About Our Books
Our Japanese graded readers are designed to support reading confidence, language acquisition, and cultural understanding among primary and high school students and JLPT learners.
Unlike books written for native Japanese-speaking children, our readers are specifically created for learners of Japanese. Carefully graded language, furigana support, colour-coded particles, visual cues, and engaging cultural content help learners understand what they read and experience success from the very beginning.
Our books bridge the gap between textbook Japanese and authentic Japanese reading, helping learners become confident and independent readers step by step.
Reading Level Descriptions
Foundation Japanese Readers (Levels 1–3)
Perfect for learners beginning their Japanese reading journey. These books build reading confidence through simple language, engaging stories, visual support, and meaningful cultural content.
Suitable for * Primary and elementary students * Beginner Japanese learners * Early readers of Japanese
Language Features
Curriculum Connections
- Simple vocabulary and everyday expressions
- Short sentences using basic です・ます forms
- Predictable and repetitive sentence patterns to support reading confidence
- Reading support through furigana and guided pronunciation for unfamiliar words
- Colour-coded particles to support sentence comprehension
- Strong visual support to aid comprehension
- Develops foundational reading and comprehension skills
- Supports language acquisition through meaningful contexts
- Encourages intercultural understanding through Japanese culture
- Suitable for Foundation–Year 6 learners
Level 1
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Suitable for Foundation learners and beginning Hiragana readers
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Single words and simple phrasesI
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Basic greetings and everyday expressions
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Hiragana with strong visual support
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Hiragana with strong visual support
Level 2
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Suitable for Foundation–Year 4 students and beginner Japanese learners
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Simple and repetitive です・ます sentence patterns
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Familiar everyday vocabulary
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Hiragana, Katakana and introductory Kanji with furigana
Level 3
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Suitable for primary school learners and emerging independent readers
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Less repetitive です・ます sentence patterns
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Greater variety of vocabulary and sentence structures
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Basic Kanji with furigana support
Developing Japanese Readers (Levels 4–6)
Designed for learners who are ready to expand their vocabulary, strengthen grammar knowledge, and read with greater independence and confidence.
Suitable for * Year 7–10 students * JLPT N5 learners * Intermediate Japanese readers
Language Features
Curriculum Connections
- Expanded vocabulary and sentence structures
- です・ます, て-form and たい-form patterns
- Introduction to plain forms
- Increased Kanji with level-appropriate furigana support
- Longer texts with greater reading challenge
- Strengthens reading fluency and comprehension
- Supports vocabulary and grammar development
- Encourages intercultural understanding through Japanese culture
- Suitable for Foundation–Year 6 learners
Level 4
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Suitable for Year 7–8 students and developing readers
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Expanded です・ます sentence patterns with more detail and description
Level 5
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Suitable for Year 8-10 students and growing independent readers
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です・ます, て-form and たい-form patterns
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Increased Kanji exposure with furigana suppor
Level 6
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Suitable for Year 9–10 students and JLPT learners beginning their Japanese reading journey
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Introduction to plain forms
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Longer texts and more complex sentence structures
Advanced Japanese Readers (Levels 7–9)
Created for learners who are ready to engage with richer language, deeper cultural content, and more sophisticated reading experiences.
Suitable for * Senior high school students * JLPT N5–N3 learners * Advanced Japanese readers
Language Features
Curriculum Connections
- A wider range of grammar structures
- Plain forms and more complex sentence patterns
- Authentic Japanese expressions
- Greater Kanji exposure with selective furigana support
- Detailed cultural and factual content
- Develops advanced reading and interpretation skills
- Supports independent language learning
- Deepens understanding of Japanese language and culture
- Suitable for senior secondary and advanced Japanese programs
Level 7
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Suitable for senior high school students and JLPT N5 learners
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Plain forms and more complex sentence patterns
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Connected ideas, descriptions, and opinions
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Greater Kanji exposure with selective furigana support
Level 8
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Suitable for advanced secondary students and JLPT N5-N4
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Wider range of grammar patterns
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More sophisticated sentence structures
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Authentic language and cultural content
Level 9
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Suitable for highly proficient learners of Japanese and advanced JLPT readers.
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Advanced sentence structures and authentic expressions
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Extended factual and cultural texts
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Greater reading independence and Kanji recognition