nihongobooks

4技能でひろがる 中級日本語カルテット I

Quartet: Intermediate Japanese Across the Four Language Skills I

坂本正 (監修) — The Japan Times Publishing, 2019

IntermediateQuartet seriesIn-depth analysis · 2026-08-26

Verdict

The smoothest road out of Genki — with two gaps you must plug yourself.

Quartet I is the closest thing to a Genki III: the same publisher, grammar notes in English that the community consistently rates the clearest at this level, and a four-skill lesson structure that assumes exactly what Genki II taught. That makes it the default self-study route into intermediate Japanese. The trade-offs are just as consistent in learner reports: the vocabulary load runs thin for the N3 band and the kanji selection mixes levels without drill support — plan an SRS deck alongside from day one, and treat the speaking and writing sections as classroom material unless you have a partner.

Best for

  • Self-studiers coming straight from Genki II who want English explanations to continue
  • Learners aiming at a steady N3-and-beyond climb with app-based audio and a full companion ecosystem
  • Anyone who wants modern, everyday reading topics over cultural deep dives

Not ideal for

  • Vocabulary-first learners — the word lists need an outside SRS supplement at this level
  • Anyone who wants one self-contained book — the workbook has no published answer key
  • Content-driven readers who want essays about Japan itself — that is Tobira's identity

Workload 学習量

Pages
259, plus a 64-page supplement booklet
Lessons
6, each split into reading, writing, speaking and listening — with a Brush-Up unit after Lesson 6
Coverage
~55 grammar patterns · 327 kanji · about JLPT N3
Audio
150 min via the free OTO Navi app or download
Level reached
≈ JLPT N3 — Volume II continues toward N2

What's inside 目次

  1. 01第1課〜第6課Lessons 1–6 · one theme across four skills
    • Themes: famous figures, email and letters, enjoying Japan, experiences abroad, Japanese food, voices in Japanese society
    • Each lesson: two readings with pattern notes, writing, two dialogues, two listening tasks
  2. 02ブラッシュアップBrush-Up unit (after Lesson 6)
    • Seven elementary-grammar reviews and twelve kanji strategies — the deliberate bridge back to Genki
  3. 03別冊・別売Supplement booklet; workbook sold separately
    • Listening scripts and answers are published online; the workbook itself has no published key

Strengths & weaknesses 長所と短所

  • The gentlest documented ramp out of a beginner course — same publisher as Genki, kanji continuing from Genki's 317, and a Brush-Up unit that patches elementary gaps.
  • Grammar explanations are the community's consistent winner at this level — detailed English notes for every pattern, where the rival offers a few sentences.
  • The strongest intermediate support stack — official online course and audio app, a complete third-party video course, and official SRS decks tracking the book.
  • Learner reports consistently call the vocabulary lists thin for the N3 band — the standard fix is running a dedicated N3 word deck alongside.
  • Kanji selection mixes N2 and N1 characters without exercises or a study plan — the book teaches readings but not retention.
  • The speaking and writing sections assume a classroom; solo, they reduce to reading material, and the workbook's missing answer key limits self-checking.
Quartet or Tobira? We compared the two intermediate standards feature by feature — including the 2025 Tobira relaunch.Read the comparison →

Bibliographic details 書誌情報

書名Title4技能でひろがる 中級日本語カルテット I
著者Authors坂本正 (監修)
出版社Publisherジャパンタイムズ出版 (The Japan Times Publishing)
発行PublishedJuly 2019
頁数Pages259 pp.
定価List price¥3,000 + tax
ISBNISBN978-4-7890-1695-7

Bibliographic source: NDL Search by ISBN.

Related books 関連書籍