JiShop

Japanese-English electronic dictionary with special focus on kanji characters

  
  
JiShop
Japanese-English kanji dictionary
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What is JiShop

Home > Features > What is JiShop
What is JiShop
Home > Features > What is JiShop

JiShop is a powerful electronic dictionary designed to provide comprehensive information about the Chinese characters used in Japanese, known as kanji. In continuous development since 1995, JiShop is available for download at www.jishop.com.

JiShop differs from other electronic kanji dictionaries by its original look-up system, which fully employs the advantages of a computer. There are no key elements in JiShop; all radicals (634 versus traditional 214) are treated equally. Instead of the laborious counting of strokes inevitable in all paper dictionaries, a multi-radical search is provided. The options of highlighting and compression make navigation through the table of radicals simple and quick. Search by traditional key radicals is also provided as an extra option.

From version 7.0, JiShop contains JiPad written input tool as an alternative to the search by radicals.

JiShop also contains a phonetic dictionary. It stores jukugo (compound words) used in kanji dictionary entries to illustrate the usage of characters. The phonetic dictionary can be also used independently to find Japanese words by their kanji writing, reading, or meaning.

The JiShop database is accurately and thoroughly compiled, amalgamating the best of Japanese-English lexicography. Numerous paper sources and resources from the Internet were researched to compile it. The main emphasis of dictionary entries is on the actual practical usage of kanji in modern Japanese. Read "Why JiShop is the best" compared to other dictionaries.

The database is under continuous development. At the present moment, it contains 6200 edited dictionary entries. The ultimate goal is to provide entries for all 6355 characters from the computer set JIS X 0208 and for some characters outside it. Filling up the database is now the first priority in the further development of the project (see Plans).

JiShop 8.3 for Windows can function at three different levels: Concise, Plus, and Advanced.

Concise level      1006 characters from the primary school list
Plus level   2136 characters from the "Kanji for daily use" list
Advanced level       All kanji  (6200 characters in version 8.3; more to be added)

When you use JiShop as freeware (JiShop Concise), it functions at one of these levels depending on the current day of the week, as follows:

Monday — Thursday:   Concise level
Friday:   Plus level
Saturday & Sunday:   Advanced level

If you upgrade your copy to JiShop Plus, it will function as follows:

Monday — Friday:   Plus level
Saturday & Sunday:   Advanced level

If you upgrade your copy to JiShop Advanced, it will always function at the Advanced level.

A Plus or Advanced license will cover all the future versions of JiShop.