Japanese · English · Audio

Japanese stories with audio

Listen to a Japanese story while you read it, with the English beside every paragraph. 68 free stories, A1 to Pre-A1, with a speed control and no account needed.

68 free Japanese stories to read and listen to

Open a story and press Listen. The voice reads paragraph by paragraph and the page follows it, with the English next to each Japanese paragraph. Each level starts with its shortest stories.

The shortest 20 at each level are shown here; the Japanese–English library has them all.

How to read and listen in Japanese

Beginners: follow the text with your eyes while the audio plays, at a slower speed if you need it, and do the same story again the next day.
Intermediate: listen once without reading, then again with the text, and see what you missed.
Any level: tap the words that keep coming back. With a free account they’re saved for review, and you can export them to Anki.

More on why this works in reading while listening and turning your words into flashcards.

Questions

Are these Japanese stories with audio free?

Yes. Every story on this page is free to read and to listen to in the browser, and neither needs an account.

Can I slow the audio down?

Yes. The player has a speed control, skips by paragraph, and follows the text as it reads, so you always know where you are.

Can I see the English while I listen?

Yes. The English sits beside each Japanese paragraph, and you can hide it until you want it. Tap any word for its meaning in that sentence.

What level are these Japanese stories?

They run from A1 to Pre-A1 on the Common European Framework, shortest first. Start where you understand most of a page.