Nekopi - Fun Learning Content Site

Nekopi great place to study Japanese (and other subjects) in Japanese! While there's no English to guide you, you can start to put your Japanese language skills to the test.

This site is designed for schoolchildren in Japan, but a site like this can help to improve your skills as a learner of Japanese, too. Because there are lots of pictures and images, you can try to navigate the site on your own. Also, here is some help with navigating the site!

The content available for study and play include:　さんすう Arithmetic , こくごJapanese language,　りか Science,　えいご English,　しゃかい Social Studies,　ようちえん Kindergarten learning,　げーむほか Games,　うた Songs,　アニメ Anime, and　キャラ＆まんが Characters & Manga.

There is a wealth of learning materials and information here! You can learn about the history of Japan, learn songs in Japanese, pick up new vocabulary such as foods which exists in Japan, and so much more.

*Some games and activities might take a bit of time because of the flash player.

Kawasaki International Culture Exchange ・ Weekly PENPAL Newsletter

The Weekly PenPal Newsletter is perfect for you if you would like to make friends from Japan. The weekly pen pal news letter is FREE! A penpal list is sent out to your email 4 times per month. This lists includes penpals of all ages from around the world. Many of them are from Japan!

Interested in Japan culture? Traveling to Japan? Want to receive snail mail letters written in Japanese? Create long-lasting friendships with someone through this culture exchange site.

Some people prefer snail mail to Email. Some are eager to send you something like a photo, letter, and maybe even a small souvenir!

Sign up is completely FREE. Start a new friendship today!

Japanese Castle Explorer

Japanese Castle Explorer is an interactive map with pictures and information about the castle of Japan. Zoom in or out to explore the castles. The red castles on the map symbolize Japan's historic castles, or in other words: the castle which still stand unrenovated.

When you click on a castle, a small info screen pops up on the right which includes the name of the castle, a 3D virtual tour, option for photos, and more information. Learn the timeline of the castles, about the clans, and about the history as well.

The interactive map also has a Japanese version.

夢があるなら・Moving Picture Book

This Moving Picture Book site has a variety of FREE moving pictures books! You can access some of them on the main page and even more when you click on the red 動く絵本 button from the menu bar. You will see after clicking that the categories of the available picture books have been divided by age range. Actually, these store are for infant, small, children, and younger school kids(actually there is an 'Adult' category). However, this site is great for learners of Japanese!

Once you click a story you like, it will usually begin automatically but might require you to click 'Start" or the 'Play' button. Some stories have text and sound but no narration, some have words and sound but no narration, and in some case, there is sound, text, AND a narrator!　The categories designed for younger ages might include all 3 components, if that's what you prefer, because babies, for example, can't read :P

There may be a green フールスクリーンで見る button which allows you to view a full screen version.
There may also blue ＹｏｕＴｕｂｅで見る button which allows you to view the moving picture story via YouTube.

Stories of Hara Peko Monster - Yahoo! Kids eBooks

Stories of Hara Peko Monster are available here for free and in three forms! Click on the links to access each of the five stories. Clicking each link takes you to a page where you can read the story right online, download it to your computer このお話をまとめてダウンロードする, or print it このページを印刷する. There are just a few Kanji characters in these stories so its an easy read.

Also, there are a few more free stories available if you scroll down a little on the main page. Enjoy!

Gakken Kids Net - eBooks for Kids

Gakken Kids Net has free previews for eBooks. Click the image of the eBook of your choice. You can watch the preview via the YouTube video there!Although they are just previews, these make great reading practice for learners of Japanese and kids can enjoy them, too. Another wonderful thing about this is the audio of native speakers reading aloud. The video quality is so clear. You can read along, too!

Jコミ - Japanese Comics

J-Comi offers wide selection of manga with free previews! To access the FREE previews select any option listed on the left side of the screen. If you can't read the Japanese on this site, Rikaichan would be a great tool for you! Once your results load, click on a comic that appeals to you. If you scroll down just a little, you'll see a green この本を読む button. Click it to open up your selection. Kanji may appear in the comic.

Use the blue and white keys to turn the pages. You can learn the functions of the other keys after just a minute of playing around with them.

Moai Comics

Visit moae.jp for access to free comics! You can access the WEBコミック　and 試し読み sections. Once you click a title of your interest you find that the comic is scrollable, so just scroll down to continue reading. When you reach the bottom, you will see 前へ戻る when means you have reached the end of the comic strip. Click there to go back. Kanji may appear in the comics. Rikaichan is a good tool to have here if you don't already have it. Get your reading practice on here!

Kurumi no Mori - Online Picture Books

Kurumi no Mori has 4 picture books in Hiragana. Click one of the four stories. Then click OPEN to load and begin your story. Music accompanies the stories as you read along.These stories are great for beginners and children.

Tomodachi Picture Book Hall

Tomodachi Picture Book Hall is grear reading practice! This site is in Japanese but that's OK! Click on any title and the story opens up in a new window. Initially the loading is a little slow and there is no audio, however, the pictures move and the stories have accompanying music background which is very lovely. Most stories are in Hiragana. You might see basic level Kanji.

Just One Cookbook - Easy Japanese Recipes and Food Blog

Just One Cookbook is a great website for Japanese recipes! This blog offers tons of authentic recipes for appetizers, entrees, and desserts! Complete recipes are accompanied with both instructional videos AND step-by-step pictures!

CookPad - The Best Japanese Recipes to Make your Cooking Fun!

CookPad has a wide selection of easy, delicious Japanese recipes complete with ingredients list and measurements, directions for preparation, and pictures. What I enjoy most about the recipes are the "Stores Behind the Recipe" and "Helpful Hints" sections that are posted with the recipes! The links above are for the English version of the site. You can access the Japanese version here. Using the Japanese version is a great way to practice reading in Japanese (especially if you have the Rikai-chan tool!) and learn new Japanese cooking terminology.

Econtrader - Interactive Japanese

Econtrader - This website helps you learn Japanese through an interactive map style. Learn Japanese for the home, school, hotel, market, and more! Hear words and phrases in native Japanese!

Ba Ba Dum - Play and Learn

Ba Ba Dum is an online collection of games that lets you learn words in different languages by selecting the correct illustration of the example word. One of the languages offered is Japanese! You can pratice spelling words in Japanese, matching the word you see and hear to the correct picture among four pictures shown. 1500 words including nouns, adjectives, and verbs! Very great site for kids and beginner learner but also great site for reviewing learned material for upper levels. Create a free account to save your progress!

WebJapanese

WebJapanese might simple like a bland simple sight upon first sight of the homepage, but there is so much information available to anyone wanting to learn Japanese language, culture, history, and more! While there is different links available, maybe the ones you might find most interesting and helpful to learning about Japan and life there are:





Fun reading:There are readings in English and Japanese written by native Japanese, foreigners living in Japan, people married to Japanese, etc. Topics include marriage, language, life in Japan, recipes, and entertainment.


Archive - Free Japanese Learning Materials:
Via easy photo presentation, you can learn Japanese words and English translations of everyday life, food, nature, fashion, restaurants, history, and more.
 

Learn Japanese with "Pinterest":Although not as extensive, similar to the description of above, WebJapanese has a Pinterest page and you can see some photos mostly about language, history, and food.

A Door to the World of Kanji

While there is not a lot of content on A Door to the World of Kanji you can find the vocabulary related to Kanji on Japan home appliances, at the train station, and on traffic signs. The words are written in Kanji, hiragana, and romaji.

Tsunagu Japan - All About Japan

Tsunagu Japan - All About Japan
Learn the culture of Japan and all about its foods, seasons, entertainment, and more! These articles are short yet informative and written by Japanese as well people with experience living in Japan.  The articles are plentiful and include a wide variety of topics such as anime, weddings, obento, fashion, and so much more. The articles are organized into 9 popular categories: Kawaii, Otaku, Entertainment, Beauty/Fashion, Travel, Traditional, Food, Art/Literature, and Living/Study.

Hukumusume Fairy Tales Collection

Hukumusume Fairy Tales Collection is a website where you can hear traditional folk tales, legends and fairy stories – from Japan and all around the world – read aloud for you in Japanese. You can listen to readings of Japanese legends and folklore, short stories from the Edo period and traditional ghost tales. The website includes not only the audio but also text of the stories. There are some animated ‘kamishibai’ (Japanese-style picture story shows). This site in in Japanese but you can look for specific stories using a keyword search.