Want to learn Japanese without the "stern classroom" experience? Good news: a manual as clear as it is inspiring has just been released. Its name: <b>Objective Japan!</b>, and it has everything to become THE end-of-year gift for fans of Japanese culture... and those curious about linguistic novelties.
For the past decade or so, the Archipelago has been making the French heart beat. With the manga craze, the sushi and ramen wave, and the enthusiasm for sakura trips in spring, Japan has never felt closer... even at 9710 km from Paris. In 2023, over 1.3 million French people reported regularly consuming Japanese cultural content (anime, J-pop, drama). As a result, Japanese language courses are fully booked in many associations, while university enrollments have seen a +18% increase over five years. In short: it was time to have an accessible, and above all, motivating homegrown method.
Forget the dense academic tomes filled with dry grammar. Objective: Japan! spans "ten months" of learning, a realistic schedule for those who work, study, or... binge-watch anime in the evening.
Each month features: a thematic vocabulary focus (introducing oneself, ordering ramen, asking for directions...)illustrated grammar points, often with dialogues taken from everyday Tokyo lifea cultural insert (calligraphy, Tanabata festival, business customs, etc.)By the end of the period, learners are expected to handle 300 kanji, read both syllabaries, and engage in basic conversation. Ambitious? Yes, but well-structured.
Behind the work is a Breton who has lived in Kyoto for eight years: Sophie Thomas, founder of the website Cours-de-japonais.com (10,000 active subscribers).
A polyglot and certified JLPT N1 teacher, she advocates for "an organic learning process, where a word is always connected to an image, a sound, a scent of grilled mochi."
In other words: no sterile memorization, but rather learning through real-life situations. Students on her platform praise her lively tone, sometimes punctuated with very... Japanese onomatopoeias (a little *dokidoki* to express nervousness makes all the difference!).
The book alternates between written exercises, QR codes leading to native podcasts, and small games: word scrambles in hiragana, flashcards for reviewing particles... Eyrolles has taken care with the layout: soft colors, kawaii but not overly cutesy pictograms, and thick paper that withstands calligraphy markers.
There are even monthly challenges (writing your first haiku, ordering a matcha latte in the original language, sending a postcard to a Japanese penpal).
It turns the chore of revising into a pleasurable appointment.
Beyond the language, the work infuses a bouquet of cultural information. Did you know that the emoji ???? is called "onigiri" and symbolizes a quick lunch break? That the position of the hashi (chopsticks) in the bowl can alter the level of politeness at the table? Or that Shinjuku station sees 3.6 million passengers per day? These cultural markers can help avoid missteps on a future trip.
The global manga content market surged by more than 12% in 2022, driving the demand for translation and adaptation.
According to UNESCO, Japan is the 4th largest investor in R&D, offering professional opportunities to multilingual profiles.
In France, JLPT certifications have doubled over five years (nearly 8000 candidates in 2023). It goes without saying that mastering the language opens doors, whether for academic exchanges, gaming careers, or off-the-beaten-path tourist experiences.
The release at the end of August is perfectly timed: it's the season for gift lists. Destination Japan!, priced at €22.90, nestles under the Christmas tree alongside volumes of *Demon Slayer*. The compelling argument? You're not just giving an object, but the promise of a lasting skill. In an era where 64% of people in their thirties prefer "to have an experience" rather than receive a product (IFOP study 2023), the book clearly ticks the box for enjoyable learning.
Available in bookstores, on the usual platforms, and of course at Eyrolles.com, the manual offers both a paperback version and an e-pub version. Buyers unlock access to an online space with a code: MP3 audios, kanji tracing videos, interactive quizzes, and a mini-forum moderated by Sophie's team. Handy for asking THAT tricky question (yes, the "wa" particle can drive you crazy).
Japanese is written using three complementary systems:
- The hiragana: 46 basic syllables, ideal for beginners.
- The katakana: same principle, but used for words of foreign origin.
- The kanji: Chinese-origin ideograms, several thousand exist, but 2136 are enough to read a newspaper.
It's intimidating at first, but the visual logic eventually becomes appealing (we promise, we've tried it!). The book follows this natural order: starting with the syllabaries, then gradually introducing the most common kanji.
Author Audrey on 15 February 2023
Education and Training : Course
Author Audrey on 07 September 2022
Education and Training : Association and Organization