Start speaking, reading and writing Japanese today with the most exciting new introduction to the Japanese language! Beginning Japanese follows the story of Kiara, an American exchange student who lives in Japan. With the help of her Japanese friends and the time-traveling Tomo Tanuki (raccoon dog), Kiara learns to speak, read, and write Japanese while she visits famous people and places in Japanese history. Illustrated with manga-style comics and written by experienced high-school Japanese teachers, Beginning Japanese will show you how to pronounce Japanese; read and write hiragana, katakana, and 125 basic kanji; and understand conversational Japanese. Other features include: Activities to check your progress Free CD-ROM audio and video files Free additional online games and materials Supporting language notes in 8 helpful appendices Beginning Japanese is the first volume in a 3-level series. Deepen your learning with the Beginning Japanese Workbook , a volume of drills and exercises that reinforce the lessons in the textbook. If you already speak basic Japanese, continue your learning with the second level, Intermediate Japanese . Whether you�re learning Japanese for fun, preparing for a Japanese proficiency exam, or want to achieve AP- or IB-level competency, Beginning Japanese is your key to becoming a confident Japanese-speaker