-My copy of this is worn and frazzled, because I use it that often. It has never let me down. If you need a kanji dictionary, but don't relish the idea of lugging around the large & heavy unabridged/cross-referenced version, this is the one to choose. It's easy to use and very informative with helpful charts and indexes. Recommended to any student of Japanese language, from beginner to advanced.- --Bookscan

This new compilation offers many advantages; As an example of a book design, little more could be asked of this volume.;Harvard journal of Asiatic Studies. The Compact Nelson is an abridged edition of the revised New Nelson Dictionary, Dr. Andrew N. Nelson's award winning classic work. An invaluable guide for learning Japanese, this book has the following features: 3,068 main character entries and more than 30,000 character compounds; all the characters and compounds needed for everyday use. The Universal Radical Index (URI) which permits the user to look up a character based not only on the main radical, but any radical found in the character. This is the most thorough and reliable index for novice users. Cross referencing with the Japan Industrial Standard (JIS) code and Morohashi's Dai Kanwa Jiten Definitions have been modernised to reflect current usage and translation. Updated with additional characters, contemporary definitions, and an innovative radical index system, this revised editions sets new standards of excellence, easy use, and reliability for Japanese language reference tools. This edition keeps pace with the evolution of the Japanese language and remains an indispensable tool for students and scholars of Japanese.