Excellent resource for reading accessible real Japanese texts and avoiding overpriced graded readers and textbook language.
The series are available in volumes for each elementary school class. I started at 5th grade because I was around lower N3 and the earlier volunes would have been too kanji-free and easy for me. Check your kanji knowledge and basic vocabulary and choose the appropriate grade book for yourself, I bet all are quite interesting. I wish the series were around when I was a beginner. I know it is an unpopular opinion, but I don't like grader readers. This type of learnign resource is suitable even for people that are not into mange or cute kid stuff.
I was able to learn things that I didn't know. Starting from scientific and general knowledge issues, like why we have fingerprints, how we build underwater tunnels, how many types of rice are there, which is the kanji with the most strokes, how tsunamis are created, how stock market works, when is the best time to eat before working out, to significant cultural knowledge, like the history of newspapers in Japan, who are the persons depicted on Japanese banknotes, what sumo gestures mean, Japanese national treasures and so much more (42 chapters).
A native alternative to graded readers
Excellent resource for reading accessible real Japanese texts and avoiding overpriced graded readers and textbook language.
The series are available in volumes for each elementary school class. I started at 5th grade because I was around lower N3 and the earlier volunes would have been too kanji-free and easy for me. Check your kanji knowledge and basic vocabulary and choose the appropriate grade book for yourself, I bet all are quite interesting. I wish the series were around when I was a beginner. I know it is an unpopular opinion, but I don't like grader readers. This type of learnign resource is suitable even for people that are not into mange or cute kid stuff.
I was able to learn things that I didn't know. Starting from scientific and general knowledge issues, like why we have fingerprints, how we build underwater tunnels, how many types of rice are there, which is the kanji with the most strokes, how tsunamis are created, how stock market works, when is the best time to eat before working out, to significant cultural knowledge, like the history of newspapers in Japan, who are the persons depicted on Japanese banknotes, what sumo gestures mean, Japanese national treasures and so much more (42 chapters).