Instant Japanese by Masahiro Watanabe and Kei Nagashima

In the 1967 movie You Only Live Twice, James Bond (Sean Connery) gets the book Instant Japanese by Masahiro Watanabe and Kei Nagashima from Moneypenny to brush up on his Japanese.

In the film, MI6 decides to fake Bond's death. On the British HMS Tenby war ship M tells James Bond about his new mission in Japan and Moneypenny gives him the final instructions.

When Bond is about to leave Moneypenny's office, Moneypenny throws the Instant Japanese book to Bond, saying "Instant Japanese. You may need it."

The book gets a full-screen close-up when James Bond holds the book in his hand.

But Bond replies: "You forget, I took a first in oriental languages at Cambridge." and he throws the book back to her and leaves.

Where to buy

This vintage paperback book can still be found on eBay or AbeBooks for example.

Buyer's tip: the only screen accurate version is the original "Instant Japanese", and NOT the revised version, which has the text "Revised Edition" underneath the title on the cover. As can be seen in the movie screenshot, the title and silver / orange square illustration are printed a bit toward the left of the center, which the book that I found also has. The revised version has the title and illustration more properly centered in the middle.

Instant Japanese
Masahiro Watanabe / Kei Nagashima 
185 pages
Published in 1964 by Yohan Publications, Inc.
ISBN 10: 4896847253
ISBN 13: 9784896847253