⏰ Learn to Tell the Time in Japanese with Mr Slow and Mr Fast!

What is your favorite time of the day?

Slow and Fast (ゆっくりくんとはやいくん) is a Level 3 Japanese Reader that makes learning to tell the time enjoyable through two friendly clock-hand characters.

Meet ゆっくりくん (Mr Slow), the short hand that moves slowly, and はやいくん (Mr Fast), the long hand that moves quickly.

Together, they introduce Japanese time expressions through everyday activities such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Japanese sentences from the book:

なんじですか。What time is it?

七じです。あさごはんの じかんです。It’s seven o’clock. It’s breakfast time.

三じは たのしい おやつの じかんです。Three o’clock is fun snack time.

The repeated question なんじですか helps students recognize familiar sentence patterns while learning to read clocks and connect times with daily routines.

Before reading each answer, students can look at the clock illustration, predict the time, and then check their understanding by reading the Japanese text.

The story ends with a delightful introduction to Japan’s three o’clock snack-time tradition, including a special Japanese sweet.

What makes this reader special?

The combination of friendly characters, meaningful repetition, Japanese time expressions, and everyday cultural experiences helps learners develop reading confidence.

Students discover that learning to tell the time in Japanese can be both practical and enjoyable.

What is your favorite time of the day?

🎯 Language Features in This Level 3 Japanese Reader

📖 Students will practise:

• Telling time in Japanese – Reading なんじですか and ～じです
• Daily routines – Understanding ～の じかんです for mealtimes and snack time
• Present-tense verbs – Recognizing あるきます and さします
• Descriptive expressions – Reading みじかい、ながい、ゆっくり、いそいで
• Connecting sentences – Understanding そして
• Japanese particles – Recognizing は、の、が、を in context
• Basic number Kanji – Reading 一、二、三、六、七、十 with furigana
• Clock reading – Connecting written time expressions with clock illustrations
• Reading comprehension – Using repeated patterns to predict and confirm meaning
• Independent reading – Building confidence with short, connected Japanese sentences

🌟 Additional Reading Challenge:

Students ready for further learning can explore:

• Describing clock hands – Comparing みじかい and ながい
• Using そして – Connecting the actions of two clock hands
• Understanding だから – Recognizing how it introduces a conclusion
• Reading number Kanji – Identifying familiar numbers in longer sentences
• Creating time sentences – Writing ～じです。～の じかんです。 about their own daily routines

A useful extension activity is to ask students to draw a clock showing their favorite time of day and write a short Japanese description.

💡 Why This Matters for Beginners:

Slow and Fast (ゆっくりくんとはやいくん) helps students connect Japanese reading with a practical everyday skill: telling the time.

The repeated なんじですか pattern builds familiarity, while the clock illustrations support comprehension and prediction.

Students encounter numbers, particles, present-tense verbs, and time expressions within a meaningful story rather than as separate grammar exercises.

By connecting times with familiar daily routines, learners develop reading fluency, practical vocabulary, and confidence in understanding Japanese independently.

📖 Level 3 Japanese Reader Details

Japanese Reader Level: Level 3
Recommended for: Beginner Japanese learners developing independent reading skills
JLPT Guide: Introductory Japanese, including JLPT N5 foundation grammar
Language Focus: なんじですか、～じです、～のじかんです、そして、だから、present-tense verbs, and particles
Vocabulary Theme: Time, clocks, numbers, daily routines, and meals
Cultural Theme: Japanese daily life and three o’clock snack time
Script: Hiragana, Katakana, and selected Kanji with furigana
Character Count: 326
Pages: 18
Text Type: Descriptive Story
Product Type: A5 saddle-stitched booklet
ISBN: 978-0-6481178-6-5

✅ Perfect For

• Beginner and developing Japanese learners
• Primary and beginning secondary school Japanese programs
• Learning to tell the time in Japanese
• Practising numbers and basic number Kanji
• Reading simple present-tense sentences
• Connecting Japanese language with daily routines
• Building reading comprehension through clock illustrations
• Exploring Japanese snack-time culture
• Guided, shared, and independent reading
• Extensive Reading (Tadoku) and classroom libraries

🎧 Teaching & Learning Resources

Explore free teaching and learning resources through our Resource Library for Levels 1–3.

Teaching and learning resources:

• 🎧 Audio recordings – Narrated by Mariko Sensei; check the Resource Library for availability
• 📖 English translation – Support understanding of Japanese time expressions and daily routines
• 💻 Quizlet vocabulary activities – Review time, numbers, and everyday vocabulary

🏫 Teaching a Class? Explore the Slow and Fast Class Set

Make telling the time in Japanese an interactive reading activity with printed readers and a matching password-protected Online Flipbook.

Teachers can display the clock illustrations on an interactive whiteboard, invite students to predict the time, and read the Japanese sentences together.

The repeated なんじですか、～じです、and ～のじかんです patterns support whole-class teaching, pair work, and independent reading.

Class Sets are available with 10, 15, 20, or 25 printed readers, together with access to the matching Online Flipbook.

⏰ Explore the Slow and Fast Japanese Reader Class Set & Online Flipbook

💜 A Note from Mariko Sensei

When I was growing up in Japan, three o’clock was one of my favorite times of the day.

My mother and grandmother often told me to wait until three o’clock before enjoying a special treat.

I remember looking forward to that moment, whether it was a small candy or a delicious piece of cake.

In Japan, おやつのじかん (snack time) has long been a familiar part of childhood.

I wanted to share this happy memory while helping Japanese learners practise telling the time.

That is how Slow and Fast (ゆっくりくんとはやいくん) came to life.

Through the two clock-hand characters, students can enjoy learning Japanese time expressions and connecting them with familiar daily activities.

I hope this reader helps students discover both the enjoyment of reading Japanese and a little piece of everyday childhood culture in Japan.

“I did it! I read it myself!”

Happy reading!

— Mariko Sensei

📖 Your Next Japanese Reader

Continue developing Japanese reading confidence with these carefully graded readers.

🛍️ How Much Is It? (いくらですか？) – Level 3 — Practise numbers, prices, and shopping expressions through everyday situations in Japan.
🇯🇵 My First Trip to Japan (はじめてのにほん) – Level 3 — Build confidence reading past-tense sentences while exploring a first visit to Japan.
🐱 Chibi the Cat (ねこのちび) – Level 2 — Consolidate familiar Japanese sentence patterns through an engaging animal story.

📚 Explore More Japanese Reader Packs

🌱 Beginner Hiragana Readers Starter Pack — Develop reading skills through carefully graded Levels 1–3 readers.
🏫 Primary & Elementary School Japanese Readers Pack — Explore engaging readers featuring everyday Japanese and cultural topics.
🎓 High School Japanese Readers Pack — Continue developing Japanese fluency through progressively leveled readers.
📚 All Japanese Readers Pack — Discover the complete collection of Japanese graded readers.
🖥️ Japanese Reader Class Sets & Online Flipbooks — Explore classroom sets with printed readers and password-protected Online Flipbooks.

📌 Important Information

This Japanese Reader is designed for individual reading and Japanese Extensive Reading (Tadoku).

For classroom teaching, explore the Slow and Fast Japanese Reader Class Set & Online Flipbook.

Copyright © Mariko Earle. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced, or distributed without prior permission from the copyright holder.