This proficiency-oriented introductory Japanese program emphasizes practical communication, the development of all four language skills, student interaction, and cultural awareness. "Nakama 1" consists of 12 chapters, and "Nakama 2" consists of a review chapter, plus 10 additional chapters. Both volumes feature thematically organized chapters that focus on high-frequency communicative situations and introduce students to the Japanese language and its three writing systems: "hiragana, katakana," and "kanji.""Hiragana" (in Chapters 1-3 of "Nakama 1") and "katakana" (in Chapters 4-6 of "Nakama 1") are introduced through unique mnemonic devices that help students learn the characters. Ninety "kanji" characters are introduced in Chapters 7-12 of "Nakama 1," and approximately 290 Kanji are presented in Chapters 1-10 of "Nakama 2," with stroke-by-stroke writing techniques.A series of specially created "manga" precede each chapter dialogue and serve as visual advanced organizers.Chapter dialogues present a lively, continuous story line that illustrate typical daily events in Japanese life and provide a realistic context in which to learn vocabulary and grammatical structures.Exercises progress from directed practice to a wide range of open-ended communicative activities that emphasize pair and group work.Reading, writing, and speaking strategies are presented and practiced throughout the program to help develop students' language proficiency. The Houghton Mifflin Japanese Web Site provides additional materials for students and instructors, including links to relevant Internet sites and to a text-specific site developed by the co-authors, Kazumi Hatasa and Yukiko Abe Hatasa.