Best Japanese Books For Beginners (2025 Updated)

The worksheets in this book are really useful for learning stroke order. I would reccomend a workbook like this as well as a few basic language books or duolingo to begin learning Japanese.

I really like this workbook. I’m still in the Hiragana section and was surprised to see the letters are a little different than other sources I’ve used. This workbook has helped my identification of letters as well as write them more clearly.

This book really simplifies and cements the kanji in your brain through demonstrations and context spellings. Great buy for those looking to learn kanji quickly.

There are plenty of books available on this topic, some only covering either Hiragana or Katakana. This covers both. Introduces both slowly and clearly with plenty of exercises and writing practice. This is a ‘workbook’ so it’s intended that you write in the book as you progress each stage.

As such, if you chose to do so, it wouldn’t be a book you could sell on once finished with. However, there are are multitude of free practice sheets and exercises available to download on the Internet so you can keep your book pristine.

The book has downloadable content including a set of flash cards for both Kanas that you can print out. Tip, print on 150g paper or card if printing double sided, or print on 80g single sided and glue front and rear sheets to each side of card.

Finally, you needn’t pay much for this book. There are plenty of second-hand book outlets where you can pick up a copy in excellent condition for no more than 3! Nonetheless, even at 10 or more, it’s a highly recommended book to learn Hiragsna and Katakana.

After reading very good reviews of this book, I decided to give it a go as my first step to reading Hiragana and katakana. I had no previous knowledge of Japanese prior to buying this, so this review is from a beginner! I’m currently in my third week and this book has been like a bible to me! It’s well laid out, easy to pick up and debunks the common idea that learning Japanese is extremely difficult.

I can tell you that Japanese is actually a very logical language to understand (especially when you compare it to English), although it is time-consuming. I personally recommend between 1/2 hour and an hour a day to start.

The book starts by giving you a basic history of the writing styles & a few of the basic rules to keep in mind when beginning. After a handy chart listing all 46 of the basic Hiragana sounds (you will be referring to that a bit at first) the book takes you through each letter (one per page), with a nice mnemonic to help you remember and visualise each kana character, the stroke order and space to practice writing it plus a few examples to help you practice size consistency (tip- Use a pencil so you can erase and retry as it can be tricky).

Some mnemonics are a little more obscure to remember than others, but that’s just a personal thing. Which mnemonics will be better than others will be dependent on the individual learner. Fear not though, because after just a couple of hours, you will start to recognise the kana and there are little reading tests after a about a dozen or so kana to go through.

Try not to worry about remembering the actual words and focus on recognising and reading sounds. After the 46 basic sounds it goes into the additional and combined sounds, followed by some great little mini-games to test you.

The second half of the book is for katakana and follows the same layout and progression as hiragana. A couple of minor cons- Some of the pronunciation examples have a US accent in mind, for example “na as in Gnaw”.

In England we pronounce “gnaw” N-OR as in “Iron ORE”. So keep that in mind and refer to the CD Rom for correct pronunciations. There is an error in the book, BUT by the time you get to it you should be able to spot it AND correct it, so the smug factor I had when I found it kinda forgave it! The included CDROM is great and has loads of things like printable flash cards and practice writing grids plus quizes and a list of 600 common names in katakana, which is a great way of impressing your friends! A couple of things aren’t explained, such as the semi-colon seperating some of the numbers (yes this book teaches you numbers too), which I presume means there are two ways of saying it.

I’d have liked an explanation as to why and which one to use, but there’s always google for that! But that’s it. I loved everything about this book, and three weeks in, I am writing words in both katakana and hiragana (takes a while though, haha) and recognising and reading song titles of JRock/Pop bands, which is great.

All in all I am thrilled with this book. It has opened a door to a marvellous and beautiful language and I would recommend it to anybody. At this price it is an absolute steal! I use it alongside the Tuttle Hiragana and Katana Flash card Kit (which has two wall chart posters which are great for learning with your kids), so do check that out too! Learning Japanese seemed a daunting task, but the Tuttle Japanese Hiragana & Katakana for beginners by Timothy G.

Stout is exactly what I needed! 5/5.

This was extremely helpful in practicing hiragana and katakana! It has writing practice and step by step instructions on how to write the characters making it very useful. Great for beginners.

A lot of language textbooks dump you in the deep end with convoluted explanations of grammar usage and vocabulary, which can often be too much at once, but Japanese From Zero slowly introduces new things in a progressive way, making it a great choice for beginners.

It builds on things you’ve learnt previously and everything is explained in simple terms. The added workbook exercises are great, especially for not having to need to buy a whole other book to do them.

Though, for some people who prefer a faster pace of learning, this series may not be for you, as it does take its time to introduce new things and some people might get impatient with that format, but you never feel as if it is too much to grasp at once.

If you do choose to learn with these books, make sure you watch the additional YouTube videos which go through and supplement the lessons, and help to reinforce what you’re learning.

this guide is perfect. absolutely beats duolingo. i have trouble with learning new languages even though ive tried multiple times i always struggle and lose interest however this workbook is different the activities are easy and catchy enough to keep me not overwhelmed however challenging enough to actually make me feel like im learning.

i really love that this guide not only teaches you the textbook basic sentences but also the more common “slang” used by locals. this makes it feel like it was truly written by people who care about teaching not only the language but also the culture.

for the sheer amount of knowledge you aquire the price is very cheap and definitely worth it. i cant wait to buy the second and third book as well as the harder kanji books. thanks for making it easy to learn.

I purchased this book after trying several other books and resources for learning Japanese. This is BY FAR the best Japanese instruction tool I have seen. Many books on the subject are too complicated for the typical everyday person on the street to pick up and understand.

Let’s face it, unless you’re a college professor, writer or student currently immersed in the terminology of grammar, you’re going to end up like I did; spending valuable time going online to look up what all their overly elaborate terminology means before you can even apply it to understanding its context.

I don’t want to have to learn more English just so I can understand how to tackle Japanese. But Japanese From Zero 1 is immediately understandable, entertaining and downright exciting to learn from! In the first chapter alone I was already reading and understanding sentence structure and context; something I’m sorry to say took many confusing hours with lesser books; trying to comprehend the instruction of wordy authors more interested in showing off their own vocabulary than imparting that knowledge to the student.

There are many resources that are fine for reinforcing knowledge already gained, and some are helpful in one area over another. But for the all-around learning experience that’s best for beginning students of Japanese, Japanese From Zero is the best.

Once I started on the first book of this series, I immediately bought books 2-4 as well, knowing that I would have all the foundation I’d need to be reading, writing and speaking Japanese in the shortest amount of time possible.

Don’t be fooled by come-on titles of books that claim to teach you Japanese in a few weeks or months. Unless you have a photographic memory or an extraordinary natural skill for languages, you’re not going to retain what you learn.

To learn a language properly, you have to do more than merely memorize and endless list of words and phrases; you have to comprehend them and how they’re put together. Japanese From Zero gives you that knowledge in simple, understandable terms.

From sentence structure and pronunciation to the use of particles (which is kind of a biggie for learning Japanese) with a few interesting cultural tidbits tossed in, it all comes together in a very logical, compelling and entertaining way.

And as you progress through the book, it keeps the stuff you’ve already learned fresh by reviewing and reinforcing it in your mind with fun exercises throughout. Before I bought this book, I had already memorized Hiragana and Katakana, and numbers 1-10, which isn’t exactly a huge foundation for learning such a complex language, but it’s far more than I ever needed with this approach to Japanese.

This book is perfect for any beginner, whether you have previous knowledge and understanding of the language or not. And if you have intermediate skills, there are more books in the series for more advanced students.

This book is fun. It makes me want to learn Japanese and I’m always excited to see what the next lesson has to teach me. I can’t remember when I’ve been so enthusiastic about something so daunting as this fascinating and beautiful language.

Buy this book, you will NOT regret it!.

Learning a wholly new alphabet isn’t easy but this book is well structured leading you through the process in a logical and approachable way. One criticism, I would recommend having plenty of scrap paper on-hand to practice the characters as the space to write in the book is limited.

I’d tried various online tutorials but for writing this is far more helpful.

Great review of fundamental writing and reading- works as a foundation intro lesson also

Currently learning Japanese and this book really helped learn the basic script easily. Breezed through it and didn’t have much trouble at all following the steps and exercises. Great text book.

I’ve been taking Genki Japanese for the past year and a half, and this book is a fantastic companion. I really like how the book is organized by the Romaji spelling of the Japanese word/particle (like “koto” or “nara”), making it easy to find an entry.

There are also a ton of cross-links between similar topics, which has introduced me to subtle grammatical concepts that Genki didn’t really cover. I liked it so much that I just bought the “intermediate” version of the book, too.

I’ve only used this book a few times, but I can tell that it is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Easy-to-understand explanations with examples and a bit of colour to make it interesting. The book itself arrived on time and was well packaged.

Thank you :).

I got this as a supplement to my college Japanese language course to help me better understand particle use. So far, it has been incredibly helpful. I would highly recommend it as a learning tool! You won’t learn Japanese from it, but it is the dictionary it claims to be.

There are ample examples of how to use each word in different contexts. Definitely worth the money!.

A lot more than a purely tourist phrasebook, even though I suppose it’s more than satisfying for such purpose as well. There is a smaller edition, the so-called ‘fast-talk’, but that one doesn’t doesn’t cover much more than basic tourist communique, even though it still does so well.

The one being reviewed, the much thicker edition of around 270 pages, covers a whole lot more, giving insight into the language being used in various other situations than just some person passing though Japan by the way of business or a quick visit.

It’s not even a bad start, let alone a superfluous addition to one with ambition to learn, or learn more about the Japanese language. Small, easy to carry and, as a recommendation, much easier to shuffle though with the four-page ‘Key Phrases’ thick carton at the end of the book ripped out.

(this can done without damage to either, since there are rips already in place).

Amazing book for both travel and for children learning Japanese at school. My daughter is in year 9 and this book helped her get an A for Japanese! 10/10

Great detail but the text is very small and the tiny kanji difficult to read. Light coloured text on a light background. Wish they did an A5 version.

Ordered for my daughter’s class. Fast shipping, and actually came early. Corner of the book was bent a little bit. She likes her books to be pristine, but it’s tolerable. She’s happy.

Excellent book ..have been learning ** for about a year now, so am self taught . This book is well set out, very useful and fun to use . Wish I had ordered sooner . would recommend for beginners. .

Great quality textbook! One thing that I especially appreciate is that the lessons encourage you to start learning and reading hiragana and katakana immediately, as opposed to only using English readings of Japanese (“romaji”) for a long period of time before getting to the letter systems like some books do.

A fantastic addition to any beginner’s Japanese learning library.

I got this for my infant. The pages are colorful and sturdy. The fact that they have a surface for dry-erase helps for wiping off hand prints and drool too. As for content, kids learn more about Pokmon and writing as they progress through the book.

I hope to find more like this one.

Ikigai was an accessible, easily digestible self-help book. While it was deeply informative about approaches to longevity and eastern approaches to healthy lifestyles, it did not actually delve very deeply into the idea of ikigai.

The philosophical background on ikigai was well-informed but the book was not a guide to finding your ikigai, as the blurb suggests. It was of more a study into Okinawan centenarians whose ikigai is just one factor that contributes to their longevity.

I would highly recommend this book for those wanting to learn about lifestyle approaches that promote health and longevity, not those seeking help in finding their ikigai.

I was recommended this book by a friend in a gardening group who always seems happy and relaxed. I listened to it on audio Books and then bought it as a present as it is so good !! the book is small and well designed.

It will be a nice addition to any library. I enjoyed it end to end. Full of good advice !.

Magnificent patterns. Inspiring. Beautiful. With a clear key to all the stitches used. (You can even use the key in other places like for learning/creating learning new stitches. ) Clear photographs, and the charted stitch layout is helpful for those who use such things.

Beautiful, beautiful patterns. Very inspirational. It is geared to handknitting. Very explanatory. I am a machine knitter so I am working to translate the stitches (hand knitting ) into what I would need to do on the machine.

The patterns are all charted. Highly recommend this book.

This book is a treasure. There’s everything in here except colorwork. Unlike what another reviewer mentioned, there’s an entire section on lace. Considering the various weights of yarn, and the variations in the combinations of stitches one can knit from this book, the possibilities are literally endless.

I have two copies of this book so that I have a backup if one gets frayed from overuse. There are no step-by-step instructions, only extremely clear charts and great explanations of how to read the charts.

The workbook and textbook editions, give the learner a good foundation to a language that many foreigners would find very complicated to start. It encourages the learning of the native hiragana, foreign katakana and Chinese influenced kanji, which fair committed practice, makes learning the writing more palatable.

The accompanying cds help greatly with pronunciation and listening. One con, is that the book doesn’t show the steps how to write the characters.

Product in good/new conditions. Comes with audio disc for the excersises. Not hardback cover, more like glossy paper. Came in a slim but sturdy package.

The Genki experience isnt complete without the Genki workbook. Put what you learn in the Genki textbook to practice with the workbook, This workbook is great, covering what you learned in the textbook and helping with correct spelling and correct use of grammar, easing you slowly into an othwise difficult to start language.

I would recommend using this workbook with the Genki answer key, so you know you have answered correctly and to help you understand where you may have made a mistake.

I bought this for my little sister who has taken an avid interest in japanese art styles, immitating online tutorials and the like. These books are far better because everything is explained in good detail but with simple language, and offers a great variety of content all in one easy to read book.

Would definitely recommend this book and am quite jealous of my little sister now!.

The Manga For The Beginner: Everything You Need To Know To Get Started Right Away! Book is amazing! It has easy to follow step by step instructions. It goes into detail which is great! I would recommend this to anyone who wants to start drawing manga but doesn’t know where to start.

This book is… just FIRE! It has plenty of pictures and takes you through everything you need to know & more. For a budding artist, definite yes, even if you know about manga and want to know more!