Japanese 4 Beginners is a tool for learning the written Japanese language, including basic words and characters. The tool is designed to be used as part of a Japanese language education program, and provides a means to practice and learn the characters. "Hints" in the tool provide phonetic clues via romanization of the Japanese script.
The words to be learned and reviewed include both Kanji and Kana scripts. Kanji and Hiragana are used for the most part, with occasional use of Katakana; in all cases the goal is authentic, frequently used words as encountered in normal usage in Japan. The game works by having the learner match English words to Japanese words and pictures, and for matching Japanese words to English words and pictures. The words are grouped by type and / or subject areas to reinforce common word elements. Faster completion, fewer hints and fewer mistakes results in higher scores. The game includes 288 basic words in 16 groups. A good range of word groups and character components are covered that will be useful to any beginning and elementary Japanese language learner. A STUDY or review mode helps introduce characters; the PLAY mode tracks high scores.