Read Real Japanese

Ideal For: Intermediate-level students of Japanese.

There is a world of difference between reading Japanese specially designed for students, and reading authentic Japanese written for native speakers. The Read Real Japanese series, offering one volume each of essays and fiction, provides the real thing: lively writings by contemporary authors.

Read Real Japanese Essays presents eight short works by established writers, including Haruki Murakami and Banana Yoshimoto. The essays are in turn humorous, insightful, and biting—all stimulating works that will teach readers much about Japanese writing, and will motivate them to read more.

Read Real Japanese Fiction presents six short works by outstanding writers, from popular to avant-garde. The spellbinding world of Hiromi Kawakami, the hair-raising short horror of Otsuichi, the haunting prose of Banana Yoshimoto, even the poetic wordplay of Yoko Tawada—whatever your taste, there are stories in this book that will bowl you over and leave you wanting more.

Following the form of traditional Japanese writing, the text in both volumes runs from top to bottom, and right to left. As a reading guide, each double-page spread features translations of most sentences or phrases, making it possible to understand the meaning at a glance.

Features:

• Stimulating essays or thrilling works of fiction with translations of all the complex passages.
• Japanese-English dictionary at the back of each volume, for quick reference.
• Notes that explain subtleties of nuance, usage, grammar, and culture.
• Bound-in audio CD with narrations performed by a professional, native-speaking actress.
• Profiles of the individual writers that help place the works in context.

For intermediate learners and beyond, in the classroom or car—Read Real Japanese opens a gateway to the pleasures of reading first-rate, original literature by Japanese authors.