Tadoku
Graded readers for extensive reading. Start with one free book you will finish. Print packs are for a physical stack, not a second unread library.
Good fit if
- Learners who will finish a short book
- People who want easier Japanese than news
- Readers building a daily page habit
Look elsewhere if
- You only want notes on every line
- You will download the library and never open it
- You needed a daily news article more than a story
Tadoku (extensive reading) is short Japanese you mostly understand, read in volume. NPO Tadoku Supporters publish a free digital library and point to paid print graded-reader packs. The method is simple: finish easy books. Do not collect files.
Who it fits
It fits someone who will finish a booklet this week. The English how-to page, checked 10 Sep 2026, tells you to start with extremely easy, pictured books, skip unknown bits, and drop a book that is not enjoyable. You can start if you know some hiragana. The same page says entire-book audio exists when you do not. That is not a universal kana wall, and it is not a promise that every free title includes audio.
Free library versus print
Start on the free library if you have not finished a Japanese book yet. The free-books page lets you read in the browser, download a PDF, print a booklet, or watch a YouTube version when one is listed. Filters include level and “audio available.” That means audio is a per-title feature, not a missing product.
Buy print when you want a physical stack you will actually open. The graded-readers page lists ASK packs (levels 0 to 4, sold as packs), Taishukan packs (levels 0 to 5), and nine NPO Nihongo Tadoku Books sold individually or as a set. Those print series are described with furigana, pictures, and audio as CD or mp3. The NPO order page sells only its nine books. ASK and Taishukan packs are bought elsewhere. ASK’s line also has its own profile at Japanese Graded Readers. Do not buy both as a first step.
On 10 Sep 2026 the free-books page also showed a technical-issues banner while titles still listed. If a reader fails to open, try another title or the homepage’s free-books link rather than assuming the library is gone.
Limits
These are not annotated like Satori Reader. Lookup is on you, and the method asks you not to stop for a dictionary. If a daily news article is more realistic, NHK News Web Easy may be the better habit. If you already finish easy books and need a native title, Natively grades books and shows by community comparison. It is not a reader.
How to test it
Open one Level Start or Level 0 free book. Finish it in one sitting. If you finish, pick a second at the same level. The offer path is /go/tadoku.
Sources checked
Product details can change. Evidence pages and their individual check dates appear below. Profile reviewed Sep 10, 2026.
- Tadoku Japanese English homepage official product · checked Sep 10, 2026 · Official extensive-reading definition, free books entry, and graded readers described with kanji pronunciation hints, illustrations, and audio.
- How to start tadoku official docs · checked Sep 10, 2026 · Official start-easy rules, some-hiragana start, audio of entire books when hiragana is missing, and no-dictionary extensive reading.
- Free Tadoku Books official product · checked Sep 10, 2026 · Official free library with browser reading, PDF download, print, and YouTube options, plus level and audio-available filters.
- Our Graded Readers official publisher · checked Sep 10, 2026 · Official print series from ASK, Taishukan, and NPO Tadoku Supporters, with audio as CD or mp3, and free Web Tadoku Books.
- NPO Tadoku order page official pricing · checked Sep 10, 2026 · Official NPO print shop for nine Nihongo Tadoku Books; other publishers are not sold on that page.