Tackling kanji-the system of Japanese writing based on Chinese characters-is the most challenging aspect of learning the Japanese language. 250 Essential Japanese Kanji Characters Volume 1 and Volume 2 are time-tested books that have now been enhanced and revised using proven methods from the Kanji Text Research Group at the University of Tokyo. Together, these updated volumes incorporate all 410 kanji required for the AP exam, along with practice questions. Each lesson helps you master a new group of kanji, with either an etymology or a memory aid offered to give students a basis for understanding and memorizing the kanji systematically and correctly.