"Essential Kanji " is an integrated course for learning to read and write the 2,000 basic Japanese characters. It introduces the kanji " "that are now in everyday use, a mastery of which makes it possible to read most modern Japanese. Devised for either home or classroom use, the book has been tested and refined by years of use in university classes taught by the author.

Buddhism has permeated Japanese life and thought so deeply that knowledge of it is essential for a true understanding of any aspect of Japanese culture. This dictionary, with nearly five thousand entries on Buddhist terms, personal names, ceremonies, texts, and sects, will be of special interest to scholars and students of literature. Most entries have been drawn from such classics as Shasekishu Kokon chomonju, Hojoki, Makura no soshi, Tsurezure-gusa, Heike monogatari, and Taiheiki. Hisao Inagaki received a PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and is a professor at Ryukoku University in Kyoto.