Todaii Japanese
A Japanese news reader with furigana, word lookup, audio and saved vocabulary.
BeginnerIntermediateFreemiumEasyNews readerVocabularyiPhone, Android
Japanese reading resources
Reading improves when the text is finishable. Choose the amount of help, not the longest library.
Japanese in Anime & Manga
Japan Foundation activities exploring expressions and character language in anime and manga.
BeginnerIntermediateFreeEasyReading supportCharacter languageWeb
Satori Reader
Annotated Japanese articles and dialogues with audio and inline notes.
BeginnerIntermediateFreemiumEasyReadingWeb, iPhone
NHK News Web Easy
Free graded Japanese news with furigana and audio.
BeginnerIntermediateFreeEasyReadingListeningWeb
Tadoku
Graded Japanese readers for extensive reading, including a free library.
BeginnerIntermediateFreemiumEasyReadingWeb, Print
Japanese Graded Readers
ASK’s よむよむ文庫 print packs with audio, and White Rabbit Press’s 9-story app.
BeginnerIntermediatePaidEasyReadingPrint, Web, iPhone, Android
MATCHA Easy Japanese
Travel and culture articles rewritten in N4-level easy Japanese with furigana.
BeginnerIntermediateFreeEasyReadingWeb
yomujp
Graded extensive reading. New pieces free for 4 weeks, then members-only.
BeginnerIntermediateFreemiumEasyReadingWeb
Hirogaru
Free A1-A2 Japan Foundation site with interest-topic articles, videos, and kanji practice.
BeginnerFreeEasyReadingWeb
Natively
Community-graded Japanese books, movies, and TV by relative difficulty.
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedFreeEasyReadingWeb
Yomitan
A browser popup dictionary for looking up Japanese while you read.
IntermediateFreeInvolvedDictionaryWeb
Migaku
A toolkit for mining Japanese from video and text into review cards.
IntermediatePaidInvolvedFlashcards & SRSWeb, Browser, iPhone, Android
LingQ
Import Japanese text, track known words, and read with in-line lookup.
IntermediateFreemiumModerateReadingWeb, iPhone, Android
Watanoc
Slow, readable Japanese articles for learners.
BeginnerIntermediateFreeEasyReadingWeb
Shinobi Japanese
Graded Japanese stories with audio, word lookup, and review.
BeginnerIntermediateFreemiumEasyReadingListeningiPhone, Android
Gravity
Japanese media, synced transcripts, and review tied to the original scene.
BeginnerIntermediatePaidEasyListeningFlashcards & SRSiPhone, iPad, Android
Mugi
Native Japanese videos with transcript lookup and spaced review.
BeginnerIntermediatePaidEasyListeningFlashcards & SRSiPhone, Android
Immersion Kit
Search Japanese words in anime and drama subtitle lines.
IntermediateFreeModerateDictionaryWeb
Language Reactor
Dual Japanese subtitles and lookup for YouTube and Netflix in the browser.
IntermediateFreemiumModerateListeningBrowser
Showing 19 resources.
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A good reading resource is one you can finish. Annotation, audio, and lookup tools change the cost of that finish. The focused shortlist is Japanese reading resources for beginners. Use that page to pick one job: graded books, annotated stories, or a native title.
Graded books you can complete
Tadoku is the free-library and print-pack path for extensive reading. Finish one easy book before you buy a set.
Annotated stories
Satori Reader adds notes and a library. Use the free chapters before paying.
Free daily pages
NHK News Web Easy is the default free habit: short news in easier Japanese.
Native titles
If the next problem is choosing a native book or show, Natively grades titles by community comparison. It is not a tutor and not an official JLPT list.
Lookup while you read
Yomitan sits on top of whatever you read in a browser. It is setup-heavy and worth it only after you can already scan kana.
Keep one reading source as the habit. Adding three libraries usually means you open none of them.
Reading support beyond graded books
Todaii Japanese puts reading aids and review around news. Japanese in Anime & Manga explains expressions and character language through the Japan Foundation’s interactive material. These serve different reading goals. Use news when you want short current texts; use the genre reference when dialogue style is the obstacle.
More resource profiles
See the individual profiles for who each resource fits and its limits.
Frequently asked questions
How should a beginner start reading Japanese?
Read something you can finish. NHK News Web Easy and Tadoku graded readers are built for that. Lookup tools come after kana is comfortable.
Related
Japanese reading resources for beginnersThere is no useful overall winner. Pick a finishable source for the job you have: graded books, annotated text, or a native title. This is not a ranked top five.Japanese in Anime & MangaJapan Foundation activities exploring expressions and character language in anime and manga.LingQImport Japanese text, track known words, and read with in-line lookup.MATCHA Easy JapaneseTravel and culture articles rewritten in N4-level easy Japanese with furigana.NativelyCommunity-graded Japanese books, movies, and TV by relative difficulty.NHK News Web EasyFree graded Japanese news with furigana and audio.