Kodansha's Furigana: Japanese Dictionary » (Japanese English / English Japanese)

A comprehensive, communicative, and practical guide to using Japanese, Kodansha's Furigana Japanese Dictionary is an invaluable tool for anyone with an interest in the Japanese language. It has been edited with the needs of English-speaking users in mind, whether students, teachers, business people, or casual linguists, and special care has been taken at each stage of its compilation including the selection of entry words and their equivalents, the wording of the detailed explanations of Japanese words, the choice of example sentences, and even its functional page design to maximize its usefulness.

What is furigana and why is it so important? Furigana refers to the small kana that are printed above or alongside kanji to show their pronunciation. With furigana superscripts, the beginner who is familiar with hiragana and katakana is able to read even the most difficult and obscure kanji at a glance. Other dictionaries either provide little or no guide to kanji readings or romanize some or all of the Japanese words and sentences. In the past, romanized dictionaries were of some value to students using textbooks that contained no Japanese script. Now, however, an increasing number of influential curricula around the world are based on a rationale and methodology that demands the introduction of hiragana and katakana from the earliest stages. Learners and their teachers using such curricula will inevitably feel more comfortable with a dictionary such as Kodansha's Furigana Japanese Dictionary, one that shows the pronunciation of kanji with a familiar and authentic kana script.

Combining Kodansha's Furigana Japanese-English Dictionary (1995) and Kodansha's Furigana English-Japanese Dictionary (1996) in one portable, affordable, and user-friendly volume, this dictionary has the following unique features:
The universal standard in dictionaries for all serious students of Japanese
30,000 entries covering the most frequently used English and Japanese words
Furigana added to all kanji
Definitions written for English-speaking users
Thousands of example sentences clearly illustrate usage of headwords
Includes examples of idioms, phrases, and common expressions
Replete with interesting cultural and language-usage notes
Appendixes cover verb and adjective conjugation, counters and counting, and place names written in Japanese terms, kanji, name-writing in katakana