FREE 27 Websites For Japanese Reading Practice (At Every Level)

If you are on the road to learning Japanese, then there are quite many ways that can help you to grasp the language. There are very few free learning sites or books that you can get access to, but it doesn’t mean that you won’t find them. If you are a dedicated learner, then we have compiled a list for you to check out the free resources for learning the Japanese language so that it’s for you to have access to these resources

  • Erin  By Japan foundation
  • Nhk japanese lessons
  • Nihongo 123
  • Nhk Easy News
  • NIHONGO eな
  • Matcha
  • Kanshudo
  • Tadoku
  • MARUGOTO+ (MARUGOTO Plus)
  • Wasabi – Learn Japanese Online
  • Learning and Teaching Japanese
  • Japanese IO
  • 日本語学習読本
  •  ひろがる もっといろんな日本と日本語 
  • CosCom Learn Japanese
  • 漢字で学ぶ日本語
  • 福娘童話集
  • Digital EHON (Picture Book) Site
  • 青空文庫
  • JPLANG 日本語を学ぶ
  • U-biq
  • 首都大学東京 mic-J  
  • Japanesepod101
  • Tae Kim’s Guide to Japanese Grammar
  • Tagaini Jisho-
  • Forvo
  • Easy Languages

Best Free Japanese reading practice from beginner to advanced

  1. Erin  By Japan foundation  https://www.erin.jpf.go.jp/

This website is Known as “Erin”, which provides a very helpful resource and I can tell you that this website is very complete. Whether it’s a video to improve listening skills. Including the vocabulary used in daily life is exhausting. Also on the web there are various functions that are presented about strange things. Real-life stories, quizzes, and You can also change to your  languages. 

  1. Nhk japanese lessons   https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/learnjapanese/

The site was founded by NHK, and within the site,You can learn Japanese from Zero. There are lessons for hiragana and katakana. And also there are 48 lessons in total, The website design has been arranged for you to Simple, easy to understand. In 48 lessons there is also a separate Vocabulary list. There are also audio files for each lesson available for free download. Of course, this website supports up to 18 other languages.

     3. Nihongo 123   http://www.nihongo123.com/

For this site, it is quite difficult to use. The user has to sign up and log in to the website. 

But it is not hard to get a subscription and it’s all free. This website is suitable for learners who want to learn Japanese and English at the same time because the website is in English and Japanese. This website includes basic lessons and additional 26 chapters for those who have learned basic , This website in overall l focus on listening-speaking.

4. Nhk Easy News https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/easy/

This website is also founded by NHK, which is suitable for Japanese learners who can read some Japanese. Inside the web will present various news stories that are current stories. The website will be formatted to be easy to read and easy vocabulary. There is also a Voice function to read the news. In the kanji part, every word is marked with furigana.

5.  NIHONGO eな   https://nihongo-e-na.com/jpn/site/id660.html

The Japanese language learning site known as  “NIHONGO e na. The site provides tools, and apps that are useful for learning Japanese online and easy to understand. The purpose is to support Japanese learners around the world to enjoy and learn Japanese using the Internet.  You can search the site from 12 categories such as “speak” and “listen”. You can also search for sites that match the three Japanese levels of “beginner”, “intermediate”, and “advanced. You can search by category and level.

6. Matcha https://matcha-jp.com/easy/

This website is a web magazine that provides information on Japan to tourists visiting Japan. In addition to famous tourist destinations such as Tokyo and Kyoto, There is a lot of information all around  Japan from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south. Also there is recommended sightseeing spot information, such as gourmet, shopping, accommodation information, directions to famous tourism  and useful information that you should know before traveling to Japan. They are supported in 10 languages: Japanese, English, Chinese (traditional / simplified), Korean, Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Spanish, and Japanese (easy Japanese) that is easy for foreigners to read. Please enjoy MATCHA in your favorite language

7. Kanshudo  https://www.kanshudo.com/

Kanshudo is the fastest and most enjoyable way to learn Japanese. They are providing resources to learn Japanese efficiently. They have an approach asread kana and kanji, and you need to learn kanji, vocabulary and grammar as well.

They have an “AI”  (Artificial Intelligence) learning platform that monitors your study activities and recommends learning exercises based on its assessment of your current level. Then you can feel free to start using Kanshudo whatever your current level of Japanese ability. In the board the AI will recommend to you what to learn daily through the unique visualizations of your Japanese ability – a display of your current progress through grammar / words / kanji.

8. Tadoku  https://tadoku.org/japanese/en

Tadoku is the alternative approach to teaching the Japanese language. They provide Japanese reading material at any level and use them in classrooms. 

9. MARUGOTO+ (MARUGOTO Plus) https://marugotoweb.jp/en/

The website provides learning material that users can learn about Japanese language and culture based on the contents of the “MARUGOTO: Japanese Language and Culture”, Their learning material includes official coursebook of the Japan Foundation, which complies to the JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education.

You can study the Japanese language and also learn Japanese culture by the textbook “Marugoto. On this website , You can download a free textbook from beginner to advanced. 

10. Wasabi – Learn Japanese Online  https://www.wasabi-jpn.com

You can learn basic Japanese in the audio version.

The audio source can be played at a slow speed and listen to the reading voice .You can download all 4 speed sound sources for free.

They also provide Japanese scripts with furigana and explanations in English.

11. Learning and Teaching Japanese  https://www.thoughtco.com/japanese-4133062

This site is very useful for everyone who is thinking about  learning Japanese or who have just started learning Japanese. On this website , provide easy to understand basics Japanese explanations . They have in-depth details for  Hiragana, katakana, pronunciation, kanji, grammar, greetings, one-word phrases, etc. 

And also provide the audio file made easy for everyone even You don’t know Japanese.

The content they have various type of  are many articles about annual events, etiquette, education system, sports, Japanese affairs, and culture.

12.Japanese IO  https://www.japanese.io/

ํYou can go to this website and paste any text that you want to read  and  add furigana to kanji, and check the word meaning. Even if you don’t understand a word, you can read it while checking the text in just one click.  You can practice reading comprehension and save text in the Library and read it whenever you want.Easy to sign up with a Facebook or Google account.

13. 日本語学習読本  https://nihongotokuhon.jimdo.com/

This site is designed for children who do not speak Japanese . children who cannot hear or cannot hear, children who are learning Japanese, and children who are not good at Japanese can read by themselves and have fun. Introducing “Easy Japanese Books. 

You can learn Japanese with reading materials that suit your level and All kanji have furigana. Also You try to read Japanese in vertical format.

14. ひろがる もっといろんな日本と日本語  https://hirogaru-nihongo.jp/

Expanding more Japan and Japanese” is a site where you can learn about various Japan and Japanese through your own enjoyment.

You can see the video to experience natural Japanese, learn about different aspects of life in modern-day Tokyo, listen to articles read by voice actors in order to practice reading simple words such as “I”, or just explore topics on food culture. There are translation pages for English learners too!

15. CosCom Learn Japanese  http://www.coscom.co.jp/j-index.html

Japanese is a dynamic language with many different levels of difficulty. Beginner students can study practical vocabulary, phrases and conversations using speech-oriented audio materials; intermediate level learners will find reading material for Japanese comprehension as well as information about verbs in the textbook to help them learn nouns and basic grammar.

16.  http://www.ajalt.org/kanmana/

This is a vocabulary lesson for intermediate learners of Japanese. It features 200 basic kanji, with each one’s origins and meaning detailed in an easy-to-understand manner. This content comes from the AJALT Online curriculum (a review).

17.福娘童話集  http://hukumusume.com/douwa/

This site contains a wide variety of stories from Japan. From Japanese folk tales, children’s literature to Edo period short-stories that were told around the fire in samurai households; you can enjoy listening to these audio readings with illustrations or just hear them as is. The texts are available for each story and there are some animations too! You can search using keywords and find your favorite reads right away by typing it out on their webpage

18. Digital EHON (Picture Book) Site http://www.e-hon.jp/

Through the power of language, people around the world get to enjoy Japanese folklore with a reading in 12 different languages. For those who are interested in hearing it read aloud and want an English translation on-screen as well, they can also download audio via their computer or phone app.

19. 青空文庫  http://www.aozora.gr.jp/

You can read any of the free literature that’s available for you to download. It has some classics, too! You’ll find a whole lot of different works in this category and it won’t cost you anything.

20. JPLANG 日本語を学ぶ  http://jplang.tufs.ac.jp/

From beginner to intermediate level, you can comprehensively study grammar, vocabulary and conversation. Conversation,” “grammar,” “reading” and vocabulary are not only English but also Arabic Indonesian Polish Malay Serbian Thai Vietnamese Chinese Simplified) Italian German Traditional). You can keep a learning record by registering as user.

21.U-biq http://u-biq.org/english.html

This article is for anyone who wants to learn Japanese! It offers a variety of exercises and tests that will help you systematically master hiragana, katakana, elementary grammar, and sentence patterns. You can take online tests in grammar comprehension skills as well as kanji and vocabulary-based reading comprehension quizzes. If you live in Japan there are tips about local classes too (introduction).

22. 首都大学東京 mic-J  http://nihongo.hum.tmu.ac.jp/mic-j/index.html

There are various Japanese learning materials such as listening comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension and pronunciation. They support a wide range of levels from beginner to advanced. 

With this website you can listen to clear sounds, voiced sounds and Sokuon (i), practice your own pronunciation with the help of lessons in video or text form while simultaneously watching videos that introduce Japan’s culture (ii). In addition there is an option for both English speaking learners who want more information about the language behind their favorite anime series like Attack on Titan-no problem! You’ll find detailed explanations about how certain phrases work alongside reading passages so long enough but not too difficult words which will also deepen your understanding.

23.Japanesepod101  

Japanesepod101 is a free website that offers videos, podcasts, and complementary content to help you learn Japanese. Videos cover the 25 most useful phrases in any language as well as understanding hiragana or how to introduce yourself properly when speaking with someone else for the first time. If learning from YouTube isn’t your style then Japaneseppod 101 also has monthly subscriptions which include more lessons per day than their other options such as Youtube does on its channel.

24. Tae Kim’s Guide to Japanese Grammar  http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/

This handbook mainly focuses on Japanese grammar more than the language. The guide has been created with the sole purpose of providing the enthusiasts an intuitive and rational way through which they can learn more about the Japanese language. The manual talks about how they make a person learn Japanese grammar, not through the English style, but by making them understand it, the Japanese way. Also, the guide supports some text in Japanese, so even your device should be able to support Japanese text. It is available in pdf download format, paperback, ios app, and Android app store, so choose your option from your comfort zone and learn Japanese in free.

Imabi- It is a simple website that solely aims at providing information to the readers about Japanese grammar. One can go through the mini-lessons that the creators of the site have presented and learn the language most easily and simply. There are so many examples that go with their explanations that are well informed and help a person to understand the language and the grammar fully. Also, no lesson is related much to the previous one, so one can choose between a beginner, intermediate, and expert level that promises a ton of information on the language.

25. Tagaini Jisho- https://www.tagaini.net/

This is one of the best and most importantly, free Japanese dictionaries that one can use to look up words for Japanese and Kanji language. The lookup tool is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems for the convenience of the readers. The dictionary helps the learner to train entries that they want to study and follow the process through memorizing them. It can also print a small booklet or list the entries that you don’t review. Also, you get a complete stroke order animation for more than 6000 Kanji symbols on your screen with this online dictionary. In all, it is a beneficial tool if you are looking to learn Japanese at the ease of your device.

26.Forvo https://forvo.com/

The Japanese language consists of many complicated words that can be searched through Forvo, where you can see several different ways of reading Kanji. One can also find new words in this application to find their meaning and how they can be used. Forvo is a language program that can assist you, just like an enhanced and informative English dictionary. You can also listen to the pronunciation of each and every word that, too, in the native accent. The program is set to have an extensive database, and you can search for almost all Japanese dialects.

27. Easy Languages https://www.easy-languages.org/

This is a YouTube channel that podcasts daily Japanese life. The hosts interview various people roaming around in Japan. It is really very attractive to watch people speak in their native language. Regular videos from the channel can teach you quite many Japanese phrases that you can use in your daily life. Also, one can check the culture and language through this series and know in-depth about all things Japanese. Practice what you learn from watching the videos as it would teach you the dialect in a more natural way.

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