Do I Really Need JLPT N1?
I’ve seen this question crop up a few times lately. Or at least different iterations of it. Do I need to pass the N1? Do I need to learn N1…
Japanese Language Proficiency Test
A Simple and Sweet Slice-of-Life – 八丈島と、猫と、大人のなつやすみ (Hachijojima to, Neko to, Otona no Natsuyasumi)
八丈島と、猫と、大人のなつやすみ (Hachijojima to, Neko to, Otona no Natsuyasumi) by 五十嵐 雄策 (Yusaku Igarashi) Author: 五十嵐 雄策 (Yusaku Igarashi) Japanese Level: JLPT N3 ~ N2 Genre: Slice of life, travel, fiction…
N3 Level Sci-fi – 時をかける少女 (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time)
時をかける少女 (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) by 筒井 康隆 (Yasutaka Tsutsui) Author: 筒井 康隆 (Yasutaka Tsutsui) Genre: Sci-fi, high school, short story Great for: Intermediate (JLPT N3) Length: 115…
5 Manga for JLPT N3 Level Japanese
Manga can be surprisingly difficult for Japanese learners to get into. For one thing, manga is made for native Japanese speakers and a lot of casual conversational Japanese is used.…
Japanese Graded Readers for JLPT N5 and N4 Learners
Learning beginner level Japanese can be frustrating at times when you want to be able to do more with the language. I often see people asking about reading materials for…
5 Japanese Light Novels for JLPT N3 Level Learners
What makes a Japanese light novels a “light” novel? I honestly don’t know. I used to think it was because they were written with easier to understand Japanese for younger…
Ink Wash Painting and Grief 「線は、僕を描く」(Sen wa Boku wo Egaku)
線は、僕を描く （せんはぼくをえがく） by 砥上 裕將 (Togami Hiromasa) Author: 砥上 裕將 (Togami Hiromasa) Genre: novel, college, melancholy Great for: Advanced (JLPT N1+) Length: 317 pages Amazon Japan: 線は、僕を描く Bookwalker Japan: 線は、僕を描く…
Japanese Short Stories「5分シリーズ」(5 Minute Series)
5分シリーズ (5 Minute Series) Author: Various (published by エブリスタ) Genre: short stories, moving Great for: Intermediate (JLPT N2) Length: Around 210 pages Amazon Japan: 5分シリーズ（5分後に涙のラスト） (will need to search for…