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In this review, I (Jade) will be talking through the details of the recently released Japanese language study guide, Miku dé Nihongo.
Book Details
Miku dé Nihongo is a study guide for the Japanese language, which features songs from Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin and Len, as well as conversations featuring Miku.
The book was written by Noricco Toyoda and published by SANSHUSHA.
Cover Details
The cover of the book features illustrations by borbone.
The front cover shows Miku wearing headphones and a traditional Japanese kimono featuring a red, floral print. The back cover shows Miku wearing an orange kimono in an autumnal scene.
The outer sleeve, or dust cover, of the book is in full colour, where the inner cover of the book is presented only in shades of red.
Downloadable Content Details
The book comes with a SONOCA card, a collectible card which features the illustration from the book cover and contains a download code on the back.
This download code can be entered into the SONOCA website or mobile app to allow the buyer to download 10 songs and 18 conversation practice files, which include both casual and formal conversations. There are 28 files in total to support your learning.
Don’t worry if you are not sure how to register and download songs via SONOCA. There is a guide in the book on how to use it!
For the full list of songs featured in the book, see the list below:
01. Hello / How are You by HoehoeP
02. Desktop Cinderella by HachiojiP
03. Haru ga Kita (Japanese nursery rhyme)
04. Hajimete no Oto by malo
05. Saihate by Kobayashi Onyx
06. Tell Your World by kz (livetune)
07. Remote Control by WONDERFUL★OPPORTUNITY!
08. Soyokaze Drive by 40mP
09. Sakura no ame by halyosy
10. Meguri, natsu (exclusively composed for this book) by teaeye
Tracks 18-28 are the conversation practice files, which match up with practice sessions throughout the book.
For each practice session you come across in the book, the track number you need is stated at the top of the page.
Book Content Details
The book begins with an introduction to Miku herself, how to use the book and how to use SONOCA to download the files you will need to follow along with the songs and practice sessions.
The main contents of the book include an in-depth look at each of the 10 downloadable songs, including the lyrics (in Japanese Kanji, Romaji and English), a look at the context and culture around the song, as well as conversation and writing practice.
The practice sessions cover various scenarios, from greetings and goodbyes to buying goods and discussing plans, like eating lunch together or going on trips.
In the casual conversation practice, you can use the conversation practice files to actually have a conversation with Miku!
The formal conversation practice is narrated by Mai Shouji and Shintaro Nimura.
For those of you who want to do the practice sessions, I recommend you pause the track after each line of Japanese is spoken, to allow yourself time to learn what the first speaker said, to give your answer and then to understand the response that the speaker gives.
After the song breakdowns, there are also sections of the book on Japanese grammar rules and pronunciation, as well as a guide on writing two of the three alphabets used by the Japanese, Hiragana and Katakana. The writing guides feature 50 Hiragana and 50 Katakana.
As well as the information itself, it is worth noting that there are various illustrations featured throughout the book, including artwork by KEI, iXima, mebae, pemu and many more!
Where to buy
The retail price of the book is 2300 JPY (approx 20 USD), though prices may vary and shipping may cost extra.
If you would like to purchase a copy of the book, you may purchase it from one of the following online vendors.
Please note that orders from Amazon will ship as soon as possible but orders through CDJapan will not ship until July 3rd, 2018.
