Level 1, Volume 1

Let's Read Japanese

Authors: Akiko Yamanaka Binns, Shinsuke Takasaki, Bambi Morino, and Yumi Katoh

Illustrators: Kotaro Chiba, Nancy Lane, Pana Stamos, and Kit Wagstaff

RRP: £19.99

IN STOCK

The collection of beautifully-illustrated stories in this new elementary level reader includes re-told traditional Japanese stories Yamata no Orochi and Setsubun no Oni and the classic tale, Alice in Wonderland, plus two new stories, The Three Friends and Mari’s Blue Pot.

With a vocabulary range of 500 words and 500–1,500 characters per story, Level 1 Volume 1 of Let’s Read Japanese is equivalent to Level A1 (CEFR) and Novice (ACTFL).

The text has been carefully graded, ie vocabulary and grammar are controlled, so that learners of Japanese can start enjoying reading a ‘story’ from the early stage of their learning. The Let’s Read Japanese series provides the ideal complement to the student's Japanese learning with a selection of books which can be read for pleasure.

More about the stories

Yamata no Orochi ヤマタノオロチ

Re-told by Yumi Katoh

Illustrated by Kotaro Chiba

A God named Susanoo descends upon Izumo no Kuni. He comes across a desperate family in fear of the return of Orochi, a monstrous snake. Can Susanoo save the last daughter of the family?

Setsubun no Oni 節分の鬼（せつぶんのおに）

Re-told by Bambi Morino

Illustrated by Nancy Lane

The third of February is a day of Setsubun when people throw beans saying, “Good luck in, bad luck out!” A lonely old man tries this ritual again, but this time in the opposite way, calling in bad luck…

Alice in Wonderland 不思議の国のアリス（ふしぎのくにの　アリス）

Re-told by Bambi Morino

Illustrated by Kit Wagstaff

Alice spots a talking white rabbit and follows him down a rabbit hole. She encounters many strange characters and witnesses curious things, but is it all a dream?

The Three Friends 三人の友だち（さんにんのともだち）

By Shinsuke Takasaki

Illustrated by Pana Stamos

The paths of three second year students from the same junior high school with very different personalities and popularity end up meeting. This will be the beginning of a true friendship.

Mari’s Blue Pot 麻里ちゃんの青い壷（まりちゃんのあおいつぼ）

By Akiko Yamanaka

Illustrated by Kotaro Chiba

Mari neglects her duties, as she prefers to read manga all day. Suddenly, she is confronted by her passion, which is a little frightening…

Reviews

"I absolutely recommend this product if you're working through your JLPT N5 and would like to read and expand your vocabulary using Japanese text in a real book."

"I love the level system that they are implementing in this series. I'm looking forward to the rest of the books."

"The sentence structure is simple but the stories are interesting. Perfect for a late elementary or early intermediate Japanese student to practice their reading skills.… Is there a better way to learn new vocabulary than through a story?"

"I've had a hard time finding something simple enough for me to tackle, yet interesting enough to want to read. This is a winner."