Review of the culture bundle.
This is an excellent collection of books for the beginner/intermediate level.
1. Karate Vocabulary: It is essentially a sophisticated list of technical expressions. But it also contains phrases, e.g. in the section on dojo rules.
2. Jokes in Japanese: A Japanese teacher once told me: “Only when you understand Japanese Jokes, you really understand the language. I am still far from this blessed state, but this book provided me with some appreciation of the humour hidden in it. That is due to the breakdown and detailed explanations of the authors.
3. Ninja Penguin: This is one of the highlights of the series. It describes the fanciful journey of a ninja penguin who tours all the 47 prefectures of Japan. Whatever area of Japan the reader is interested in, she should be able to find some useful information. But it also helps to put the various prefectures in relation to each other. The text is mainly in English. But each chapter has a basic vocabulary list. Therefore, it can be easily red by any beginner.
4. Haiku 1: That is an introduction with a focus on the poet Basho. But it includes also more recent Japanese poets.
5. Haiku Basho: This book has just been added to the series. Like all the books, also the two Haiku volumes contain a detailed breakdown of all the poems rather than just a translation. For each poem, also a commentary in Japanese and in English has been provided.
In summary, this series is suitable partly for beginner students and partly for intermediate students. But a beginner may also benefit from a more advanced volume, because in each volume every single word is explained. An additional plus are the audio files, where all the texts are read out in a clear and crisp voice: A highly recommendable access to Japanese culture for students on all levels.
Wow! What a nice and thorough review. Thank you so much. I'm glad you like it.
I've only just started learning and this bundle + their daily newsletter are a great help! Thank you!! ありがとう！
Thank you! I'm glad you like it. Please let us know if you have any questions as you go along.
Like every course from The Japan Shop, this is clear, well-paced, with great explanations. Totally recommendable.
Thank you so much for your kind words :)
E' sempre un piacere leggere Makoto, gli articoli sono interessanti e spesso riguardano argomenti che non trovi sui libri.
After I received the item in the wrong colour I contacted Clay (who invites you to do so if there are problems) and he very quickly sorted out a new t-shirt with exactly the design I wanted and in the correct size for me. I was asked to leave a review before I actually received the t-shirt but that was not a problem - you have to allow for a bit more time when the t-shirt is shipped from the EU (in Spain in my case) and you are made aware of all the steps it takes to get the item to you. All grand considering I didn't have to pay for packing and postage. So thank you, Japan Shop and I will be ordering more from you!
Thank you for your patience and your kind words. I'm glad we were able to get things right.