A Kanji WHAT?

[WCR91]

I've been hearing a bunch of people saying things about something called KanjiTown, but all the websites I've been to don't explain it, they just dance around what it actually is.

Can someone explain to me what this method is/how it works?

[Bucko]

Kanji town is this idea some guy came up with to link the onyomi pronunciation of a kanji to an imaginary place in a town. E.g. 'ba' could be linked with the towns local 'bar'. Then within the bar you place all the kanji with the 'ba' onyomi. For example, 馬 means horse. So in your mind you place the horse outside the bar waiting for its owner. You give similar roles to all the other 'ba' kanjis (actually there are only two), so when you see the kanji in real life you just think back to the place in town where that kanji lives.

[WCR91]

...And what exactly does that accomplish?

[Bueller_007]

...And what exactly does that accomplish?

It's a mnemonic device to help remember kanji readings.

[Bucko]

...And what exactly does that accomplish?

Huh?

[WCR91]

It seems to me like this system would only further confusion...

Maybe you could offer a better example than the "ba" sound kanjis?
As I have a hard time remembering the readings of Kanji, I'm more interested in how this system works.

[Bucko]

www.google.com

"kanji town"

[hilldomain]

its not a pneumonic device its more like mindmapping. You create a visual reference in your mind so massive ammounts of information are easier to remember.

[Bueller_007]

its not a pneumonic device its more like mindmapping. You create a visual reference in your mind so massive ammounts of information are easier to remember.

What you're describing is the very definition of a "mnemonic device".

A "pneumonic device" would be a machine that gives you pneumonia or has something to do with the lungs.

[Tiduas]

It sounds as a kinda cool way but... i am not sure i wanna go for it yet.
Still likes that there are very many ways of memorizing the kanjis ^_^

[dynamene]

Hmmm, I think this is the old "memory palace" technique for memorization.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_of_loci

These days people tend to use a path, rather then a place. That is, you visualize a path you commonly take, such as your commute to work. Then you place the items you wish to memorize at landmarks along your path.

Personally, this method has never worked for me, still it's worth a try.

Now back to my flash cards.