Readers
These stories are free to read and produced by foundations and educational programs around the world to teach Japanese to foreign language learners. They have been imported into the いやく Reader software which produces copy/paste friendly Japanese text (for use with popup dictionaries like Yomitan etc.), vocabulary lists for immersive reading and audio for listening practice. Stories are sorted by their reading difficulty score.
赤ずきん
Little Red Riding Hood visits her grandmother, but encounters a large, hungry wolf.
Kanji: 5, Vocab: 11, N5: 4, N4: 1, N3: 0, N2: 0, N1: 0
どっち?
A simple picture book asking readers to choose between two options.
Kanji: 1, Vocab: 16, N5: 1, N4: 0, N3: 0, N2: 0, N1: 0
かまきり
This Japanese learning text introduces the green mantis, describing its features and life cycle.
Kanji: 3, Vocab: 11, N5: 2, N4: 1, N3: 0, N2: 0, N1: 0
ねずみのすもう
An old couple and a thin mouse engage in a sumo match. The mouse tries its best.
Kanji: 7, Vocab: 22, N5: 6, N4: 1, N3: 0, N2: 0, N1: 0
子犬を二匹飼っています
This story introduces two adorable puppies, Po and Chee, highlighting their colors and mutual affection.
Kanji: 7, Vocab: 20, N5: 4, N4: 3, N3: 0, N2: 0, N1: 0
はじめてのおにぎり
A French person studying Japanese eagerly anticipates their very first Onigiri experience.
Kanji: 11, Vocab: 36, N5: 8, N4: 3, N3: 0, N2: 0, N1: 0
骨 ほね
An introduction to the human body, exploring its parts and the incredible number of bones.
Kanji: 10, Vocab: 23, N5: 8, N4: 1, N3: 0, N2: 1, N1: 0
すみません
A story exploring the many uses of "sumimasen" in everyday Japanese interactions.
Kanji: 12, Vocab: 24, N5: 6, N4: 4, N3: 2, N2: 0, N1: 0
さる かに
A selfish monkey takes advantage of a kind crab's efforts to grow fruit, leading to conflict.
Kanji: 6, Vocab: 32, N5: 5, N4: 0, N3: 1, N2: 0, N1: 0
カラフルな花
Two friends identify different colorful flowers like Kowhai, Brush tree, and Akebia.
Kanji: 6, Vocab: 42, N5: 4, N4: 2, N3: 0, N2: 0, N1: 0