This is a revised edition of the textbook GENKI: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese, which was published in 1999. Since it first came out, GENKI has become widely used by teachers and students of Japanese and has gone through numerous reprintings. Such wide acceptance led to the decision to publish this revised edition.In 1999, our aim was to đevelop a textbook that teachers would find convenient and helpful, and one that students could easily use. We thus wrote the book based on a survey of students` needs and refined it through many test-teaching situations. Originally meant as a text for foreign students studying in Japan, GENKI gained popularity among those studying in other countries as well. As use increased, we began to hear from those who wanted "more information on culture" and "audio aids appended to the text" Its also been more than ten years since GENKI was originally published, and the passage of time has required revisions to vocabulary and expressions.While retaining the ease-of-use quality for teachers, we have added new content and revisions that reflect our experiences and the voices of those who have used the text. The task of revision took two years to complete. We believe that this effort has resulted in a book that instructors and students will fnd even easier to use and learn from.The opinions of the teachers and students who have used GENKI have been a major driving force in the preparation of this revised edition. We are truly grateful to those who have provided this input. The authors would also like to express their sincere appreciation to the following: Noriko Udagawa, our illustrator, whose work has become a GENKI trademark; the staff of The Japan Times; and particularly to Chiaki Sekido of the Publications Department of The Japan Times, who has worked tireless�y with us on this project since its inception.It is our hope that students of the language will �nd additional pleasure in learning Japanese by using this new edition of GENKI.