My Japanese self study books – 2017
In this article, we will go through some cheap and reasonably priced books for self-study, as well as more expensive options for those who are willing to invest a little more money into their learning journey.
Newspapers for Reading Practice
One resource that can be quite useful for improving your reading skills is a Japanese newspaper. While it may not be a traditional textbook, being able to read a newspaper will demonstrate a high level of proficiency in the language. However, it’s important to note that newspapers can be challenging for beginners as they often contain advanced vocabulary and grammar.
It’s more of a level check then an actual way of learning Japanese. If you want to learn reading newspapers in Japanese, start small by going to websites like Easy Japanese news.
100 yen store books
If you’re just starting out and want to find a cheap way to learn Japanese, consider purchasing books from a 100 yen store, this can only be done when you are in Japan, but you may find a way to buy them online as well.
These books usually focus on vocabulary and kanji, and can be found for around $1.00 – $1.10 each. Keep in mind, these books may not have much English, so a dictionary may be necessary for translation.
Use elementary school textbooks
This may be difficult but worth a shot. Try to find out which textbooks elementary school kids in Japan use and try to get your hands on some of them. I have not done this yet, so no idea how easy/difficult this is. But it may be worth a shot! However learning from those type of books is probably as difficult as my next suggestion.
Minna no Nihongo
Minna no Nihongo is another popular series for learning Japanese, but it can be a bit more challenging for beginners as there is no English translation in the book.
However, if you’re willing to put in the extra time to translate the questions, these books can be a great resource for improving your Japanese skills. As you progress, you will be able to read them without the need for a dictionary.
Minna no Nihongo 1
Minna no Nihongo 2
Genki books
I also really like the Genki books and have used them in the past, if Minna No Nihongo looks too daunting of a task for you as the books are fully in Japanese, maybe giving the Genki books a try is all you need to get started.
Genki 1 Textbook
Genki 1 Workbook
Genki 2 Textbook
Genki 2 Workbook
Additional Recommendations
If you have any other recommendations for books on learning Japanese, please leave them in the comments of the video for fellow learners to see. Over the next few months or years, we will be featuring more content on learning Japanese, so be sure to subscribe to stay updated.
Good luck on your journey to mastering the Japanese language!
