１　Choose the work you want to read.

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The easiest work on this site is “The Red Candle,” but you don't have to choose based on difficulty. Pick a work that seems interesting or one you want to read. Reading works solely for study purposes won't boost your motivation. Curiosity is key. We plan to add various genres like fantasy and mystery to the list in the future.

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２　Print out the Original text.

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Knowledge becomes firmly rooted in your brain through the process of writing things down by hand. While this site does not provide translations of the works, it guides you to the original form so you can look up words and grammar yourself.

 

・Works on this site where the author's name is clearly stated are in the public domain, so you can use them for your own study. You can not only print them out, but also read them aloud or study with others.

 

・Works written by this site's administrator, “Aya,” may only be used when studying alongside this site. They cannot be used for any other purpose. Beyond personal practice for reading Japanese works, I do not grant permission to use anything I have written.

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３　First, let's give it a read.

 

While reading the original text, mark any parts you don't understand. Keep reading to the end, trying to guess the meaning from the surrounding context. This site has many short works, so it's perfect for practice. If you find yourself thinking, “Hmm, this isn't very interesting,” try another piece.

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４　Refer to the Kanji/Word Reading page.

 

Japanese uses kanji, hiragana, and katakana. When looking up words in a dictionary, don't forget this. Unlike other materials, this site encloses entire words in |   | and writes the full-word reading inside. If the dictionary form is unclear, an explanation is provided below the paragraph.

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Look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary. Use this site as a reference to look up the entire word, not just the kanji. This site exists to help you identify where one word ends and another begins. For example, the word “調べる” (to look up) is one word composed of kanji and hiragana. The kanji “調” alone is not a word. “カレーライスお願いします” is a sentence made up of the word “カレーライス” and the phrase “お願いします”. The “お” is not a particle but the prefix of the ‘お願い’ part. “入れる　いれる” and “入る　はいる” are different words with different meanings. The knowledge needed for dictionary lookup is written on this site's Kanji/Word page.

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５　Refer to the Explanation page while reading.

 

The explanation page describes sentence structure. The subject and predicate are most important. It also explains the structure of long sentences. Since long sentences are usually formed by connecting several sentences, breaking them down appropriately makes them easier to read.
 

This site provides hints for breaking down long sentences. For example, a unit like “noun + から” cannot form a complete sentence on its own. On the other hand, “sentence + から” serves to connect two sentences, allowing you to break down a long sentence at this point.

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Furthermore, since Japanese allows the order of units to be changed, you must determine which unit it connects to semantically based on its form. The sentences “大きい宇宙船が動いた” (The large spaceship moved) and “大きく宇宙船が動いた” (The spaceship moved greatly) are different. “大きい” is an adjective and semantically connects to “宇宙船”. However, ‘大きく’ is an adverbial form and connects to the verb “動いた”. Stop just picking out kanji to read; understand Japanese structure thoroughly.

 

Additionally, this site was created for practice, allowing you to look up grammar points yourself. The explanation pages include hints for self-research, so please use them as a reference. Write down what you find out on your printed materials.

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６　Refer to the Colored Explanation page while reading.

 

Finally, refer to the colored explanation page to confirm you've accurately understood the Japanese text. Those familiar with reading Japanese works can skip the explanation page and directly check the colored explanation page. The coloring rules are summarized here. →List of Symbols

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７　General Notice

This site was created to help people who want to read long Japanese texts accurately, by looking up questions themselves as they go.

 

Many people read Japanese and imagine completely different meanings based on guesswork. While this approach might work for short sentences, it leads to total confusion about the overall meaning in longer passages. Some people suggest solving this problem by saying, “Don't worry about grammar, just ignore unfamiliar words, and read a lot.” Indeed, reading extensively is important. However, without also practicing “accurate reading” even a little, your skills will remain mediocre forever.

 

Many sites and materials simply translate Japanese into foreign languages, allowing you to read without understanding Japanese structure, or only add furigana to kanji without clearly showing the dictionary form of words. I created this site to solve these learning problems. Please use this site to enjoy Japanese literature. You don't need to read or memorize everything written here. Just use the parts you find helpful to understand the appeal of Japanese works—write them down on your own printouts and use them.

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