will furnish the basis for analysis of actual occurrences. "... I applaud your decision to provide supplementary information on the discrimination of homophones and of characters representing closely related meanings that are easily confused. This kind of information is invaluable."
"There is no doubt that this dictionary is superior to other kanji dictionary published so far. I am convinced that it is an extremely useful work for learners of Japanese."
"This comprehensive dictionary offers the learner a full understanding of how kanji are used in Japanese. The grouping of entries around core meanings should be a valuable aid to learning. The simple and novel classification of characters will appeal to both beginners and advanced users."
"Character meanings and compound words are arranged in a manner that shows
how each character functions as a word-building element ... We are confident
that students of Japanese using this dictionary will make rapid progress in
their studies by deepening their knowledge and understanding of kanji, and will
be 0Tcompletely gratified with its effectiveness.
"The ingenuity with which the content of this dictionary is presented offers many important hints in teaching [kanji] to students [of Japanese]. An good example of this is the presentation of character meanings as an expansion from a core meaning, and of the formation and usage of compound words."
"I am very excited by your dictionary project ... One of my pedagogical interests is in the teaching of kanji, especially in developing ways of cracking the "system" so that students can learn the kanji in the most effective and efficient way possible ... This dictionary is a significant achievement for all of us teachers and students of Japanese."
"Students who bought the dictionary are very happy with it and like it very much. I constantly use it when I make my teaching material and quizzes. I just love it! Thank you for producing such a great dictionary!"
"I was deeply impressed by the high degree of precision, the wealth of ideas in the front matter and appendixes, and the profoundness of your scholarship. Above all, I believe that the method of presenting core meanings and the classification of kanji [compounds] by meaning is of outstanding excellence. I would like you to know that the director of our institute and many of our staff 8Tspeak [of your dictionary] in terms of high praise."
"Learners of Japanese who are sometimes perplexed or bewildered by the wide nuances many kanji have may also find the insights into Japanese words offered by this character dictionary both fascinating and enlightening."
"I got a birthday present which allows me to look up any kanji I see on a sign or in a newspaper with about the same speed as I use a Spanish dictionary. It's awesome. The system takes one minute to learn. I can't figure out why it was never done before. Then when I find the character, I get a clear and concise meaning for the character and an easy-to-read list of senses and submeanings in ,Frequency use order, not just randomly."
" ... Looking at it briefly in the book shop it looked quite complicated. But within a few minutes I'd realized how useful the SKIP system method could be and before I even purchased the book I had chosen an example, looked it up in the dictionary and found it the first time ... 95% of the time I find the kanji the first time ...
"This dictionary makes kanji very enjoyable. I find the layout is really self-explanatory. The compounds section I find extremely useful. In fact, brilliant. My Japanese friends were very surprised at the power of this dictionary. I look forward to learning Japanese very much and I'm certain your dictionary will be the best teaching aid for the foreseeable future."
"This is not only an extremely user-friendly reference work, but also the sort of dictionary ideally suited for browsing. Your lifework is a triumph of the dictionary-writer's art, and I will recommend it to my colleagues back in the US."
"I am a great fan of your new dictionary, and find it a little hard to believe that someone didn't think of SKIP sooner. In any case I'm glad to be using it now, and have been wondering recently if and when you might come out with a CD- ROM format of the dictionary."
