Useful Japanese Learning & Culture Links

Here are some useful links for Japanese learners and people interested in Japanese culture.

You’ll find links to Japanese events in Scotland, cultural organisations, reading resources, study tools, and textbooks authored by Hitomi Kobayashi-Prior.

You do not need to use everything here. Please choose what feels useful for your own learning, interest, or next small step.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Japanese Events in Scotland

These links may be helpful if you are interested in Japanese culture, film, community events, or Japan-related activities in Scotland.

1. Japan Sakura in Scotland — A community-led Japanese cultural event held at Lauriston Castle in Edinburgh, usually in spring and autumn. Family-friendly, with seasonal sakura themes, cultural activities, displays, and community stalls.
2. JET AA Scotland — Organises Japan–Scotland community and cultural events, including a family-friendly summer festival usually held around July. WJJL is pleased to take part with a stall.
3. The Japan Society of Scotland — A Scottish charity offering Japan-related talks, cultural events, special viewings, and member activities. It may be especially useful for learners who would like to explore Japanese literature, history, art, and culture in a Scottish context.
4. Japanese Matsuri for Glasgow — A community Japanese festival in Glasgow, usually held in June as part of the Glasgow West End Festival. Family-friendly activities often include origami, Japanese name-writing, colouring, and taiko drumming performances.
5. The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme — An annual UK-wide programme of Japanese cinema, usually held in February and March. It offers a chance to explore Japanese stories, culture, and society through film, with screenings at selected venues across the UK including Edinburgh.
6. Glasgow Anime & Gaming Con — A Glasgow-based pop culture event for people interested in anime, gaming, cosplay, manga, merchandise, stage events, panels, and Japanese pop culture.

🇯🇵 Japanese Organisations, Culture and Study Links

1. Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh — Official information from the Consulate-General of Japan in Edinburgh, including consular services, visas, cultural information, and basic facts about Japan.
2. The Japan Society of Scotland — A Scottish charity promoting friendship, goodwill, and cultural, social, and business connections between Scotland and Japan.
3. The Japan Society — A UK-based organisation offering Japan-related events, education activities, cultural talks, resources, and opportunities to learn more about Japan.
4. The Japanese Garden at Cowden — A restored historic Japanese garden in Clackmannanshire, with woodland walks and a peaceful setting for exploring Japanese garden design in Scotland.
5. Study in Japan Official Website — A government-approved information site for people considering study in Japan, including universities, scholarships, exams, student life, and practical guidance.
6. Job Hunting Guide for International Students — A JASSO guide for international students who are thinking about job hunting in Japan after or during their studies.
7. UK JET Programme — The official UK site for the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme, a long-running Japanese Government programme for international exchange and English teaching in Japan.
8. Japan Alumni Global Network — A JASSO network for people who have studied in Japan, with information, newsletters, career support, and alumni stories.

📚 Japanese Reading, Culture and Learner Resources

Japanese Reading Practice

1. Joyful Japanese Tadoku Reading — Free weekly Japanese reading worksheets by Hitomi, with level-labelled stories, audio, kana/kanji versions, and gentle reading support.
2. YomuJP — A Japanese reading platform with levelled stories for learners. Hitomi has recently joined as a contributing author, with her stories to be added in future. Some content is free, with additional member options available.
3. Free Tadoku Books — Free Japanese graded readers from NPO Tadoku Supporters. Useful for learners who want to practise extensive reading with short, levelled stories.
4. MCJP Beaucoup Yomu — Free Japanese graded readers from Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris. The collection includes levelled books, illustrations, downloadable PDFs, and some audio or YouTube versions.
5. Tadoku Stories — Free Japanese reading stories from Tadoku no Hiroba, with a range of short texts for extensive reading practice.
6. Hiragana Mini Books — Short illustrated mini books from the Japan Foundation, Sydney, designed to help learners build hiragana reading confidence through simple stories. They include digital flip books and printable PDFs.
7. Katakana Mini Books — Short illustrated mini books from the Japan Foundation, Sydney, designed to support katakana reading through familiar situations, loanwords, expressions, and onomatopoeia.
8. NHK News Web Easy — Simple Japanese news articles from NHK, written in easier Japanese with furigana. Useful for learners who would like to practise reading real-world topics gently.
9. Hirogaru Nihongo — A Japan Foundation website for learning about Japan and Japanese through personal interests. It includes short reading and listening materials across different topics, mainly for A1–A2 learners.

Culture and Travel Reading

1. Web Japan — A useful site for learning about Japanese culture, society, daily life, and basic facts about Japan. Its Kids Web Japan section is especially accessible for younger learners and families.
2. Matcha - Japan Travel Web Magazine — A Japan travel and culture web magazine with articles about places to visit, food, shopping, local culture, and travel ideas across Japan.

📱 Apps and Study Tools

1. Nihongo e-na — A Japan Foundation portal that introduces websites, apps, online tools, and ideas for Japanese learners. Useful when you would like to find resources by skill area, such as reading, writing, listening, grammar, vocabulary, kana, or kanji.
2. Apps by Japan Foundation — A collection of Japanese learning apps and online resources from the Japan Foundation, including tools for self-study, courses, and language practice.
3. Kanji Map — A kanji learning site showing kanji visually through patterns and connections. It may be helpful for learners who want to understand kanji structure and readings in a more visual way.
4. Basic Kanji Plus — A University of Tsukuba kanji learning app for beginner to upper-intermediate learners. It includes 1,167 kanji and around 8,000 words, with readings, audio, animated stroke order, and progress tracking.
5. Hiragana Megane — A tool that adds furigana to Japanese websites. Useful when learners want reading support for kanji-heavy pages, although the readings should still be checked carefully when accuracy matters.
6. Quizlet — A flashcard and study tool that can be used to review vocabulary, kanji, phrases, or class notes. You can create your own sets or use existing study sets.
7. Japanese in Anime & Manga — A Japan Foundation site where learners can explore Japanese expressions used in anime and manga, including character expressions, scene-based phrases, and word quizzes.

👩🏻‍🏫 Textbooks authored by Hitomi Kobayashi-Prior

Amazon affiliate links

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not affect the price you pay.

1. New Nihongo Kaiwa Training (2nd Edition) — A Japanese conversation textbook authored by Hitomi Kobayashi-Prior.
2. Nihongo Kaiwa Training (1st Edition) — The first edition of Hitomi’s Japanese conversation textbook.
3. JLPT Speed Master: Quick Mastery of N2 Reading Comprehension — A JLPT N2 reading comprehension book co-authored by Hitomi.

If you’re not sure which resource suits your level, you’re very welcome to ask during a lesson or a study review session.