HOLD ON I KNOW WHAT TO SAY

Hi, I drew a manga that I believe helps you learn conversational Japanese.Please check out the sample, and you’ll get the big picture of this book.-----This book is for anyone who wants to get familiar with everyday Japanese as it’s actually spoken, with real rhythm.My name is Ken. In this series, I appear as the character Joseph. Ken J. H. is just a pen name. I’m just a regular Japanese guy who spent most of his life in Tokyo.Through my experience teaching Japanese, I started to feel that something was missing in existing learning materials. Many well-known textbooks are great, but because they focus on proper Japanese, they can sometimes sound a bit too formal. Don’t get me wrong. They’re great for building a solid foundation.I’m also a big manga fan, but as a learning tool, a lot of the grammar and expressions can be too dramatic for daily life. The same goes for Japanese TV shows and movies.I kept looking for materials somewhere in between that reflected the tone and rhythm of relaxed everyday chit-chat, but I couldn’t find anything that made me think, “Yes, this is exactly how we talk.”“Alright. I’ll just make it on my own.”That’s how this book was born. I turned the kinds of conversations I actually have with my students into manga.While making this book, I kept one question in mind: What would I appreciate most if I were a reader? This book intentionally keeps explanations short and simple. Fewer words, when chosen carefully, make learning easier.Finally, I want to thank all my students who have inspired this project. I hope you enjoy the book. Read more