Japanese Graded Readers: Level 1

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You can’t discuss contemporary Japanese literature without bringing up Haruki Murakami. Whether you love Murakami or not, you can appreciate the way he writes. I read Murakami just to experience the way that he puts words together, something Japanese learners will find useful in their studies. Here are some of the views of the students who have done tadoku reading for more than 6 months. Many found reading Japanese extremely difficult because of the three separate sets of writing system, but tadoku readers made it easier and easier. Fans of the above-mentioned Hikoichi (or those who are already beyond a beginner reading level) will be thrilled to know that Hikoichi’s story is actually the first in a 10-volume series. Each volume in this series is a graded Japanese reader featuring four short stories. The level of difficulty increases with each volume, so this series can be followed chronologically. However the stories without furigana include vocabulary and kanji you learn around N3 and N2 level.

Read the story without looking up any words. If you don’t know a word try and guess the meaning based on the picture and context. If there’s something you don’t understand then it’s okay to skip. You want to focus on reading and understanding the story as a whole, not every tiny detail. This book isn’t exactly a graded reader but a bilingual reader. This means English translations of stories with English explanations. Reading is a fantastic way to increase your abilities across all the different language domains. The more you read, the better you'll get! This is the story of a boat guard rowing a supposed criminal to an island prison. The man, however, seems incredibly polite and unlike any of the other prisoners the sailor has rowed with, which unsettles the guard. FluentU naturally and gradually eases you into learning Japanese language and culture. You'll learn real Japanese as it's spoken in real life.Have you ever had that experience where you understand every single kanji and vocabulary word but have no idea what any of it means, even when doing something simple like reading a menu? I've mentioned it a few times before, but let's talk a bit more about what extensive reading is, as doing so will give us an idea of how best to use graded readers for studying. Extensive reading is a language-learning strategy where learners practice by reading longer, simpler texts, as smoothly as possible without stopping to look up unfamiliar vocabulary or grammar. In a nutshell: A resource that starts with short, easy stories and gradually builds up to longer, more difficult ones.

A program to add furigana to any and all kanji. To learn kanji, you’ll need to see them in their natural habitat, within the context of authentic texts. Make this process smoother by using a program like NihongoDera, which adds furigana to any text you input in the textbox. I also recommend After each story, readers can also find additional notes on the plot and Japanese culture as well as grammar and vocabulary notes. “Read Real Japanese” Series After reading a simplified article, you can follow a link to the original and try to understand it. Wasabi and ChocoChocoWhole text translators. Many print readers simply display English and Japanese texts side-by-side. You can recreate the experience by plugging Japanese text into a reliable whole text translator and keeping the translation on hand while you read. These translators are rarely perfect but they should give you enough of an idea of what the text is about to help you push on.

This one tells a story that takes place near a special set of gates in old Kyoto. A man considering theft sees a woman robbing hair from corpses. What can possibly happen next? 高瀬舟（たかせぶね）— “Takasebune” by Ogai Mori Remember how we hit grade school, with limited reading and writing abilities? We had a core vocabulary but a thirst for knowledge. It’s the same with learning a second—or third or fourth!—language. As long as you’ve got a basic vocabulary, you should be able to read. You won’t understand everything at first, but that comes with the vocabulary and language skills graded readers encourage. These philosophical books follow the stories of Kino as she rides her motorcycle through foreign countries. Each story can give you insights about life and might change how you see the world.So, ready to dive in? Great! In this article, I will talk more about what graded readers are and how to get the most out of them. My co-author Emily and I have also taken a look at some of the options available so we can recommend the best graded readers for you, regardless of whether you prefer to use digital books or physical ones, free libraries or paid collections, or even an app.