Are you an intermediate Japanese learner who can read Hiragana and Katakana and not sure how to improve your reading skills? You have come to the right place! Hiragana and Katakana are very different from English alphabets, so it is very important to spend a lot of time reading along with speaking, listening and writing. Here at Dear Asia London, we have an amazing curriculum that will help you improve your reading skills quickly, but if you also read Japanese books, study with a reading app or read Japanese articles outside of the centre as well, your Japanese reading skills will improve even faster. Here are some Japanese books, Japanese study apps and Japanese articles for you .
Japanese Book
Reading books in Japanese is a great way to improve your Japanese reading skills. Japanese books that Japanese people read often provide expressions that locals use every day, new slang, etc., and you can also learn new, more advanced expressions by reading classic books. Here are some of the most popular Japanese fairy tales, a modern novel, and a classic novel in Japan.
Fairytales
- どんぐりと山猫 (Judge wildcat and the acorns)
- This short story, which is the original story of the My Neighbour Totoro story, depicts a young child who receives a postcard from a wildcat asking for help and goes around looking for the cat. Since it is a short story, it is not difficult to read and is good for learning hiragana. If you are a fan of Studio Ghibli films or My Neighbour Totoro, we highly recommend you read this book.
- 銀河鉄道の夜 (Night on the Galactic Railroad)
- This book, the original story of the famous Japanese animation ‘Galaxy Express 999’, is the fairytale of Kenji Miyazawa, the first Japanese science fiction writer who also wrote the book above. The book contains the story of a boy riding the Galaxy Express that tours the constellations of the night sky, meeting various people, and hearing stories about various lives from them.
- Fiction
- ナミヤ雑貨店の奇蹟 (The Miracles of the Namiya General Store)
- This book is a best seller and a major work of the famous Japanese author Keigo Higashino. It contains a story about three thieves who escape to a general store and answer letters of concern from people there, listening to their concerns and solving them. This book has a lot of text, but the content is not difficult, therefore it is good for studying Japanese.
- 源氏物語 (The Tale of Genji)
- Want to read a classic Japanese novel? This is the perfect book. This book is often considered the world’s first novel, and it tells the story of the life of Genji, the son of the emperor. His political rise, love, and life in the palace may be a bit difficult for non-Japanese, but the detailed characterization is interesting and therefore this book is well worth the read.
Download Free Japanese Reading Materials
Dear Asia London is an Asian language school offering Japanese classes in the heart of London. In addition to their comprehensive language courses, they provide a selection of free Japanese reading materials available for download. These resources cater to learners at various levels, featuring everything from beginner-friendly texts to more advanced content. Click below to download.
.Japanese Reading Applications/Websites
There are many Japanese reading apps and websites on the Internet for Japanese learners these days. Some apps are for learners and not only provide stories but also help you learn systematically, and some apps provide the latest Japanese cartoons. Here are apps and websites where you can read various genres and types of Japanese texts and stories.
- Satori Reader
- This is a Japanese reading app that offers e-books of various genres such as thrillers and documentaries. In addition to simply reading books, this app also provides grammar explanations, context-specific word definitions, text listening, translations, etc. This app also arranges hiragana and kanji according to level, making it optimal for Japanese learners. You can also ask and answer questions about Japanese in books with fellow learners or Japanese experts through the in-app community.
- Manabi Reader
- This app is also a reading app optimized for Japanese learners. It offers a variety of stories and has the great advantage of storing reading data in personal iCloud storage. General reading, bookmarking, vocabulary and kanji search are completely free, and premium features are available at a student discount price. This app also has a function that divides new words and words being learned into blue and red while reading a story.
- GANMA!
- If you like Japanese cartoons, try this app! This app is not a learning app, but you can read many Japanese cartoons that are currently being serialized for free without registering as a member. You can also read cartoons that have ended serialization for a fee.
- Pixiv
- This app is a Japanese art community centered around drawings and comics. This app allows you to post your own creations or works for which you have received permission from the original creator of the secondary work, so that you can freely post videos, stories, and pictures. This aims to create a network and community for people with similar artistic interests by posting your own work and having others react to it. Therefore, there are many Japanese comics that you will like in this app.
- Japanese Article Websites
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Read Japanese News & Articles
Read the news in real time in Japanese. As we all know, nothing provides as much standardized and orthodox Japanese as articles. You can also often learn advanced vocabulary from articles. Here are some of the most popular article websites in Japan.
- NHK World – Japan
- NHK is the most famous broadcasting company in Japan, providing news, radio, and children’s programmes. If you go to NHK World Japan, where NHK provides news articles, you can read a variety of news updates in real time in Japanese. News is also provided with each article, so you can also improve your Japanese listening skills.
- The Asahi Shimbun
- The Asahi Shimbun, a famous Japanese news website, provides a large number of articles in real time. Articles are categorized into culture, science, etc., and the articles are provided with photos. Here, you can access not only Japanese news but also news from around the world.
- Other Japanese Famous Article Website
- Bridge
- Japan Today
- RocketNew24
Join A Japanese Language Class
If you want to learn how to read Japanese effectively, joining a Japanese language class is an excellent choice. Dear Asia London provide structured Japanese courses on mastering the complexities of Japanese script, including hiragana, katakana, and kanji. With the help of experienced instructors, you’ll learn essential reading strategies, such as recognizing common kanji, understanding sentence structure, and expanding your vocabulary. Moreover, classroom environments offer opportunities to practice reading in context, whether through textbooks, authentic materials, or interactive exercises. This targeted approach ensures that you develop the skills needed to read Japanese fluently and with confidence.
