Master the Guide to Reading and Writing Japanese and youll be able to read a Japanese newspaper. Included in this excellent book, a classic which many generations of students of Japanese have relied on, are the first 881 essential characters as prescribed by the Ministry of Education. Each include their most practical readings and definitions, as well as illustrative examples and demonstrations of stroke order. Readings and definitions for the 1,850 characters adopted by law for use in Japaneese newspapers are included in the second part. Practical and efficient, Guide to Reading and Writing Japanese achieves its ambitious goal: simplifying the Japanese language for Western readers.