Best intermediate Japanese & JLPT 3 books

Japanese Language Proficiency Test: Grammar Exercises Level 3 (Kanzen Masutaa) (Japanese
Edition)

by: Mie Shigeno

Grammar might not seem very fun and all, but it's actually the easiest - as in "most time efficient" - part of
the JLPT exam! That's because it contributes 25% of the total exam score, but it can be completed in 15-20
minutes. Also, there's a clearly defined set of Japanese grammar patterns that appear on each JLPT level, so
you know what you have to know (unlike, say, the reading section, which is pretty open-ended). As always
with the Kanzen Master series, it's laid out as 50 or so one-day lessons. Follow their lesson plan, and I
promise you you won't fail the test.

Amazon Price: (as of 10/14/2009)

Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 3 (Listening Practice) Preparatory course

by: Unicom Inc

The UNICOM series listening books are absolutely awesome! I've used them for every level of the JLPT.
The thing about the listening part of the JLPT test is that even if your general listening and understanding
skills are good, there's a specific set of vocabulary and sentence patterns used on the JLPT. Call it JLPT
Japanese if you like. So in order to nail the test, you need to study these specific Japanese words and
phrases. I recommend the UNICOM series' JLPT listening books because they feature all the components
(directions, time & date, graphs, sequence order, etc) that appear on the real test. That means you'll pick up
the essential vocabulary and patterns thus nailing the test as well.

Amazon Price: (as of 10/14/2009)

Read Real Japanese Essays: Contemporary Writings by Popular Authors 1 free CD included

Reading real Japanese texts is extremely important to your overall Japanese language proficiency. It's also
quite often more fun than studying using traditional textbooks. I started reading real Japanese a little bit too
late I think - around the time I passed JLPT2 - which probably set me back significantly in my Japanese
language abilities. This book contains 8 real Japanese essays with translation for the most complicated parts,
and notes on grammar, vocabulary, and pragmatical Japanese language usage. It also comes with a CD with
the stories read out for you - great when you're on the run, and for listening comprehension practise as well!

Amazon Price: $16.32 (as of 10/14/2009)

Best books for improving your Japanese skill

There are some books that can be used regardless of one's level for improving one's
general Japanese communication skills - whether spoken or written.

The Handbook of Japanese Adjectives and Adverbs (Kodansha's Children's Classics)

by: Taeko Kamiya

Do you know what tekkiri, assari, kossori, barabara, pekopeko, niyaniya, zutto, sutto, satto, zatto, sotto, and
zotto means? One of the most charming points of the Japanese language is all the adjectives and adverbs,
especially the onomatopoeic ones, that adorn otherwise simple sentences, and convey the speaker's/writer's
feelings towards what is occurring, or very specifically describes how the action is occurring. Learning these
will not only allow you to more deeply understand what other people are communicating (as opposed to just
what they're saying), but also make your own Japanese sound more natural and fluent. This book I have
found useful to refer to many times over the years.

Amazon Price: $16.50 (as of 10/14/2009)

Taking the step towards Japanese fluency

The great battle between Kanzen Master and Unicom for passing JLPT

I often get questions on my blog regarding which book is better for JLPT - the "Kanzen Master" or
UNICOM series? As well as specific questions regarding Kanzen Master vs Unicom for vocabulary,
listening, grammar, etc. The Kanzen Master and UNICOM series are the most popular study books for JLPT
levels 2 and 1. That comes as no surprise as they're both really good series and I'd say they're the best books
for studying for the JLPT.

So which one is best, Kanzen Master or UNICOM? In my opinion it breaks down to this: UNICOM's
listening books are great! For the rest, I recommend Kanzen Master once you're at or above JLPT 2 level.
The exception is the reading practice books where I recommend both. Yes, they're both equally good, and
you can never get too much reading practice.

I like the Kanzen Master series "lesson plan" concept with one lesson per day essentially. If you follow that,
you'll be in a very good position to pass the JLPT tests. I think doing exercises is essential to making the
study material stick in your head. Do each and every exercise, preferably many times (with a month or so in
between intervals). That way you WILL learn Japanese without having to bother too much about study
methods yourself - let the books help you as much as possible.

Best books for passing JLPT level 2

Kanzen Master (level 1+2 vocabulary)

by: Yuuko Ooyane

The Kanzen Master series is really great for passing the JLPT levels 2 and 1. I used most of the books in this
series, and I passed the first time on both levels! Anyway, this is the Japanese vocabulary training book,
which like all Kanzen Master books is organized as around 50 chapters with overviews and drills of
vocabulary that appears on the JLPT tests. This book contains material for both level 1 and level 2, so you
only need one book for both levels.

Amazon Price: (as of 10/14/2009)

Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 2 Reading Practice (Kanzen Master)

The reading part of the JLPT is often thought to be the most difficult. But fear not! With practice you'll pass
it with a good score for sure, and this book contains all the Japanese reading practise you need in order to
pass JLPT 2, with analysis of the text snippets covered in the answers, so that you'll know what to focus
your attention on for the real test.

Amazon Price: (as of 10/14/2009)

Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level Two Grammar (Kanzen masutaa 2 kyuu: Nihongo
Nouryoku Shiken Bunpou Mondai Taisaku) (in Japanese)

by: Ryuugakusei Nihongo Koosu Ajia Gakusei Bunka Kyoukai

Grammar might sound boring to some, but it's actually the easiest part of the JLPT test to score good points
quickly! Why is that? Because the grammar part of JLPT contributes 25% of the overall score, but it can be
breezed through in 15-20 minutes, leaving more time to the more time-consuming reading part which is in
the same time slot. The questions are generally easy IF you know what to look for, and this book has all the
Japanese grammar points you need to know. Follow the lesson plan as outlined in this book thoroughly and I
guarantee you you'll get at least a 90% score on the grammar! Honestly!

Amazon Price: (as of 10/14/2009)

Kanji Preparation for the Japanese Language Proficiency Exam - Level 2 (Kanzen Masutaa Kanji:
Nihongo Nouryoku Shiken 2 kyu Reberu) (in Japanese)

by: Michihiro Takai

It's essential for your overall JLPT score to know the kanji that appear on the JLPT test. Why is that?
Because it's a written test, and guess what - it's written using kanji. That means you don't just need kanji
skills for the "characters" part of the test - you need it for the whole test - especially the tricky reading part.
Again, I recommend that you follow the lesson plan as outlined in the book. Just one chapter a day, and I
promise you good results.

Amazon Price: (as of 10/14/2009)

Ready to work in Japan?

Or with Japanese customers from abroad

Knowledge of Japanese can be a great advantage to your career, especially if you

have a JLPT 1 or 2 certification to show, regardless of whether you want to work in Japan - possibly even at
a Japanese company - or overseas working with Japanese customers and clients.

In fact I studied software engineering at the university, and just a little Japanese on the side as a hobby, but
after getting into working life, I haven't had much use for my software engineering studies at all - despite
working as a software engineer! - but I HAVE had an extraordinary advantage from speaking
Japanese! I'm sure it can spice up any career.

The best business Japanese books

Japanese for Professionals

by: AJALT
I am in fact only going to recommend one book for improving your business Japanese. This book is the best
general-purpose business Japanese book out there. It's situation-based, covering typical business/sales
situations. It will give you a solid foundation to stand on in customer-facing situations and contains
essentially all the basic vocabulary you need to know - as well as a hassle-free overview of the politeness
levels used when speaking business Japanese (keigo).

Amazon Price: $20.19 (as of 10/15/2009)