Best Denshijisho

[XVeLoCityX]

I'm looking for a really good denshijishou. I cheaped out on my first one and I'm regretting it now. I definitely want something with a kanji dictionary, and English-English dictionary is nice too. Another really important thing is no censored crap. Bad/dirty words exist and I want to be able to find them too. I remember my friend had one with "fist f***". Now that's quality stuff.

And do they even make these for English speakers trying to learn Japanese? Like of the same quality as the Japanese-English ones?

[Glenn]

Moved to the resources section because it fits better here.

I can't help you with an electronic dictionary, but I have a copy of the Meikyo dictionary (明鏡国語辞典　携帯版) and it's pretty good for explaining usage, and it seems to be fairly comprehensive. That's if you're looking for a J-J dictionary, though.

I also have the new Kangorin (新漢語林), which is pretty good for kanji. I really like it, because it has over 12,000 entries with Mandarin readings as well as Chinese simplified counterparts for all characters in the dictionary; the character etymologies; character meanings; and alternate characters for each entry (aside from the Chinese simplified versions). Granted, you'll have to have a fairly high proficiency in reading Japanese to use either book, but they are really good if you can understand them.

[McCrutch67]

This gives you all you need to know about J-E electronic dictionaries.
http://www.bornplaydie.com/japan/dic...dictionary.htm

The feature most necessary seems to be the jump that allows you to jump to the definition of any kanji on screen. I don't even think he reviews or considers any that don't have it and there's still a lot of variety. I've never owned one myself but if I got one, I'd consult this site first.

[209]

I've got a Canon Wordtank G55, it's the love of my life. Eng-J, J-Eng, great Kanji dictionary with lots of different ways of inputting the kanji you are trying to find - by on/kun reading, by radical, by the parts it's made of, number of strokes. Best thing is, when you find the kanji you are looking form you can then bring up all the common compounds its used in (as an initial character) Also a good J-J dictionary, Katakana dictionary, eng-eng dict, thesaurus, J thesaurus, the all important "jump" function, ability to store the words you need to study (and it's big, I've got over 600 stored (unlearned, argh!)) Basically, I've not found it lacking in any way. Worth the cash, I think!

[209]

oh, and eek.....it's got fist f*****, if you wondered *goes to wash out eyes*

[CorDarei]

Originally Posted by 209

oh, and eek.....it's got fist f*****, if you wondered *goes to wash out eyes*

You forgot to post the translation.

[nice gaijin]

I've got a Seiko SR-M4000 link (I wouldn't buy from Aiko, their prices aren't very competitive) and it does a great job for me. It has japanese to japanese definitions and english to english, english to japanese and vice versa. It also has a katakana lookup for 外来語, a versatile kanji lookup and even an "english for unexpected situations" feature I've never had to use. The jump feature is extremely useful and the return function is very convenient; there is also built in memory so you can save a good number of words you've looked up for easy access later, I have over 100 so far). The size is also a plus for me, it's the smallest dictionary I've come across in the $200~ range (too small for some, I tend to hold it like a gameboy and use my thumbs to type, the keyboard is too cramped for normal typing). The higher end models look the same but have a few more dictionaries you probably won't be using unless you are entrenched in academia.

ripped from the site:
Dictionaries:

* Genius English-Japanese - 95,000 Phrases
* Kenkyusha Kazuhide 5th Edition 95,000 entries
* Oxford English Language Dictionary 80,000 entries
* Gakken Katakana Dictionary 28,000 entries Thesaurus 365,000 entries
* English Conversations Dictionary 8,000 example sentences
* Iwanami Shoten Japanese Dictionary 230,000 entries
* Iwanami Shoten Japanese Dictionary Opposite Pulling 230,000 entries
* Gakken Kanji Dictionary 6,355 Kanji and 45,000 Kanji Combinations

Features:

* Super Jump Function: Jump from one dictionary to another and back again retaining your space
* Auto Power On/Off
* History Function remembers what you have looked up for reference
* Example Search
* Real Time Preview and Search
* Spell Check
* Wild Card Search
* Change Font Size
* Word Memo: Useful for unknown words or Kanji
* Calculator
* Metallic Body
* Size:110mmX82.3mmX13mm
* Weight: 135g

# Basic English manual included inside Japanese manual (explains functions and basic use)

My only gripe is that when looking up english to japanese translations the pronunciation is not given in furigana, so you have to use the jump feature to find out which pronunciations to use for the kanji. Other than that it's extremely helpful. Cheapest I've seen it was $180-190 at the Kinokuniya in San Francisco. I've heard great things about the wordtanks, but I'm very satisfied with my M4000