Guides: Japanese: Overview

Welcome!

This guide offers physical and digital resources available for Japanese language acquisition.

Books

Library Resources

Physical Items

Japanese Picture Dictionary by Timothy G. Stout
Call Number: PL679 .S76 2018

Publication Date: 2019
Japanese Learner's Dictionary by Hiroko Storm (Revised by); Living Language Staff
Call Number: PL679 .S623 1993

Publication Date: 2005
Random House Japanese-English English-Japanese Dictionary by Seigo Nakao
Call Number: PL679 .N294 1995

Publication Date: 1997
Living Language Japanese by Living Language
Call Number: PL539.5 .E5 H84 2012

Publication Date: 2012

CD - 7 Day Circulation
Drive Time Japanese - Complete Japanese - The Basics by Living Language Staff
Call Number: PL535.7 .J363 2005

Publication Date: 2005

Book and CD - 7 Day Circulation

Online

Cambridge Dictionary: English-Japanese
Translate English words into Japanese
Jisho
Input words to translate by drawing, using radicals, or speech to text features.
Japanese Dictionary (Monash University)
Free online Japanese-English dictionary.

Databases for Japanese

Nexis Uni
Provides full-text access to news, business, and legal sources. Use the Company Dossier module to find detailed company information and financial information or identify and compare companies. Also provides access to Shepard's Citations service for all federal and state court cases 1789-present. Use to research court cases.
MLA International Bibliography
Bibliography of journal articles, books and dissertations dating back to 1963 for research in all aspects of modern languages and literature.
Project MUSE
Full text scholarly journal database covering the fields of literature and criticism, history, visual and performing arts, cultural studies, and other social sciences.

Multi-Subject Databases

Academic Search Ultimate
Use Academic Search Ultimate to find full-text popular periodical articles or scholarly (peer reviewed) journal articles covering most subject areas. A great place to find reliable articles for your research.
Academic OneFile Select
Use Academic Onefile Select to find full-text popular periodical articles or scholarly (peer-reviewed) journal articles in most subject areas. A great place to find reliable articles for your research.
ABC-CLIO World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras
Collections of primary and secondary sources about eras from Prehistory through 1500 in Europe, Asia, Americas and Africa.
ABC-CLIO World History: The Modern Era
Collections of primary and secondary sources about eras from 1500 through present times in Europe, Asia, Americas and Africa. Includes World Wars, Cold War and revolutions.

Ebook Search

Japanese for Travelers Phrasebook and Dictionary by Scott Rutherford; William Matsuzaki (Revised by)
Publication Date: 2017

Useful Phrases, Travel Tips, Etiquette Guide
Mini Japanese Dictionary by Yuki Shimada (Editor); Taeko Takeyama (Revised by)
Publication Date: 2019

Japanese-English, English-Japanese (Fully Romanized)
Japanese Verbs : A QuickStudy Reference Guide by Misa Lindberg, MEd, TESOL
Publication Date: 2018
Japanese Conversation : A QuickStudy Digital Reference Guide by Misa Dikengil
Publication Date: 2020
Essential Japanese Phrasebook and Dictionary by Tuttle Tuttle Studio (Editor)
Publication Date: 2017

Essential Japanese Phrase Book & Dictionary teaches you the practical phrases and expressions needed for common, everyday interactions in Japan.
Reading and Writing Japanese: a Workbook for Self-Study by Eriko Sato
Publication Date: 2022

A Beginner's Guide to Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji (Free Online Audio and Printable Flash Cards)
Essential Japanese Kanji Volume 1 by University of Tokyo Kanji Research Group
Publication Date: 2015

Learn the Essential Kanji Characters Needed for Everyday Interactions in Japan
Essential Japanese Kanji Volume 2 by University of Tokyo Kanji Research Group
Publication Date: 2017

Learn the Essential Kanji Characters Needed for Everyday Interactions in Japan
Let's Learn Japanese Kit by Timothy G. Stout; William Matsuzaki (Revised by)
Publication Date: 2016

It contains: 64 Japanese flashcards Access to audio recordings of songs, games and activities, A wall chart showing the main words and phrases at a glance, A learning guide for parents and teachers. All companion media content is accessible on the Tuttle Publishing website.

Library Catalog

Books

Japanese Stories for Language Learners : Bilingual Stories in Japanese and English by Anne McNulty; Eriko Sato; Rose Goldberg (Illustrator)
Call Number: PL537 .J37 2018

Publication Date: 2018

Stories with English and Japanese language versions appearing on facing pages. All audio content is alternatively accessible on the Tuttle Publishing website.
Short Stories in Japanese by Michael Emmerich (Editor)
Call Number: PL782 .E8 S53 2011

Publication Date: 2011

A dual-language edition of Japanese stories.
Japanese Demystified by Eriko Sato
Call Number: PL539.5 .E5 S276 2017

Publication Date: 2016

Features 70 minutes of streaming audio recordings and chapter review quizzes via the McGraw-Hill Education Language Lab app.
Mastering Japanese Kanji by Glen Nolan Grant
Call Number: PL528 .G73 2009

Publication Date: 2015

This is a comprehensive, self-study workbook for learning Japanese characters. Comes with CD. All disc content is alternatively accessible on tuttlepublishing.com/downloadable-content.
The Seven Keys to Communicating in Japan by Haru Yamada
Call Number: HF5718.2 .J3 Y36 2017

Publication Date: 2017

Provides a practical set of guidelines for understanding Japanese people and culture through David A. Victor's LESCANT approach of evaluating a culture's language, environment, social organization, context, authority, nonverbal communication, and time conception.

Ways to Study

Zkanji
Zkanji is a free and open-source study tool and dictionary of the Japanese language. It has several useful features for beginners and advanced students alike. Dictionary, example sentences, kanji search and information with animated stroke order diagrams, vocabulary list printing, study functions and much more.
McGraw Hill Language Lab
Free web and mobile app with flashcards, quizzes and audio recordings. Designed to accompany McGraw Hill foreign language books, but available free for general practicing.
CIA World Factbook - Japan
Gives statistics and data for Japan.

Language Learning Apps

DuoLingo
This free resource allows you to learn languages in a fun and easy way.
Mango Languages
While this resource is a paid service, some public libraries offer it for free to their patrons.
Libraries in the area with this resource currently available to their patrons: Aurora Public Library, Batavia Public Library, Geneva Public Library District

Japanese Word of the Day

Books on Japanese Culture and History

Uniquely Japan by Abby Denson
Call Number: Online

Publication Date: 2022

A comic book artist uses her own personal drawings and photos to highlight the things that make Japan truly different from every other place on the planet.
Japan - Culture Smart! by Culture Smart!; Paul Norbury
Call Number: Online

Publication Date: 2021

Chapters on history, values, attitudes, traditions, etiquette, and communicating will help you to better understand and navigate unfamiliar situations.
A History of Modern Japan : In Search of a Nation: 1850 to the Present by Christopher. Harding
Call Number: Online

Publication Date: 2020

With over 100 photographs, maps and prints, A History of Modern Japan showcases the compelling story of Japan's amazing growth and its resulting struggles.
A Brief History of Japan : Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun by Jonathan Clements
Call Number: Online

Publication Date: 2017

Blends documentary and storytelling styles to connect the past, present and future of Japan.
Shadows of Nagasaki : Trauma, Religion, and Memory After the Atomic Bombing by Chad R. Diehl (Editor, Contribution by) et al.
Call Number: Online

Publication Date: 2024

A critical introduction to how the Nagasaki atomic bombing has been remembered, especially in contrast to that of Hiroshima.
DK Japan by DK Travel
Call Number: DS805.2 .J2626 2023

Publication Date: 2023

Practical tips, experience guide, and expert advice for traveling to Japan.
Japan : History and Culture from Classical to Cool by Nancy K. Stalker
Call Number: DS806 .S83 2018

Publication Date: 2018

Provides a historical account of Japan's elite and popular cultures from premodern to modern periods.
Contemporary Japan : History, Politics and Social Change Since the 1980s by Jeff Kingston
Call Number: DS891 .K538 2011

Publication Date: 2010

A comprehensive examination of the causes of the Japanese economic bubble in the late 1980s and the socio-political consequences of the recent financial collapse.

Newspaper Databases through WCC

Access World News
A newspaper database of national, state and local newspapers, including the Beacon News and the Kane County Chronicle.

Formerly known as "America's Newspapers"
Asian Life in America
The experience and impact of Asian Americans as reported in the news media. Coverage from the early 1700s to current, updated daily.
Wall Street Journal
Digital Edition. Paid access to the current Wall Street journal provided by Waubonsee Community College Libraries.

If asked to login, you may need to click the "Sign In With Google" link, and provide your Waubonsee Community College email account.
New York Times
Digital Edition. An American newspaper of record with worldwide influence.
Comprehensive digital coverage. Find breaking news, media, reviews and opinion
on national and international topics.
Newspaper Source
Provides selected full text coverage of newspapers and other full text transcripts.
Illinois Newspapers
Full-text access to Illinois newspapers, including several local papers like the Beacon News and the Naperville Sun.

News Websites

47NEWS
One-stop search for news from 52 local newspapers and Associated Press. (Japanese only)
Japan Times
Japan's oldest English language newspaper.

Japanese: Overview

Welcome!

This guide offers physical and digital resources available for Japanese language acquisition.

Books

Library Resources

Physical Items

Online

Databases for Japanese

Multi-Subject Databases

Ebook Search

Library Catalog

Books

Ways to Study

Language Learning Apps

Japanese Word of the Day

Books on Japanese Culture and History

Newspaper Databases through WCC

News Websites

Japan Times News

Nippon