Part I: Getting Started  7

Chapter 1: Japanese in a Nutshell 9

Chapter 2: Checking Out the Japanese Sounds and Scripts 17

Chapter 3: Warming Up with Japanese Grammar Basics 33

Chapter 4: Starting with Simple Expressions 61

Chapter 5: Getting Your Numbers, Times, and Measurements Straight 77

Chapter 6: Speaking Japanese at Home 99

Part II: Japanese in Action 117

Chapter 7: Getting to Know You: Making Small Talk 119

Chapter 8: Asking for Directions 131

Chapter 9: Dining Out and Going to the Market147

Chapter 10: Shopping Made Easy 163

Chapter 11: Going Out on the Town 183

Chapter 12: Taking Care of Business and Telecommunications 199

Chapter 13: Recreation and the Great Outdoors 219

Part III: Japanese on the Go 233

Chapter 14: Planning a Trip 235

Chapter 15: Dealing with Money in a Foreign Land 245

Chapter 16: Making Your Way Around: Planes, Trains, Taxis, and More 257

Chapter 17: Finding a Place to Stay 275

Chapter 18: Handling Emergencies 291

Part IV: The Part of Tens 309

Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Pick Up Japanese Quickly 311

Chapter 20: Ten Things Never to Say in Japanese 315

Chapter 21: Ten Favorite Japanese Expressions 319

Chapter 22: Ten Phrases That Make You Sound Fluent in Japanese 323

Part V: Appendixes  327

Appendix A: Mini-Dictionary 329

Appendix B: Verb Tables 349

Appendix C: On the CD 359

Appendix D: Answer Key 363

Index  365