Learning to Tell the Time in Japanese

Meet Mr Slow and Mr Fast, two friendly clock hands who help learners discover how to tell the time in Japanese.

As the hands move around the clock, learners practise repeated sentence patterns using 「なんじですか。」, 「～じです。」, and 「～の じかんです。」 while following everyday routines such as breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everyone’s favourite—three o’clock snack time.

The reader finishes with authentic photographs of traditional and modern Japanese sweets, encouraging learners to explore Japanese food culture and discuss their favourite snacks while building reading confidence through meaningful repetition.

Language Features

Students will practise:

• Reading and telling the time using ～じです
• Asking 「なんじですか。」
• Talking about meal and snack times using 「～の じかんです。」
• Learning vocabulary for daily routines and Japanese snacks
• Using authentic photographs to predict meaning
• Developing reading confidence through repeated sentence patterns

Details

Japanese Reader Level: 3
Recommended for: Beginners
Language Focus: Telling the time using ～じです and なんじですか
Vocabulary Theme: Time, daily routines, meals, and Japanese snacks
Cultural Theme: Everyday life in Japan through afternoon snack time and Japanese sweets

Character Count: 326
Pages: 18
Product Type: A5 saddle-stitched booklet
ISBN: 978-0-6481178-3-4

Perfect For

• Learners beginning to tell the time in Japanese
• Primary school Japanese programs
• Beginning secondary school students
• Adult beginners
• Home learning
• Japanese language classrooms
• Learning about Japanese food culture through authentic photographs

 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

One of my happiest childhood memories was three o’clock snack time.

When I was growing up in Japan, many children looked forward to enjoying a snack after school. It was a special time to relax with family, share stories about the day, and enjoy delicious treats together. It became one of my favourite parts of every day.

Although family life has changed and many people are much busier today, afternoon snacks remain a wonderful part of Japanese food culture. That is why I wanted to include both traditional and modern Japanese sweets in this reader.

After reading the story, learners can explore authentic photographs of real Japanese snacks and sweets. These photographs provide wonderful opportunities to compare foods, discuss favourites, and learn more about everyday life and culture in Japan.

I hope this reader inspires you to enjoy learning Japanese while discovering the delicious world of Japanese snacks.

Happy reading!

— Mariko Sensei

📖 Your Next Japanese Reader

Now that you’ve practised telling the time in Japanese, continue your reading journey with these readers:

• いくらですか？ — Use your Japanese in real shopping situations while learning about authentic shops, products, and Japanese currency.
• はじめての にほん — Continue exploring everyday life and culture in Japan through longer connected texts.
• ねこの ちび — Enjoy your first heartwarming story while building confidence with everyday Japanese sentence patterns.

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

© Mariko Earle. All rights reserved.