[throwntoday]

I don't see the merit in using it for Hiragana/Katakana which are far easier to pickup with something like rote memorization.

That said for Kanji I certainly see the benefit of using mnemonics.

[PaulsWallet]

That's fine and you're welcome to think that. I would throw the baby out with the bathwater and assume the book is trash because it uses a technique you don't approve think is most efficient.