Here is the third edition of Ryugakusei no Tame no Jidai o Yomitoku Jokyu Nihongo (Penetrating Contemporary Japan: Advanced Japanese for International Students―From Reading Comprehension to Conversation and Composition), a book for advanced learners that has had a great reputation ever since it was first published.

The book develops the practical Japanese ability of the learner in terms of reading comprehension, conversation, and composition at the advanced level. The learner can readily develop these three skills by working through the sections of each chapter entitled “Reading Kanji and Using Words and Phrases,” “Speaking Practice,” and “Writing Practice.” There are articles related to “Lifestyle,” “The Declining Birthrate and the Elderly,” “Education,” “Companies and Labor,” “Science and Technology and People,” and “Nature and People.” The articles have been selected from the viewpoint of their (1) reflecting the actual state of contemporary Japanese society, (2) enabling the learner to associate the material with the situation in his/her own country, (3) being a medium through which the learner can express his/her feelings and opinions, and (4) providing a means to understanding Japanese society without background knowledge of the relevant subjects.