Q: Do I need to know Kanji to start reading in Japanese?

It depends! Many of the Tadoku Graded Readers, for example, only use furigana and are accessible to learners who know very few, if any, Kanji. Other resources, like Satori Reader, are customisable based on your Kanji knowledge. However, if you would like to read manga, you will need to learn some Kanji.

Q: How many Kanji do I need to know to read manga in Japanese?

Many manga for children or young adults (who will not have learned all of the Kanji in school yet) have furigana, or Kanji readings, on top of a word's Kanji in small font. This is a very useful feature for learners, who can look up vocabulary much more easily! So technically, perhaps very few Kanji. However, manga still contain grammar that can be tricky.

Q: When should I start reading in Japanese?

Once you know a bit of grammar and vocabulary! The N5 level is a great place to start.

Q: Is Yotsubato! a good choice?

Yes! As a very popular manga for beginners, it has a fun story and relatively easy grammar and vocabulary, as well as furigana over all of the Kanji. There is a WaniKani Book Club dedicated to it, and there are vocabulary lists available to reference as you read. Check it out!

Q: What are good manga for beginners?

Many people start with Yotsubato! , レンタルおにいちゃん (Big Brother Rental), or ふらいんぐうぃっち (Flying Witch). They all use beginner-friendly grammar and are slice of life, although Flying Witch also has some magic. Check them out!

Question 1

What resources are available to start reading in Japanese?

Accepted Answer

Graded readers, book clubs, and Satori Reader are all great choices to start your Japanese reading journey!

Question 2

How much Japanese do I need to know to start reading?

Accepted Answer

It's best to have at least a little bit of grammar and vocabulary knowledge.

Often, learners will start reading after finishing learning the N5 grammar.

Question 3

Do I need to know Kanji to start reading in Japanese?

Accepted Answer

It depends!

Many of the Tadoku Graded Readers, for example, only use furigana and are accessible to learners who know very few, if any, Kanji.

Other resources, like Satori Reader, are customisable based on your Kanji knowledge.

However, if you would like to read manga, you will need to learn some Kanji.

Question 4

How many Kanji do I need to know to read manga in Japanese?

Accepted Answer

Many manga for children or young adults (who will not have learned all of the Kanji in school yet) have furigana, or Kanji readings, on top of a word's Kanji in small font.

This is a very useful feature for learners, who can look up vocabulary much more easily!

So technically, perhaps very few Kanji. However, manga still contain grammar that can be tricky.

Question 5

When should I start reading in Japanese?

Accepted Answer

Once you know a bit of grammar and vocabulary!

The N5 level is a great place to start.

Question 6

Is Yotsubato! a good choice?

Accepted Answer

Yes!

As a very popular manga for beginners, it has a fun story and relatively easy grammar and vocabulary, as well as furigana over all of the Kanji.

There is a WaniKani Book Club dedicated to it, and there are vocabulary lists available to reference as you read.

Check it out!

Question 7

What are good manga for beginners?

Accepted Answer

Many people start with Yotsubato!, レンタルおにいちゃん (Big Brother Rental), or ふらいんぐうぃっち (Flying Witch). They all use beginner-friendly grammar and are slice of life, although Flying Witch also has some magic. Check them out!

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