Reading in a foreign language is challenging enough, but reading in Japanese as a beginner learner is even harder. If you are not used to kanji and Japanese grammar, you will probably have trouble with reading and finding the right material to read. And at the same time, reading is one of the best immersion activities. Through reading you are able to learn kanji, vocabulary, and grammar in a natural context. It helps you with studying frequently used vocabulary and grammar patterns in texts and understanding their various meanings through changing situations. So skipping reading is not a good idea. But how to start out when you are unable to read as a beginner learner? In this article, I will provide you with some helpful ideas and resources.
The first step in learning how to read is knowing the alphabet. In Japanese, this is also the first barrier. There are three writing scripts (hiragana, katakana, and kanji) and they take some time to learn. You could first learn all three scripts, some people would advise that, and only then start with reading. But I think that this will limit your options for learning kanji since reading actually helps you with kanji study, thus you will be missing out on that, and it could discourage you from learning Japanese in general.
For these reasons, I would recommend reading in Japanese, just as with any other foreign language, as soon as possible. The only requirement that I would set is knowing the hiragana script. This you can learn in less than a month. Combine it will some katakana learning and maybe add some basic kanji (for example the JLPT N5 kanji). The latter two you don’t have to know by heart but go through it a couple of times. The focus is hiragana. Once you are comfortable with reading the hiragana script, you can read your first texts. Even better, reading will help you memorize hiragana and get you familiar with katakana and kanji.
At this stage you should be focused on intensive reading, looking up vocabulary, kanji, and grammar that you don’t know. The texts should be comprehensible, so easy and short, and preferably digital. Reading digitally (Kindle, on the Internet, or through an app) shortens the time of looking up unknown words. Satori Reader is a good app for beginners; the app contains various stories and you can click on every word and get the translation and explanation immediately. You can use the free limited version (three chapters of every story) of the app or get a subscription to unlock full stories. They often have sales, so keep that in mind.
Then there are also Graded Readers. These are short books aimed at Japanese learners and divided into different levels (from 0 until 5 usually). Levels 0 and 1 are perfect for beginners. The books can be a bit expensive, but fortunately, there are many free stories online provided by Tadoku. If you read through all of them you will definitely memorize your kana and learn some basic kanji. The easier levels provide furigana for kanji and katakana!
See here my video review on one of the Graded Readers that I have used.
Another book that I would recommend is Japanese Short Stories for Beginners by Lingo Mastery. It contains 20 short stories with translations and a vocabulary list for each story. This book is aimed at beginner learners and can be easily used when you are somewhere between N5 and N4 level.
These resources will provide you with enough reading practice options and level up your reading if you get through them. But you will have to work hard and focus on intensive reading. Look up as much as you can, highlight the unknown words or grammar patterns, and make flashcards or take notes. When you get to a higher level you can finally start with some extensive reading; actually reading for the pleasure of reading. That’s because, at a higher level, you will be able to understand more and get through some sentences without missing the meaning of the story. In the beginning stage, this is usually impossible.
I also like reading short Instagram posts, video titles on YouTube, or tweets on X. Because these texts are short, usually only a couple of sentences, it takes me almost no time to look up unknown words and save them. You can use Jisho, Yomiwa, Kanshudo, or another online dictionary. InYomiwa and Kanshudo you can immediately save the word and make a flashcard.
If you are learning Japanese for the purpose of comfortably reading manga and novels, like me, you have to get through the comprehensible texts first and level up your knowledge, before you can enjoy a piece of literature. There is just no other way than to start easy and gradually move on to more complex texts. You should understand at least around 80% of the text while you reading. To actually enjoy a book without looking things up, you need to understand around 95-99%. If you choose a book wherein you have to look up almost every word, then reading one page would feel like a lot of work (also as a big accomplishment of course). That’s okay, as long as you enjoy doing this. If not, pick something easier. It is better to read than to think about reading.
Lastly, I have one more useful website for people who enjoy reading in Japanese; Dokusho Bookclub. A blog on various reading materials, from graded readers to manga and novels, containing reviews and recommendations for every JLPT level.
See my guide for learning Japanese for more useful tips.
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