Japanese Stories for Beginners
Easy A0, A1, and A2 Japanese stories with audio, images, key vocabulary, and short comprehension checks.
A0 Japanese Stories
A Friend Comes
A story about a friend who comes to a home and drinks water.
A Red Picture
A child wants a red picture, and the mother gives it to the child.
Father's Cup
A child gives a blue cup to their father.
The Dog and the Apple
A story about a child giving an apple to a dog.
The Red Bag
A story about a girl moving a bag off a chair and sitting down.
Where Is the Book?
A story about a person looking for a book.
The Big Cat
A story about a child giving milk to a big cat.
A Blue Bag
A story about a child who gets a blue bag from their mother.
Mother's Apple
A child asks their mother for a red apple.
Takes the Ball
A story about a child receiving a red ball from a friend.
The Dog and the Bread
A dog eats bread at home.
A Cup of Water
A child asks their mother for a cup of water.
Cat and Ball
A child gives a red ball to a cat at home.
A Small Book
A story about a child and a small book in a room.
Bread and Milk
A child eats bread and drinks milk at home.
A1 Japanese Stories
Footprints Left After the Snow Woman Passed
A boy finds mysterious footprints in the snow and discovers a beautiful snow woman.
奄美大島の夜に光るサンゴ
A story about a person named Kei who discovers beautiful glowing corals in the sea during a quiet night on Amami Oshima.
The Night I Missed the Last Train
A story about Ken finding his way to a hotel after missing the last train.
縁日で売れ残った金魚
A story about a kind goldfish vendor who cares for the fish left behind at a summer festival.
転校する日に渡せなかった手紙
A story about a girl named Yui who wants to give a letter to her friend Ken on his last day at school.
沼の河童と禁じられた石
A young boy named Kenji discovers a mysterious glowing stone in a swamp guarded by a kappa.
発表会の前夜に消えた楽譜
A story about a young girl named Yui who loses her piano sheet music the night before her recital.
駅に残された傘
A heartwarming story about an umbrella left at a train station and the kindness of an elderly woman.
初詣で引いた大凶のおみくじ
A story about a girl named Yuki who draws an unlucky fortune at a shrine during the New Year.
隣の席の人が落とした手帳
A person on a train finds a dropped notebook that contains a surprising drawing.
最後の夏に補欠だった少年
A determined substitute baseball player gets a final chance to prove himself during the last game of his middle school summer.
閉店日の駄菓子屋に残った最後の飴
An elderly woman gives away the last piece of candy in her sweet shop on its final day of operation.
絵の具が一色だけ足りなかった日
A student discovers that one color of paint is missing while painting flowers and asks their teacher for help.
隣の席の人が毎日置いていく折り鶴
A story about a woman who finds beautiful origami cranes on her desk every morning.
新学期に誰も名前を書かなかった下駄箱
A girl named Hana finds her own school shoe locker on the first day of a new semester.
江戸の火消しが守り続けた一軒の家
A story about a young fireman named Kenta who protects an elderly woman's house from a fire in Edo.
タコを持ってガジュマルに近づくな
Mika follows a village rule about octopuses and a banyan tree to help her grandmother find a lost ring.
五稜郭から消えた一枚の旗
In 1869, a young soldier learns why the flag has disappeared from Goryokaku as the battle comes to an end.
祖父が初めて電話をかけてきた夜
Haruki receives a surprising phone call late at night from his grandfather, with whom he hasn't spoken in years.
宅配便に書かれた存在しない部屋番号
A delivery person brings a tea package to an apartment, but the address lists a room that no longer exists.
決勝で相手の靴紐を結んだ少年
A story about a boy named Ken who stops in a race to help his rival tie his shoelace.
落語家が扇子を忘れた高座
A rakugo storyteller forgets his fan, but a woman helps him create a funny sword story with her fish-painted fan.
桜島の灰で止まった町の時計
Ren must hurry to the port with medicine for his sick grandmother after ash stops the town clock.
祭りの太鼓を一度だけ打たなかった少年
A boy at a summer festival stops playing the drum once to help a girl avoid falling.
祖母が返さなかった赤い振袖
A young girl discovers an old red kimono, and a family secret leads two sisters to make peace.
橋の下の鬼が守る一つの約束
A story about a demon living under a bridge who keeps a special promise.
海坊主に渡した底のない樽
A fisherman gives a bottomless barrel to a sea monster and saves his boat, fish, and family meal.
路面電車に忘れられた広島弁のテープ
Mika finds a forgotten tape on a Hiroshima streetcar and helps a man return recordings of his mother's voice.
干潮の砂浜に残された誰かの名前
A young girl named Hana discovers a name written in the sand on a beach at low tide and encounters an elderly man who remembers his lost companion.
お遍路さんが八十八番で落とした鍵
This beginner Japanese story follows Keiko as she loses her key at the final temple on the Shikoku pilgrimage and learns the importance of helping others.
たこ焼きを丸くできない大阪の弟子
A young takoyaki apprentice discovers that unusual shapes can also make customers happy.
送り犬がついてきた夜、転んではいけない
Hana carries medicine home through the dark mountain while a mysterious dog follows her.
佐渡の鬼太鼓に入った新しい音
A young violinist adds a new sound to Sado's traditional demon-drum performance.
商店街で一軒だけ看板のない店
A girl discovers a mysterious, signless shop on her usual street.
A2 Japanese Stories
Why the Child in the Next Seat Cried
A student helps their classmate who has lost an eraser.
おばあちゃんだけが知る味噌汁の秘密
A grandchild visits their grandmother and discovers a secret ingredient in her delicious miso soup.
嵐の翌朝、海岸に現れた白い鳥
A boy finds a white bird on a quiet beach after a storm and helps it fly again.
七夕の夜に願いごとが書けなかった少女
A girl at the park on Tanabata night finds it hard to make a wish until her mother joins her.
全国大会の前日に折れた竹刀
A high school kendo student receives a special sword from his coach the night before an important tournament.
将軍が初めて食べたチョコレート
A story about a Japanese shogun who tries chocolate for the very first time.
コンクールで零点をつけられた演奏
A pianist named Misaki breaks the rules during a competition by playing her own song, leading to a life-changing encounter with a judge.
A Single Candy Left on the Stone Steps Every Morning
A young girl named Yui wonders about a mysterious piece of red candy that appears on the old stone steps every morning.
知床で熊と目が合った朝
A traveler experiences a tense but profound encounter with a brown bear while trying to photograph a sunrise in Shiretoko.
築地の最後の競り
This story recounts a father's emotional final day at the historic Tsukiji fish market.
跳び箱を跳べなかった最後の体育の授業
This is a story about a girl named Yui who faces a challenge during her physical education class.
二十年ぶりの手紙
A story about a woman who receives an unexpected letter from her long-lost best friend after twenty years.
江戸の刀鍛冶が守った秘密
A legendary swordsmith protects a mysterious secret regarding the quality of his blades, eventually entrusting it to his dedicated apprentice.
廃校の黒板に残された名前
A girl named Yuki finds her grandmother's name written on a blackboard in an abandoned school, leading to a touching discovery about a long-lost promise.
チームで一番遅いランナーがもらったバトン
A story about a girl named Miku who overcomes her worries to finish a relay race with the help of her supportive team.
深夜の銭湯で会った老人
A lonely young man working in Tokyo finds comfort and a new perspective after meeting an elderly man at a local public bath.
毎朝誰かが直す傾いた自転車
A story about a woman who discovers that her neighbor is secretly fixing her bicycle every morning because it reminds him of his daughter.
天狗が守る峠の三つの掟
A young man named Hiro learns a lesson about gratitude and sorrow when he crosses a mountain pass guarded by a Tengu.
神保町の古書店で三十年売れなかった本
A young woman discovers a mysterious, long-lost letter inside a forgotten book at an old bookstore.
深夜バスの終点で見つけた名もない温泉宿
After a stressful day at work, Kenji takes a random bus to the end of the line and discovers a mysterious, nameless hot spring inn that helps him reflect.
三ヶ月間聞こえた隣の練習曲が消えた日
A story about a narrator who gets used to their neighbor's piano practice and feels strange when it suddenly stops.
台風の翌朝、砂浜に現れた名もない小舟
A young boy named Kenji finds a mysterious boat washed up on the beach after a typhoon.
伊能忠敬が地図に描かなかった小島
This story follows Tadataka Inō as he carefully decides how to show a small rock that disappears under the sea at high tide.
同窓会で一人だけ旧姓を呼ばなかった友人
At a class reunion, Mika learns why Kenta calls her by her married name instead of her old surname.
弓道の決勝で最後の一本を射たなかった高校生
A high school archer chooses to protect a person instead of taking the final shot in a championship match.
輪島の朝市で交換された二つの弁当
At Wajima morning market, Misaki's lunch box is accidentally exchanged with a traveler's, leading her to reconnect with her father.
捨てられるはずだった昆布が変えた出汁の味
A story about an apprentice chef who accidentally uses a forgotten piece of kelp to create the perfect dashi.
母が標準語で残した最後の留守電
A man listens to his mother's final voicemails and discovers the love behind her last message in standard Japanese.
廃藩置県の朝に川へ捨てた刀
A former samurai reflects on the changing era as he parts with his sword on the morning of the Abolition of the Han System.
狐の嫁入りを見てはいけない橋
On a mysterious rainy night, Sota must cross a haunted bridge without looking back to save his sick mother.
台風で塩が届かなかった讃岐うどん店
When a typhoon prevents a salt delivery, a udon shop owner learns that kindness is as important as preserving a traditional taste.
父と二人で乗った最後のジェットコースター
A young adult recalls a meaningful final rollercoaster ride with their father before moving away for work.
津軽三味線の三本目の糸が切れた夜
A young Tsugaru shamisen player turns a broken string into an unforgettable performance.
二つの家が同じ名で売る若狭のへしこ
Two rival family shops in Wakasa rediscover an old friendship while making heshiko together for a hotel.
相撲部屋を逃げ出した新弟子の一日
A frightened new sumo trainee runs away before his first practice match, but an older wrestler helps him return and face his fear.
仏壇の引き出しに隠された兄の謝罪文
After discovering a hidden letter, Yumi learns the truth about why her brother left and decides to rebuild their relationship.
合唱団が最後に選んだ誰も知らない曲
A choir decides to perform a song written by a former member, discovering that even the most unknown songs can hold profound meaning for someone in the audience.
鎌倉の切通しに毎週届く白い封筒
A university student follows mysterious letters to reunite a brother and sister before an old path closes.