hello there! i would like to ask if you know any sites where i can practice reading japanese? like news sites, manga sites, or sites that offer free e-books that are in japanese. and are there any japanese podcasts that i can listen to? thank you in advance for answering this question. it'd mean a whole to me!
Hey there! There are actually quite a few recommended sites for Japanese learners, so I’ll link them right now :)
Japanese IO – I’ve used this site quite a few times and I love the interface! The design is really sleek and “to the point,” so there’s no distractions from what you’re trying to do, which is practice reading Japanese. It also has a great library and look-up feature.
朝日学生新聞社 – This is the “kid’s version” of the more adult 朝日新聞社. If you don’t feel that you’re quite up for the adult version, test out the version geared towards kids. They have fewer articles, but there’s plenty for a learner to pick through.
NHK NEWS EASY – I’m almost positive this is one of the most famous ones for learners. It’s similar to Asahi’s kid newspaper – articles are condensed with easier kanji and vocabulary, and it’s geared towards children, so learners can spend some time combing through updated articles and testing their skills.
Yahoo! Kids – More short news articles geared towards easier-to-understand Japanese.
MATCHA – A fun magazine similar in style to NHK EZ.
Watanoc – Another magazine-type site with a variety of articles.
Traditional Japanese Stories – Get your hands on some easily printed Japanese stories that are told to children. Great for language skills and culture! Similar to English pop culture stories (like Cinderella and so on), Japan has its own fairytales that are occasionally referenced.
Fuku Musume’s Fairy Tale Collection – More stories!
World of チョコチョコ – These are beginner stories, but as you progress you can read other stories on this website.
EhonNavi – Read hundreds of Japanese picture books for free!
If you’re looking for more advanced content…
NHK – Japan’s national broadcaster. You can read articles as well as stream audio and video (may be blocked depending on location).
毎日新聞 – Moderate/left-leaning national newspaper
朝日新聞 – Left-leaning national newspaper
読売新聞 – Conservative national newspaper
東洋経済オンライン – A well-known business and finance magazine.
Project Gutenberg (Japanese) – Get access to a ton of out-of-print and classical books for free.
小説家になろう – A site where authors can publish their works online in exchange for reviews.
青空文庫 – Another site where you can get older and out-of-print novels.
University of Virginia Japanese Text Initiative – Another place to access novels in Japanese for free (with the option to read them with furigana).
ComicWalker – Free manga from the publisher Kadokawa. There’s an app too!
最前線 – You can read some manga online for free.
コミコ – More free Japanese manga available here!
キナリノ – A woman’s lifestyle blog which covers fashion, cooking, decor, and more!
Magazine Lib – You can read PDFs of Japanese magazines.
1000文字小説 – A place where users can submit 1000 characters or less stories.
I also highly recommend starting a Twitter (if you don’t already have one) and following Japanese accounts. I follow a lot of feminist and political accounts so that I’m learning words relevant to my interests, as well as interacting with people that are discussing topics of interest to me (i.e. women and their place in Japanese society).
If you’re curious, you can find me on Twitter at @sydney0313 :)
I hope this list proves useful to you! (And others.)
