N5–N2 · 45 reads · All free

Short reads: everyday Japan, in Japanese

Short Japanese reads about daily life in Japan: rooms, streets, cafés, renting, food, seasons. Full furigana, audio and a few questions each. All free.

How to read them

  1. Pick by level: every read is marked N5–N2. The N5 reads put spaces between words, for readers who have just learned kana.
  2. Read the Japanese first and open a paragraph’s translation only when you need it. Furigana can be turned off at any time.
  3. Every paragraph can be played in either of the site’s two voices: listen once, then read along.
  4. Finish with the few questions after each read, then try the small thing it suggests.

All reads

Desk and roomReads 1–6

Tidying a desk, clearing a floor, hooks for keys, a drawer of odd socks: one small change at a time, in one room.

  1. Just the pens: starting with one corner of the desk机つくえの上うえを片かたづけるThe desk is too full to know where to start, so you tidy just the pens. Three short paragraphs with 「手てをつける」, 「〜ことにした」 and 「〜だけ」.N4
  2. Three hooks by the door: no more hunting for keys玄関げんかんのフック三みっつKawaguchi hunts for the keys every morning, so puts up three hooks by the door. Three short paragraphs with 「〜ておく」, 「〜ないで」 and 「〜ようになる」.N4
  3. A clear floor for a week: vacuuming in ten minutes床ゆかに何なにも置おかない一週間いっしゅうかんSawai’s rule: five minutes before bed, everything on the floor goes back. What she finds a week later, with 「〜たびに」, 「つい〜てしまう」 and 「〜ずに済すむ」.N3
  4. A note on the desk: put it back when you’re done机つくえのすみの小ちいさな紙かみIn her old furnished flat, Hayashi finds a note on the desk from the last tenant. Four paragraphs with 「〜たら」, 「〜とおりに」 and 「〜ような気きがする」.N3
  5. The desk by the window: a day of following the sun窓辺まどべに机つくえを動うごかした日ひMorishita moves her desk to the south window, tracks the sun across it for a day and sets two rules. With 「〜につれて」, 「〜うちに」 and 「〜ようにする」.N3
  6. The odd sock: keep it or let it go片方かたほうだけの靴下くつしたSeven odd socks in a drawer lead the writer to other things hard to let go. An essay with 「〜ものの」, 「〜に限かぎって」 and 「〜わけにはいかない」.N2

Notebooks and stationeryReads 7–12

A postcard, a letter to next year’s self, washi tape, a vocabulary notebook, three months of bills: everyday life on paper.

  1. A goldfish postcard: three lines to a teacher金魚きんぎょの はがきLin writes three lines on a goldfish postcard to her teacher, then stops at the postbox. Simple Japanese with 「〜ですね」, 「お元気げんきですか」 and 「〜てから」.N5
  2. One line a day: keeping what you notice close at hand一行いちぎょうだけ書かくLong diaries never last, so the writer now writes one line a day about something they noticed. With 「〜ことにしている」, 「〜必要ひつようはない」 and 「〜だけで」.N3
  3. A letter to myself a year on: tucked into the planner一年後いちねんごのわたしへMin writes to herself a year from now, and her questions start to look like homework for today. With 「〜てほしい」, 「〜ように」 and 「〜つもりです」.N4
  4. One roll of tape: half an hour at the stationery shelfマスキングテープ一巻ひとまきAnna goes to a 100-yen shop for three things, dithers for half an hour and leaves with one roll of washi tape. With 「気きがつくと」, 「〜つもりが」 and 「結局けっきょく」.N3
  5. Words left, examples right: three weeks of note-taking左ひだりに単語たんご、右みぎに例文れいぶんKai tries three ways of taking notes, one a week, and on a train finds the review method that suits him. With 「〜に分わける」, 「〜やすい」 and 「〜に合あった」.N3
  6. Three months of bills: the seasons in the numbers家計簿かけいぼの三さんか月げつThree months of bills, copied into a planner, show the seasons turning and the writer’s habits. With 「〜につれて」, 「〜ずにはいられない」 and 「〜からこそ」.N2

Around the neighbourhoodReads 13–18

Yellow things, a station’s call button, a shopping street waking up, a priority seat, arrows in the snow: the Japan you see on a walk.

  1. Only yellow today: counting to twelve on a walkきょうは 黄色きいろEmma looks for yellow things on a walk: a bike, flowers, a door… Number twelve is on her table. With 「〜を 探さがします」, 「〜が あります」 and 「ぜんぶで」.N5
  2. The call button by the ticket machine: a window opens呼よび出だしボタンTom can’t find his stop on the fare map, presses the call button, and a window in the wall opens. With 「〜かどうか」, 「〜たら」 and 「〜てくれる」.N4
  3. Morning on the shopping street: time without a watch商店街しょうてんがいの朝あさShutters go up one by one, a queue forms at the bakery, and the street tells the writer the time. With 「〜ずつ」, 「しばらくすると」 and 「〜ように見みえる」.N4
  4. The day John said 「どうぞ」: seat declined, still happyどうぞ、と言いえた日ひToo shy for months, John at last offers his seat with 「どうぞ」, but the old lady gets off next stop. With 「〜ようと思おもう」, 「〜たものの」 and 「〜なくても」.N3
  5. Winter arrows: the only thing you can see in the snow矢印やじるしの冬ふゆChen’s first snowy winter: odd arrows that pointed down all summer are now all she can see. With 「〜てはじめて」, 「〜ようになる」 and 「〜しか〜ない」.N3
  6. The little station: a 「いってらっしゃい」 every morning小ちいさな駅えきの駅員えきいんさんAfter seeing the lone station attendant sweep at dawn, the writer replies 「いってきます」. With 「〜ことなく」, 「〜からといって」 and 「〜に違ちがいない」.N2

Cafés and menusReads 19–24

Oden, the few phrases for ordering, a menu you can’t quite read, a hojicha latte, a ticket machine: speaking up in shops and cafés.

  1. Choosing oden for the first time: 「からし ください」からし くださいAt a convenience store, Nico picks her own oden for the first time and misses a question. With 「〜に します」, 「〜を ください」 and 「〜は いりますか」.N5
  2. Ordering a coffee: sit down first, or go to the counter?注文ちゅうもんのことばOrdering in one café is easy; in another, the writer waits five minutes for nothing. With 「〜でお願ねがいします」, 「〜でよろしいですか」 and 「〜てから」.N4
  3. Reading a kissaten menu: find a word you know first喫茶店きっさてんのメニューThe writer used to look up every word on a Japanese menu; one herbal tea changed that. With 「目めが止とまる」, 「〜かわりに」 and 「〜ようにしている」.N3
  4. A hojicha latte, not too sweet: 「甘あまさひかえめで」ほうじ茶ちゃラテ、甘あまさひかえめでHana tries her café’s new autumn hojicha latte, is asked how sweet she wants it, and learns a new phrase. With 「〜ひかえめ」, 「〜てみる」 and 「〜すぎる」.N4
  5. Eleventh visit to the kissaten: 「いつものですか」「いつもの」になった日ひEvery Saturday Luca orders the same thing at the same kissaten. On visit 11 the staff speak first. With 「〜ているうちに」, 「〜ようになる」 and 「〜てもらう」.N3
  6. Standing soba: looking for 「天てんぷら」 on the machine券売機けんばいきの前まえでOn his first visit to a standing soba bar, Dan can’t find “tempura soba” anywhere on the ticket machine. With 「〜ばいい」, 「〜たまま」 and 「〜ないように」.N3

Renting and neighboursReads 25–30

Knocking on walls at a viewing, washing-machine hours, how far a five-minute walk really is, airing a futon, the piano upstairs, rubbish duty: the unwritten rules of living in Japan.

  1. Knocking on walls: the upstairs corner flat is quieter壁かべを トントンAli knocks on walls and listens in corridors, then picks the quiet upstairs corner flat. With 「〜たり 〜たり します」, 「AはBより〜」 and 「〜が 聞きこえます」.N5
  2. No more washing at night: set to finish at 7 a.m.洗濯せんたくは朝あさ七時しちじAfter a notice by the bins, Mei sets her wash for the morning and greets a neighbour for the first time. With 「〜ほうがいい」, 「〜ように」 and 「〜ておく」.N4
  3. “Five minutes’ walk”: how long it really took徒歩とほ五分ごふんは何分なんぷん？The listing says “five minutes’ walk from the station”, so Ken times the walk himself first. With 「〜とは限かぎらない」, 「〜ずに」 and 「〜によって違ちがう」.N3
  4. Sunny Saturday: Park airs her futon for the first time布団ふとんを干ほす土曜日どようびFutons hang on the balconies opposite, so Park airs hers too, and finds “the smell of the sun”. With 「〜うちに」, 「〜わけだ」 and 「〜ようにする」.N3
  5. The piano upstairs stops at eight every night八時はちじに止とまるピアノThe piano upstairs annoys Yuki, until he sees it stop at eight sharp. Now he uses earphones too. With 「〜ようになる」, 「〜てはじめて」 and 「〜からには」.N3
  6. Bin duty: my turn comes round for the first time当番とうばんの札ふだOn bin duty for the first time, the writer finds a handwritten line under the sorting chart. With 「〜とはいえ」, 「〜ようものなら」 and 「〜ないことには」.N2

Supermarket and kitchenReads 31–36

Onigiri, microwave buttons, discount stickers, freezing in portions, bringing your own bag, and a letter of shopping tips to a newcomer.

  1. Onigiri day: the nori goes on just before you eatおにぎりの 日ひOn Saturday Mia makes three onigiri, packs the nori in a separate bag and wraps them only at the park. With 「〜てから」, 「〜まえに」 and 「〜く なりました」.N5
  2. 「温あたため」 and 「解凍かいとう」 on the microwave温あたためボタンRoy can’t read his microwave and presses the wrong button. His landlady teaches him 「温あたため」 and 「解凍かいとう」. With 「〜てくれる」, 「〜と」 and 「〜ように」.N4
  3. 8 pm: yellow half-price stickers on the bento八時はちじの黄色きいろいシールHalf-price stickers go on at 8 pm; Jean takes a bento and learns to check 「消費期限しょうひきげん」. With 「〜てからにする」, 「〜ば〜ほど」 and 「〜みたいに」.N3
  4. Sunday is freezer day: a big pack of chicken, four bags日曜日にちようびは冷凍れいとうの日ひBen splits a big pack of chicken into four flat, dated bags and sorts out his freezer at last. With 「〜ずつ」, 「〜ておく」 and 「〜わけではない」.N3
  5. A week with her own bag: the Japanese at the tillマイバッグの一週間いっしゅうかんNana shops with her own bag for a week and makes a table of what she hears at the till. With 「袋ふくろはいりません」, 「〜ようとする」 and 「〜ことにした」.N3
  6. A letter to a newcomer: rules for food shopping in Japan後輩こうはいへの手紙てがみCheck the date, freeze while fresh, don’t thaw at room temperature: a letter to a newcomer. With 「〜からといって」, 「〜うちに」 and 「〜おそれがある」.N2

Seasons and customsReads 37–41

A teru teru bozu, fireflies, a yukata, a New Year fortune and autumn leaves at night: the small rituals of the Japanese year.

  1. Teru teru bozu: a small wish the night before sports dayてるてる坊主ぼうずRain on the eve of sports day: Sarah and the boy next door hang a tissue doll on the balcony. With 「〜ますように」, 「〜ましょう」 and 「二人ふたりで」.N5
  2. Fireflies by the stream: phone light off, then waitホタルをとらないでA sign by the stream: don’t catch the fireflies. Zoe turns off her phone light and waits. With 「〜ないでください」, 「〜まで待まつ」 and 「〜ことができた」.N4
  3. Yukata by video: left and right the wrong way roundゆかたの右前みぎまえAisha can’t tie her yukata sash; her neighbour sees why: the front is crossed the wrong way. With 「〜てもらう」, 「〜ことになっている」 and 「〜ように」.N3
  4. New Year’s 「末吉すえきち」: a fortune slip kept in a planner末吉すえきちの紙かみLeo draws 「末吉すえきち」 at New Year, unsure if it’s good, and keeps the slip in his planner. With 「〜かどうか」, 「〜のかもしれない」 and 「〜わけではない」.N3
  5. Night maples and amazake at the temple I pass every day夜よるの紅葉こうようと甘酒あまざけEssay: lit-up maples and hot amazake at the little temple the writer passes every day. With 「〜にもかかわらず」, 「〜ならではの」 and 「〜ずにはいられない」.N2

Words and mix-upsReads 42–45

「いえいえ」, 「モーニング」, oolong tea at a work party and a thank-you the next day: phrases you understand and still get wrong.

  1. When the old lady next door says thanks: 「いえいえ」いえいえNoah helps his neighbour and replies 「どういたしまして」; she smiles. Next time he tries another reply. With 「〜ましょうか」, 「いえいえ」 and 「手伝てつだう」.N5
  2. 「モーニング」 isn’t “good morning”: a café breakfastモーニングくださいBella takes 「モーニングください」 for “good morning”, orders coffee, and gets toast and an egg too. With 「〜と思おもった」, 「〜のことだ」 and 「ついてくる」.N4
  3. Cheers with oolong: a non-drinker’s first welcome partyウーロン茶ちゃで乾杯かんぱいMira, new and teetotal, toasts with oolong tea at her welcome party and learns to avoid gossip. With 「〜わけにはいかない」, 「〜ずに」 and 「〜ようにする」.N3
  4. The day after the team dinner: why say thank you again?昨日きのうはありがとうございましたEssay: a colleague’s 「昨日きのうはありがとうございました」 the next day seems unneeded, at first. With 「〜とは限かぎらない」, 「〜に過すぎない」 and 「〜ものの」.N2