KANJI STARTER - Daiki Kusuya

Kanji Starter is a method for learning to read and recognise around 200 kanji through pictures, written in English.

Written by Daiki Kusuya —born in Tokyo and a translator of scientific texts— this first volume focuses on pictographic kanji: characters that began as drawings of what they represent. The book is built on the idea that, once you understand a kanji's visual origin, its meaning sticks without mechanical repetition.

Each character comes with a picture illustrating its origin —some based on the kanji's real historical development, others reworked or invented by the author to aid memory— along with memory aids, examples of how more complex kanji are formed by combining elements, and common-use compounds. The goal is not to learn to write them but to understand what each one means. It includes a full stroke-count index and, in a pocket-sized format, is easy to consult and a fine gift for anyone curious about Japanese writing.

Recommended level: Beginner. Being written in English and picture-based, it works as a first approach to kanji without knowing Japanese; it also serves as a classroom supplement for any level.