🇯🇵 Japanese · checked 21 October 2026
Best apps to learn Japanese by reading (2026)
5 apps whose own sites list Japanese, and what each is good for.
At a glance
| App | Type | Japanese | Audio | Free option | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ReadNative (ours) | Graded books | Yes — 3 books | No narration for Japanese | Free first book | Beginners who want whole stories from A1 |
| LingQ | Library + import | Yes | Yes | Yes | importing and reading lots of varied content, with audio |
| Satori Reader | Curated library | Yes | Yes | Yes | intermediate Japanese reading with furigana control and grammar notes |
| Beelinguapp | Curated library | Yes | Yes | Yes | side-by-side translation and audiobooks |
| Readlang | Read anything (web, uploads) | Not listed by name — check | Voices for words and phrases | Yes | reading real web pages with click-to-translate and flashcards |
| Clozemaster | Sentence drills | Yes (depends on your base language) | — | Yes | fill-in-the-blank vocabulary drills (not a reading app) |
The apps
ReadNative (ours)
Graded retellings of real stories that start at absolute beginner and get harder chapter by chapter. Tap a word for an English gloss with romanization, tap a sentence for its translation; words you meet are counted automatically. Japanese books:
- Momotaro, the Peach Boy (桃太郎) — A1–B1, 32 chapters, free
- Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫) — A1–A2, 16 chapters, Pro
- Botchan (坊っちゃん) — A2–B1, 18 chapters, Pro
Try it: the first lines of Momotaro, the Peach Boy
ここは日本です。
This is Japan.
高い山があります。
There are tall mountains.
山に川があります。
In the mountains there is a river.
川の水はきれいです。
The river's water is clear.
川は海へ行きます。
The river goes to the sea.
川のそばに村があります。
Beside the river there is a village.
| Japanese | Romanization | Gloss in the reader |
|---|---|---|
| ここ | koko | here |
| は | wa | (topic) |
| 日本 | Nihon | Japan |
| です | desu | is |
| 高い | takai | tall |
| 山 | yama | mountains |
| が | ga | (subject) |
| あります | arimasu | there are |
| に | ni | in |
| 川 | kawa | a river |
| の | no | 's |
| 水 | mizu | water |
| きれい | kirei | clear |
| 海 | umi | the sea |
Read the whole of chapter 1 free →
Strong at: whole stories written for beginners. Weaker at: variety beyond its 3 Japanese books; no narration in Japanese. Price model: first book free; Pro unlocks the rest and EPUB imports.
Your Japanese reading path in ReadNative
Momotaro, the Peach Boy 桃太郎: ch. 1–11 ≈A1 (from 第一章 川と山 — Chapter 1: The River and the Mountains); ch. 12–22 ≈A2 (from 第十二章 桃太郎のこころ — Chapter 12: Momotarō's Heart); ch. 23–32 ≈B1 (from 第二十三章 門があく — Chapter 23: The Gate Opens).
Princess Kaguya かぐや姫: ch. 1–8 ≈A1 (from 第一章 竹の中の光 — Chapter 1: The Light in the Bamboo); ch. 9–16 ≈A2 (from 第九章 職人たちの手紙 — Chapter 9: The Craftsmen's Letter).
Botchan 坊っちゃん: ch. 1–9 ≈A2 (from 第一章 無鉄砲 — Chapter 1: Reckless); ch. 10–18 ≈B1 (from 第十章 一銭五厘 — Chapter 10: One Sen Five Rin).
Other apps that list Japanese
LingQ — importing and reading lots of varied content, with audio. Japanese is listed (lingq.com/en/learn-japanese-online). ReadNative vs LingQ →
Satori Reader — intermediate Japanese reading with furigana control and grammar notes. Japanese only.
Beelinguapp — side-by-side translation and audiobooks. Japanese is listed (beelinguapp.com). ReadNative vs Beelinguapp →
Readlang — reading real web pages with click-to-translate and flashcards. Says it covers 100+ languages; check yours. ReadNative vs Readlang →
Not a reading app, but useful alongside
Clozemaster — fill-in-the-blank vocabulary drills (not a reading app). Japanese is listed (clozemaster.com). ReadNative vs Clozemaster →
What matters in a Japanese reading app
Japanese mixes three scripts — hiragana, katakana and kanji — and kanji readings vary with context. Reading tools for Japanese are most useful when they show readings on demand (furigana or romaji) and glosses for whole words, since text has no spaces.
Questions
What is the best app to learn Japanese by reading?
It depends on your level and what you want to read. For a complete beginner who wants a story written for their level, ReadNative’s Momotaro, the Peach Boy starts at A1 and is free. To import and read your own Japanese content with audio, LingQ supports Japanese. Past the beginner stage, Satori Reader specialises in Japanese. If audio on everything matters most, look at LingQ, Satori Reader, Beelinguapp.
Is there a free app to read Japanese?
Yes: Momotaro, the Peach Boy is free in ReadNative and readable here in your browser (34 chapters online); LingQ, Satori Reader, Beelinguapp, Clozemaster also start free.
Can I start reading Japanese before learning kanji?
Yes. Learn hiragana and katakana first (a few weeks), then read graded text where kanji readings are available on tap. Kanji stick better when you meet them in stories than from lists alone.
Sources
Every statement about another app on this page comes from that app’s own website, checked on 21 October 2026. Features and plans change; check their sites for the latest.
- LingQ: lingq.com/en · lingq.com/en/learn-georgian-online
- Satori Reader: satorireader.com · satorireader.com/pricing
- Beelinguapp: beelinguapp.com
- Readlang: readlang.com · readlang.com/features
- Clozemaster: clozemaster.com
ReadNative facts: about ReadNative and the book catalog. We make ReadNative.
More Japanese: learn Japanese by reading · Japanese graded readers · Japanese short stories · how long it takes to learn Japanese