My First Trip to Japan

Join Josh on his first trip to Japan and discover authentic Japanese culture through real-life photographs and simple past-tense sentence patterns.

As Josh travels through Japan, learners experience snowy winter landscapes, traditional Japanese accommodation, snow monkeys relaxing in hot springs, delicious Japanese food, the Shinkansen, colourful characters, and many other unforgettable cultural experiences. Every page introduces another exciting part of Japan through authentic photographs and simple, repetitive Japanese.

Fun photo captions throughout the book introduce extra vocabulary and encourage learners to look more closely at each photograph. They can compare real and plastic sushi, laugh at the snowman’s bottom, and discover many interesting details that make reading both enjoyable and interactive.

The final pages feature a collection of authentic photographs with simple captions, providing excellent opportunities for vocabulary building, classroom discussion, and further exploration of Japanese culture. This reader combines meaningful repetition, authentic travel experiences, and engaging photography to build both Japanese language skills and cultural understanding.

Language Features

Students will practise:

• Reading simple past-tense sentences using ～ました
• Talking about travel experiences in Japan
• Learning vocabulary related to travel, food, transport, and sightseeing
• Reading fun photo captions to expand vocabulary
• Using authentic photographs to predict meaning
• Developing reading confidence through repeated sentence patterns

Details: 

Japanese Reader Level: 3
Recommended for: Beginners
Language Focus: Simple past-tense sentences using ～ました
Vocabulary Theme: Travel, food, transport, sightseeing, and everyday Japanese
Cultural Theme: Exploring authentic Japanese culture through a real family trip to Japan

Character Count: 373 (Main Text: 248; Captions: 125)
Pages: 17
Product Type: A5 saddle-stitched booklet
ISBN: 978-1-925808-03-2

Perfect For

• Learners progressing to connected Japanese texts
• Primary school Japanese programs
• Beginning secondary school students
• Adult beginners
• Home learning
• Japanese language classrooms
• Experiencing Japan through authentic photographs and real cultural experiences

 Teaching & Learning Resources

Every reader includes free access to our Resource Library.

Included with every reader:

•  Audio recordings narrated by Mariko Sensei
•  English translation
•  Quizlet vocabulary activities

Also available for schools and teachers:

•  Class Sets with Online Flipbooks

 A Note from Mariko Sensei

This reader tells the story of the first trip to Japan made by the family of one of my Australian Japanese teacher friends.

Their wonderful photographs capture the excitement of discovering Japan through fresh eyes. As they travelled around Japan, they experienced snowy landscapes, delicious food, friendly characters, famous landmarks, and many unforgettable cultural experiences.

One feature I especially love is the fun photo captions throughout the book. Learners can compare real and plastic sushi, laugh at the snowman’s bottom, and discover many interesting details hidden in the photographs. The final pages also include extra photographs with simple captions, creating excellent opportunities for classroom discussion and vocabulary extension.

I hope this reader inspires learners to imagine their own first trip to Japan while building confidence in reading authentic Japanese.

Happy reading!

— Mariko Sensei

📖 Your Next Japanese Reader

Now that you’ve practised reading about travel experiences using ～ました , continue your Japanese reading journey with these readers:

• ゆっくりくんとはやいくん — Learn how to tell the time through fun characters and everyday routines.
• ぼくの にほん — Take the next step in your reading journey by learning more about Japan through longer descriptive texts and authentic cultural information.
• スイーツ — Discover traditional and modern Japanese sweets while expanding your everyday vocabulary through authentic photographs.

These Japanese readers are intended for individual use and extensive reading (tadoku).

© Mariko Earle. All rights reserved.