Kanji Alchemy II: A Strategy for Reading Japanese Characters Jinmeiyou Kanji

Kanji Alchemy is a reallocation of Japanese characters with an emphasis on 490 singular characters that provide a meaningful context for learning 2136 General Use (Kanji Alchemy I), 861 Jinmei (Kanji Alchemy II) and 3463 Non General Use kanji (Kanji Alchemy III). The 490 "signature" characters cover in total 6460 kanji that are extensively cross-referenced.
The 490 signature kanji are subdivided into seven broad areas that are based on the traditional astrological system of the west. Depending on specific characteristics of the character, kanji have been associated with conventional attributes of the seven planets such as relating to martial and venereal matters for instance. The structure of the character determines its position within the system and, unsurprisingly perhaps, there are many characters that directly refer to war and sex. There are 10 chapters in total each consisting of seven weeks. (70 weeks in total) One alchemical symbol has been allocated to each week in order to facilitate the learning process. Each key or signature character applies in addition to related Jinmei and to Non General Use kanji because it functions as a chunking device representing any number of characters ranging from 2 to 14. Knowledge of hiragana and katana is required. Suitable for false beginners. Kanji Alchemy provides a structured approach for coming to terms with a challenging writing system and will make the road to Japanese literacy a great deal less cumbersome.