You can see that Mariko sensei is very committed to making these books with her passion. I believe many of the stories are related to her precious memories, and they are heartwarming. I recommend these books to everyone, students, teachers, mums and dads.
Japanese Graded Readers
Authentic Japanese Reading Practice Through Engaging Stories
Our Japanese graded readers help students build confidence through authentic photographs and natural Japanese. In addition, audio recordings, English translations, Quizlet activities, and classroom resources support different learning styles. Designed for schools, independent learners, and JLPT preparation.
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Find the Right Japanese Graded Readers for Your Learners
Elementary
School
Japanese readers for primary/ elementary school students, designed to develop reading confidence and language skills through engaging stories and cultural content.
High School
Japanese readers for secondary students, supporting vocabulary growth, grammar development, and reading fluency through meaningful content.
JLPT Learners
Japanese graded readers for JLPT learners, providing structured reading practice, vocabulary development, and cultural understanding.
Why Japanese Graded Readers?
Learning to read Japanese can feel challenging at first. However, learning to read hiragana is one of the most important milestones in every learner’s Japanese journey.
Once learners can read hiragana confidently, a whole new world of Japanese opens up to them. Instead of relying on a teacher to explain every word, they begin to enjoy books, signs, menus, and other authentic Japanese independently.
As a result, they become more confident and gradually develop into independent learners of Japanese.
Our Japanese Graded Readers support this journey through carefully levelled language, authentic photographs, and meaningful stories. Therefore, our goal is not simply to teach students how to read Japanese, but to help them become confident, independent learners of Japanese.
Why Choose Our Japanese Graded Readers
Every Japanese graded reader includes:
🎧 Audio recordings narrated by Mariko Sensei
📖 English translations to support reading comprehension
💻 Interactive Quizlet vocabulary sets for vocabulary practice and revision
In addition, teachers can display the readers on an interactive whiteboard, model pronunciation, and support shared reading.
Students can listen to the audio and practise vocabulary with Quizlet. As a result, they build reading confidence and fluency while exploring the Japanese language and culture.
Ideal for whole-class teaching, small groups, independent reading, homework, and classroom libraries.
Meet the author
With more than 40 years of experience teaching Japanese to learners of all ages, Mariko Earle recognised that books published in Japan were often too difficult for language learners.
Today, Mariko’s readers are used by schools, teachers, and independent learners in Australia and around the world. Each reader combines authentic photographs, carefully graded language, and cultural content to help students build confidence and enjoy reading in Japanese.
In addition, every reader includes audio recordings, English translations, Quizlet vocabulary activities, and optional Class Sets with Online Flipbooks, making them suitable for both classroom teaching and independent study.
Her goal is to help learners become confident, independent readers while discovering the richness of Japanese language and culture through engaging stories and meaningful real-life topics.
What Teachers, Parents & Learners Say
Earle sensei’s books are helpful in teaching my daughter not only Japanese language but also unique culture we have.
Satomi Aoto
Japanese mother
As a teacher of Japanese, I know Mariko Sensei’s Japanbooks provide an invaluable resource for both teachers and students.
It has been an absolute pleasure to see how far Mariko has come with writing her books and personally I am moved to tears at times when reading her books because you can feel the thought, love and passion that she puts into all that she does.
Dr. Amanda Autry
Japanese Lecturer, The University of the Sunshine Coast
The beautiful photography in Mariko Sensei’s books engages the readers immediately.
The size of the book allows for the readers to engage with a Japanese text without feeling daunted by having to read too much text. The books are a great introduction to Japanese reading for beginners.
Debra Shimada
Japanese teacher
Browse Our Japanese Graded Readers
Price range: $149.50 through $373.75
English 
日本語