This new, proficiency-oriented introductory Japanese program emphasizes practical communication, the development of all four language skills, student interaction, and cultural awareness. The twelve thematically-organized chapters, each focusing on a high-frequency communicative situation, introduce students to the Japanese language and its three writing systems: hiragana, katakana, and kanji.

• Hiragana (in Chapters 1-3) and katakana (in Chapters 4-6) are introduced through unique mnemonic devices that help students learn the characters. Ninety Kanje characters are introduced in Chapters 7-12.
• A series of specially created manga precede each chapter dialogue and serve as visual advanced organizers.
• Chapter dialogues present a lively, continuous storyline that illustrates typical daily events in Japanese life and provide a realistic context in which to learn vocabulary and grammatical structures.
• Exercises progress from directed practice to a wide range of open-ended communicative activities that emphasize pair and group work.
• All text readings feature hiragana subscripts to assist students with character reading.
• Communication sections in each chapter provide practical strategies to develop students' speaking skills.