🎌 Discover Shiritori – A Traditional Japanese Word Game!

Can you think of a Japanese word that begins with the last sound of another word?

Shiritori (しりとり) introduces beginning Japanese learners to a traditional word game that has been enjoyed by generations of Japanese children.

The rule is simple: each new word must begin with the final sound of the previous word.

In this Level 1 Japanese Reader, students follow a word chain through authentic photographs taken by Mitsuko Tashiro, discovering animals, everyday objects, food, and familiar Japanese cultural items along the way.

The game begins with:

しりとり しよう。 Let’s play Shiritori.

あしあと → とら Footprints → Tiger

Students then encounter ラクーン (raccoon), but there is a problem!

「ん」は だめ！ Words ending in ん are not allowed!

The word chain continues:

とら → らくだ → だるま → まいこ → こいのぼり → りんご

Tiger → Camel → Daruma doll → Maiko → Carp streamer → Apple

Students discover how the final Hiragana sound becomes the beginning of the next word.

As the game continues, they encounter familiar Katakana words such as ゴーカート、トマト、トイレットペーパー、and アイスクリーム, with Hiragana reading support.

The chain eventually reaches ズボン (trousers), which ends with ん.

あっ、「ん」は だめ。まけ！ Oh! You can’t end with ん. You lose!

The final pages introduce the rules of Shiritori, helping students understand how to play the game themselves.

Unlike a reader that introduces a new sentence pattern on every page, Shiritori focuses on recognizing individual Japanese words and understanding how their sounds connect.

Authentic photographs provide visual clues, while the word-chain structure encourages students to read carefully, predict the next sound, and discover new vocabulary.

The book also introduces Japanese cultural words such as だるま、まいこ、and こいのぼり, making this more than a simple vocabulary activity.

Can you create your own Shiritori word chain?

🎯 Language Features in This Level 1 Japanese Reader

📖 Students will practise:

• Hiragana word recognition – Reading complete Japanese words rather than isolated characters
• Japanese sound awareness – Identifying the beginning and ending sounds of words
• Word connections – Understanding how the final sound of one word becomes the beginning of the next
• Katakana recognition – Reading familiar borrowed words with Hiragana support
• Long vowel marks – Becoming familiar with ー and how it extends the preceding vowel sound
• The special rule for ん – Recognizing why a word ending in ん cannot continue the game
• Vocabulary development – Learning words related to animals, food, objects, and Japanese culture
• Visual comprehension – Using authentic photographs to identify and understand Japanese words
• Reading prediction – Anticipating the sound needed to continue the word chain
• Japanese cultural vocabulary – Recognizing familiar items such as だるま、まいこ、and こいのぼり
• Independent word reading – Building confidence reading Japanese without relying on sentence translations

💡 Why This Matters for Beginners:

For students who have learned Hiragana but are not yet confident reading Japanese sentences, Shiritori provides an achievable next step.

The reader encourages learners to pay attention to Japanese sounds, recognize complete words, and understand how the writing system represents spoken language.

Because the word-chain rules remain familiar, students can concentrate on recognizing each new word instead of learning complex grammar.

The book also encourages learners to create their own Shiritori chains, turning their reading experience into an activity they can enjoy with classmates, friends, or family.

📖 Level 1 Japanese Reader Details

Japanese Reader Level: Level 1
Recommended for: Beginning Hiragana and Katakana readers
Language Focus: Japanese word recognition, beginning and ending sounds, Hiragana and Katakana, long vowels, and Shiritori rules
Vocabulary Theme: Animals, everyday objects, food, and Japanese cultural vocabulary
Cultural Theme: Traditional Japanese childhood word games
Script: Hiragana and Katakana with Hiragana reading support
Character Count: 95
Pages: 21
Text Type: Word-Based Japanese Language Game
Product Type: A5 saddle-stitched booklet
ISBN: 978-1-925808-09-4

📌 Correction Notice – Shiritori (Page 12)

We would like to apologize for an error in the explanation of the long vowel mark ー on page 12 (Ice Cream).

The explanation 「ー」は あと おなじ。 is incorrect as a general rule. The long vowel mark ー extends the vowel sound of the preceding character.

For example:

• In アイスクリーム, the ー after リ extends the i sound.
• In トイレットペーパー, the final ー extends the a sound.

We sincerely apologize for this error and any confusion it may have caused.

✅ Perfect For

• Beginning Japanese learners
• Students who can recognize Hiragana and are ready to read complete words
• Students beginning to recognize Katakana
• Primary and elementary school Japanese programs
• Beginning secondary school Japanese students
• Japanese sound and character recognition activities
• Developing Hiragana and Katakana reading confidence
• Japanese vocabulary lessons
• Introducing long vowels and special sound patterns
• Traditional Japanese games and cultural activities
• Students who benefit from photographic reading support
• Guided and independent Japanese reading
• Extensive Reading (Tadoku)
• Classroom libraries and home reading

🎧 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 the vocabulary and game
• 💻 Quizlet vocabulary activities – Practise and review Japanese words

🏫 Teaching a Class? Explore the Shiritori Class Set

Bring the traditional Japanese word-chain game into your classroom with printed readers for students and a matching password-protected Online Flipbook for whole-class display.

Teachers can use the reader to introduce Japanese sounds, model word recognition, and encourage students to predict which sound begins the next word.

After reading, students can work together to create their own Shiritori word chains using a Hiragana chart.

The Class Set is available with 10, 15, 20, or 25 printed readers, together with access to the matching Online Flipbook.

🎌 Explore the Shiritori Japanese Reader Class Set & Online Flipbook

💜 A Note from Mariko Sensei

Growing up in Japan, Shiritori was one of those games that almost every child knew.

I remember playing it with friends and family, taking turns trying to think of a word that began with the last sound of the previous word.

The fun was thinking quickly, finding new words, and trying not to make the mistake of ending with ん!

Shiritori is such a simple game, but it encourages children to pay attention to the sounds of Japanese words.

When creating this reader, I wanted to share that familiar childhood experience with students who are just beginning to learn Japanese.

I chose words that learners could connect with photographs, including everyday objects, animals, and familiar things from Japanese culture.

Some of the words are written in Katakana, with Hiragana reading support, so learners can begin recognizing both Japanese writing systems.

I hope this book encourages students not only to read Japanese words but also to enjoy playing Shiritori themselves.

Perhaps they will discover that they know more Japanese words than they realized!

And when they finish reading, I hope they can proudly say:

“I did it! I read it myself!”

Happy reading!

— Mariko Sensei

📖 Your Next Japanese Reader

Continue building Japanese reading confidence with these carefully graded readers.

🪁 Kites (たこ) – Level 1 — Move from reading individual words to the repeated expression ～さん、かわいい！, while discovering the twelve Japanese zodiac animals through handmade kites.
🌸 What Is It? (これ なに？) – Level 1 — Progress to the natural question これ なに？ and simple responses through a guessing activity featuring traditional Japanese wagashi.
🍫 Japanese Snacks (にほんのおかし) – Level 2 — Take the next step by reading short Japanese clues about colors, shapes, and appearance to guess popular Japanese snacks.

📚 Explore More Japanese Reader Packs

🌱 Beginner Hiragana Readers Starter Pack — Progress from individual Japanese words to simple expressions, sentences, and stories through carefully graded Levels 1–3 readers.
🏫 Primary & Elementary School Japanese Readers Pack — Explore engaging Japanese readers featuring word games, everyday vocabulary, cultural traditions, and beginner-friendly stories.
📚 All Japanese Readers Pack — Discover the complete collection of graded Japanese readers, from beginning Hiragana reading to advanced Japanese texts.
🖥️ Japanese Reader Class Sets & Online Flipbooks — Explore printed classroom sets with matching online flipbooks for teachers.

📌 Important Information

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

For classroom teaching, schools can purchase the Shiritori Japanese Reader Class Set & Online Flipbook.

Copyright © Mariko Earle. All rights reserved.

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