Rakubiki Jiten DS: A Japanese Dictionary for the DS

[Oobgarm]

http://ds.ign.com/articles/629/629880p1.html

So, I must know if anyone here has sampled this thing and can tell me if it's worth the $50 to import it. I read that it does not have the option to translate kanji, only katakana and hirigana. Would that completely remove any functionality for someone who'd like to use it to help understand Japanese games? I read the IGN preview of it, and as a person who doesn't know a lot about the Japanese language and how it functions, I kinda get it but then again, I don't.

Any views on this would be most appreciated.

[rbudrick]

If it doesn't have a good Kanji lookup, I don't see the point....Chances are, those are the words one would need to look up most.

-Rob

[GameSlaveGaz]

I read the review and the fact that it doesn't have kanji definitions is a real drawback. It's nearly worthless for anyone planning to learn Japanese or visit Japan sicne kanji is EVERYWHERE. Hiragana and katakana are used just as much as kanji, but you really do need to know all three to get anywhere in reading Japanese.

Although...hiragana and katakana may be enough for most games. I haven't gotten far in Pokemon Green but so far it's all kana. Unfortunately, it's probably only games geared toward kids or all ages that stick with only the kanas. In some screenshots I've seen for Japanese games, sometimes they have mini hiragana over the kanji to tell you the pronunciation. However, not every game does that, so you can't rely on that either.

There is a slew of Japanese learning products (books, flashcards, electronic translators, etc) that are already available in America, some even at your local WaldenBooks, or online, for cheaper than importing this half-finished DS dictionary. There's also my favorite Japanese-learning site www.thejapanesepage.com which is free and has loads of information on the written language, vocabulary and most importantly, grammar. They also have an online store where you can find more books and flashcards and stuff. I suggest you go there first if you're keen on learning Japanese