Hiragana: Learning with Mnemonics

Hiragana: Learning with Mnemonics reimagines how beginners learn the Japanese alphabet. I designed, wrote, and illustrated a beginner-friendly textbook that introduces Hiragana gradually through mnemonics and cumulative practice. Drawing on surveys of Japanese learners and my tutoring experience, I created visual and pronunciation mnemonics that link each character’s shape to an image and sound, helping students remember stroke order and pronunciation. To make the textbook visually appealing and offer a fresh alternative to the muted tones of traditional textbooks, I chose a vibrant color scheme. Additionally, the textbook’s spiral-bound format allows the pages to lie flat, making writing practice more comfortable.

6 × 9 inches, spiral-bound 
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Konnichiwa! From Japan

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Reflection of Practice