Recently I've been looking at the 日本語総まとめ問題集 books over at the White Rabbit Press website. I haven't been able to find them at my local Japanese book stores, so I was wondering if anyone had them and could tell me how well they work and how they stack up against other JLPT prep books (like Kanzen Master)? I feel like the sample scans on the site aren't enough for me to judge if they're worth the purchase. I'm interested mostly in the grammar and reading comprehension books. Thanks~!

sooyoung Wrote:Recently I've been looking at the 日本語総まとめ問題集 books over at the White Rabbit Press website. I haven't been able to find them at my local Japanese book stores, so I was wondering if anyone had them and could tell me how well they work and how they stack up against other JLPT prep books (like Kanzen Master)? I feel like the sample scans on the site aren't enough for me to judge if they're worth the purchase. I'm interested mostly in the grammar and reading comprehension books. Thanks~!

Check out the previews on Amazon Japan, if you want more detailed previews.

I'm assuming you're talking about the N2 books? They're okay, but not particularly stellar by themselves. In conjunction with other books, they're useful. If you already know the grammar, and are looking for something to help review, for example, then they're useful.

The grammar book introduces a few grammar points that the Kanzen Master grammar book misses, and the reading book has a variety of different reading-type questions.

If you're looking for explanations in the grammar book, you will not find very good explanations, nor will you find more than 1 or 2 example sentences per grammar point. It helps to have a Japanese teacher around to ask questions, because the explanations are a little vague. I'm being serious.

The 語彙 book is actually somewhat useful, if you're having problems with vocab.

That said, as long as you use other books as well, and don't just rely on these books alone to prep for the JLPT, you'll be fine. If you just rely on these books alone, you'll have problems, unless you're already good at Japanese, because they just don't give you enough review/practice.

A really good drill book for N2 grammar is UNICOM's ドリル＆ドリル for the N2 ISBN: 978-4-89689-476-9. It's full of grammar problems, with explanations in the back.

Also, the Kanzen Master reading book for the old 2級 is full of great reading selections... stuff like the longer reading selections you'll see on the N2.

I recommend the vocab books. I use 'Kanji in Context' to learn Kanji and vocab, but I learn a lot of non-kanji based vocab and general practical stuff from the 日本語総まとめ vocab books. I also have the N1 grammar book. I don't like it that much. I used the old Unicom book for N2 and loved it. The 日本語総まとめ grammar, as stated, doesn't have in depth explanations or as many example sentences. There's also too much English for my liking; every example is translated. But since I own the どうな時どう使う book it's not too much of a problem.

I can't speak for any of the other books since I don't own them. I thumbed through the N1 Kanji book breifly; although I prefer 'Kanji in Context' for studying Kanji, the 日本語総まとめ kanji book seemed to have some useful practice questions.

I think that they are an excellent series. They might not cover quite as much material as kanzen master, but they are way easier to use. There are are a lot of pictures and the book is more interesting overall. This helps with motivation and you'll actually go through the whole book pretty quickly instead of having to force your way through it like other drier JLPT books.

I used the JLPT2 ones myself in 2008 or so.

I would highly recommend them, and this is secondary but they happen to be quite cheap. I've collected lots of Japanese study books, including Kanzen Mater, Unicom books, どんな時どう使う and these 日本語総まとめ books.

The 日本語総まとめ grammar books are my favorites. I used the one for JLPT2 and now I'm using the N1 book. I find that they are good for learning the grammar, and quick to go through. Other books may be more for review of things you have already learned.

It doesn't have as many example sentences, but for every sentence the grammar is highlighted and described in simpler Japanese next to it, and then there is an English translation in case you need to double check your understanding.

Unicom & KM have more examples, but often I couldn't understand them and there's nothing to refer to except look in other books. Just now I picked a random point in Unicom N1 and I didn't get it at all... flipped to 総まとめ and it was immediately clear. Flipped back to Unicom and all the examples now made sense.

I thought the reading book was pretty good too - and as for the kanji one, it looks nice but I focused on using 例文で学ぶ漢字じと言葉 instead.

I agree with rich_f in that the grammar book could really be improved. I'm very disappointed with the purchase. I can't say that it's "bad" because it does give an example or two of how the grammar is used , but it does not given an EXPLANATION. I honestly need someone to explain why or when to use certain points and this book really really falls short.

The good thing about it is that it's structured in a really good way. It's kind of interesting. I think that this book will probably be very useful for people who are at the higher end of N2 and very close to N1 since those people probably have a better understanding of grammar and can figure things out in context (i.e., example sentences) because if you can't figure it out from those example sentences (or know when to NOT use the grammar they are teaching), you're bucked because there is NO explanation. I'm on the lower end of the N2 spectrum so the book may be too advanced for me. It's hard to say.


I can't comment on the other books but lots of people seem to say that the vocab and kanji books are good.

tldr. No good, thorough explanations. Mediocre. skip this and find something better.

also, there is a collaboration going on of people who are entering vocab and grammar in a spreasheet. Search the JLPT forum and you'll find it. I was in it, but the grammar book sucked so I quit. I think my access to the group was revoked, but if you message the 2 dudes who are doing it they'll invite you the group. The more the merrier

bizarrojosh Wrote:I agree with rich_f in that the grammar book could really be improved. I'm very disappointed with the purchase. I can't say that it's "bad" because it does give an example or two of how the grammar is used , but it does not given an EXPLANATION. I honestly need someone to explain why or when to use certain points and this book really really falls short.

Weird, I thought it is more easy to understand the points than other options specific for JLPT N2 and up Grammar...

It does have less explanation than Dictionary of Intermediate/Advanced Grammar of course, but I think Unicom & KM give less explanation don't they?

vosmiura Wrote:

bizarrojosh Wrote:I agree with rich_f in that the grammar book could really be improved. I'm very disappointed with the purchase. I can't say that it's "bad" because it does give an example or two of how the grammar is used , but it does not given an EXPLANATION. I honestly need someone to explain why or when to use certain points and this book really really falls short.

Weird, I thought it is more easy to understand the points than other options specific for JLPT N2 and up Grammar...

It does have less explanation than Dictionary of Intermediate/Advanced Grammar of course, but I think Unicom & KM give less explanation don't they?

I don't know anything about the other book you've mentioned so I can't really compare. I'm used to really thorough explanations like in Japanese the Spoken language, Japanese the manga way, Tae Kim, etc.

So, you are probably right.

Ah ok, now I understand... it doesn't go into as much depth as textbooks & such. I was comparing to other JLPT prep books.

I'd also have to agree that the grammar book is 'lacking'. We used it in 日本語能力試験N2目指す　class at my Japanese university and I really didn't like it. Even with the teacher explaining it was difficult to understand, I would say, 50% of the grammar points. Especially the more vague/involved/don't-exist-in-English-grammar structures. Luckily I was using Kanzen Master in my own study time, which as far as I am concerned, is a much better resource.

That said, I own do the 日本語総まとめN2語彙　book. I only actually studied the first chapter of it though. It is quite good - has lots of different words, phrases, idioms etc.