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Diagram: Guide to Learners

The key components—A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I & J—outlined in the above diagram make up the very essence of The Kanji Handbook. Diligent learners must master the components and their relationship. The layout presentation was designed to appeal to the artistic sense. The subliminal approach of KanjiHybrids caters smoothly to one's subconscious mind. The result, therefore, is not just an understanding of Kanji characters, but well beyond that, a mental absorption. As a result, memory recall, at least in the passive stage, is immediately established. The idea is to convert Kanji characters into a form immediately recognizable to native English speakers. For learners to reach the active stage—where Kanji characters are written straight from memory—they must practice writing KanjiHybrids and Veemuenics on a daily basis. By writing them on a practice sheet, the lingua-motors in the brain will be stimulated in a way beneficial to memory recall. Just as one cannot learn to ride a bicycle by staying at home, no matter how imaginative, one cannot learn Kanji characters without writing practice. Once mastered through the attentive and consistent writing practice of Veemuenics, the Kanji characters will stay in the subconscious mind, just as one does not forget to ride a bike. The Kanji Handbook is full of unique concepts for learning Kanji, which will, if used according to suggestion, maximize memory retention and accelerate the learning process. The key components are briefly described, as follows:

A) Veemuenics: Links similar-looking or easily-confused Kanji characters, as KanjiHybrids, to form a coherent phrase or sentence, usually rhymed for ease of memory retention. The final objective is to distinguish one from another within a set of easily-confused Kanji characters, within a meaning-focused framework. Conscientious learners are encouraged to make their own Veemuenics. Take the initiative to "Veemuenize" as desired.

B) KanjiHybrids: The union of a Kanji character and its English core meaning to form one indivisible unit. Any attempt to entertain the equation form (山 = mountain, 川 = river) will negate the cardinal principle of this book. The equation form is somewhat limited in scope and effectiveness as a learning tool. This approach may be useful in learning a few dozen Kanji characters, but would prove inadequate as a tool used to master 1,945 Kanji characters. KanjiHybrids remain the viable alternative, in terms of learning quality and delivery of results. As such, KanjiHybrids must be taken as is, no variations.

C) KUN-yomi & ON-yomi: The presentation of the Kanji characters' readings in this book begins with the KUN-yomi, followed by the ON-yomi, for two distinct reasons. First, this book is about Japanese Kanji. Hence, the KUN-yomi, or the Japanese reading, must take precedence over the ON-yomi derived from Chinese readings. Second, the large amount of Kanji characters with the same ON-yomi reading can be overwhelming. KUN-yomi readings are not repeated nearly as much as ON-yomi readings, and are therefore, the better tool to identify or distinguish one Kanji character from another. Take note that when reading Kanji compounds, the foremost objective is comprehension of core meanings, followed by pronunciation. The meaning of Kanji characters will more or less stay, whereas the pronunciation may vary, or may be more than one.

D) Radicals: Radicals are usually sub-elements of Kanji characters that give a hint to the core meaning. For example the radical [扌] derived from the Kanji character [手] is associated with manual work or handiwork. Hence, all Kanji characters appearing with the radical [扌] have something to do with manual work, or labour. In a large number of Kanji characters, the radical is found on the left side, or on top. A few examples include: 払ayment, 扱andling, 抽ulling and 投hrow with the radical [扌] appearing on the left side. Examples of radicals appearing on the top part of a Kanji character include: 雲loud, 電lectricity, 雪now, and 雷hunder. Their common radical [雨] on the top part immediately conveys that these Kanji characters are somewhat related to the weather or the natural climate. For that reason, Kanji characters can be grouped according to their radicals. Since the core meaning is related to its radical, it would be advantageous to master the radicals. Also, sometimes the whole Kanji character is the radical itself, especially those taught in the primary grade level. Common examples include: 人erson, 水ater, 山ountain, 竹amboo, 車heel, 金etal and 木ooden. Mastering the radicals will certainly allow for greater ease in using the Radical Index (p.1020). Exert effort to become familiarized with the Radical Index.

E) Synonyms: Appearing in smaller fonts in order to stimulate subliminal thinking, based on KanjiHybrids, the synonyms are more indicative than exhaustive, though the latter was clearly the objective. Because of the intrinsic differences between the English and Japanese languages, designating an exact English definition for each Kanji character is not always possible. Moreover, many Kanji characters carry shades of meanings that cannot squarely fit into the context of an English definition. For this reason, a set of synonyms—rather than simplistic definitions—will deliver better results. Learners must also explore the word entries with careful attention.

F) Word Entries: The word entries are a list of Kanji compounds, and their English meanings, related to the Kanji character in focus. Advanced learners should become familiar with the Kanji compounds. Each Kanji compound was carefully selected from classic Japanese literature, as well as from current newspapers. Though vigorous effort was made to weed out archaic Kanji compounds, that objective must be balanced with the mission to reach a wider audience, without excluding the greying population in Japan. While the English meaning is not always technical, in some cases, idiomatic expressions are necessary to deliver the core meaning. Learners who engage in pronunciation drills to distinguish double consonants and elongated sounds will find the quantity of word compounds sufficient for that purpose. Confusion arising from double consonants and elongated sounds is one of the most frustrating obstacles in the study of the Japanese language. Careful attention and sensitivity must be forthcoming. Word entries should be used more for pronunciation exercises than merely for lexicographic references.

G) Related Words: This key component is a listing of other Kanji characters with meanings similar to the Kanji character in focus. In a way, this key component is like a thesaurus. Diligent learners are strongly advised to study the related words to better understand the core meaning of each Kanji character, and to discern the differences between related words. One can attain a higher degree of knowledge by becoming familiar with synonyms, antonyms, and relative words of a certain Kanji character. Learners with an advanced vocabulary definitely have more leeway in expressing themselves.

H) Don't-Confuse-With: A fundamental problem confronting Kanji learners is the challenge of trying to make a distinction between the Kanji characters that look alike. For example, distinguishing [星] from [皇] can be confusing, yet of crucial importance. As KanjiHybrids, they look like this: 星tar and 皇mperor. The "Don't-Confuse-With" component serves to alert learners that other Kanji characters can be easily mistaken for the Kanji character in question.

I) Flip-It Index: Ideal for absolute beginners, the Flip-It Index is a new indexing system that allows Kanji characters to be searched and located without preexisting knowledge. Flippable means the whole Kanji character, or sub-elements within, when inverted from left to right, or horizontally will remain almost the same—disregarding hooks, backlashes and "ink stops." Look for wholly-flippable or partially-flippable Kanji characters.

J) Brush Strokes: The brush strokes are sequentially numbered. Learners will find it convenient for writing practice. Brush strokes are symmetrically aligned and once basic familiarity is achieved, the rest is not difficult. Each Kanji character follows a brush stroke rhythm, and mastery of one Kanji character will lead to another. Familiarity with the brush strokes of [立] will enable a foothold on increasingly complex Kanji characters, where [立] appears as a radical, such as: [音], [部], [章], [童] and [競]. The brush strokes for [立] remain consistent even when it combines with other sub-elements to form more complex Kanji characters.