Beginner Japanese Book Club // Now Reading: 約束のネバーランド・The Promised Neverland // Next: ひとりぼっちの〇〇生活

Current (35) Next (36)
約束のネバーランド
Week 9 / 10
ひとりぼっちの〇〇生活
Poll Starts August 11th October 26th
Poll Ends August 18th November 2nd
Club Starts September 28th ~December 14th
Club Ends November 30th

Now Reading: 約束のネバーランド・The Promised Neverland

Natively

Purchase Links

Amazon JP | CD Japan | Rakuten Books (Kobo) | Bookwalker | Comic Pixiv


Next ひとりぼっちの〇〇生活・ Hitoribocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu

Natively: ひとりぼっちの○○生活 1 | L21

Purchase Links

Physical: Amazon , CD Japan
Digital: Kindle, Bookwalker

Welcome to our Book Club!

In this club we choose a Japanese book together and read it following a weekly schedule. We help each other with grammar, compile a vocabulary sheet together and discuss the story.

We hope that eventually you’ll be able to take the jump to the Intermediate Book Club or Intermediate Manga Club :rocket:

If you’re interested, just grab a copy of the upcoming book (we vote ~6 weeks before finishing the current pick) and join in! You are always welcome to ask new questions in the threads of any of our previous picks as well :slightly_smiling_face:



Which Book Club?

This club is for those beginning to read native books and manga, not beginners to Japanese. We suggest a solid understanding of N5 grammar and at least some of N4.

Our picks vary in difficulty, roughly from relatively easy manga for teens to children’s books. The best way to judge is to look at the sample pages for a particular pick. Remember that it will be easier with everyone’s help though!

The Absolute Beginners’ Club usually tackles material aimed at younger children.
The Intermediate Book Club usually tackles books and reads faster.
The Intermediate Manga Club reads more difficult manga and also reads faster if you want a manga-focused next step up.


Previous Picks

For a subjective comparison of these picks and pointers on where you might want to start, please see the Comparison Thread.

Manga unless stated otherwise. Also browsable on Natively

# Title Notes Level
01 よつばと!
Yotsuba&!
Offshoot
(Caught up)
16
02 魔女の宅急便
Kiki’s Delivery Service
/ novel
2020 Repeat 26
03 Aria; Masterpiece Edition Offshoot
(Complete)
23
04 のんのんびより
Non Non Biyori
22
05 夏目友人帳
Natsume’s Book of Friends
27
06 時をかける少女
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
/ novel
24
07 少女終末旅行
Girls’ Last Tour
Offshoot
(Complete)
22
08 銭天堂
The Mysterious Sweet Shop
/ novel
24
09 一週間フレンズ
One Week Friends
22
10 ふらいんぐうぃっち
Flying Witch
Offshoot
(Hiatus)
20
11 霧のむこうのふしぎな町
Mysterious Town Beyond the Mist
/ novel
25
12 ゆるキャン△
Laid-Back Camp
Offshoot 27
13 フルーツバスケット
Fruits Basket
Offshoot
(Hiatus)
26
14 シメジシミュレーション
Shimeji Simulation
Offshoot
(Complete)
29
15 ハイキュー!!
Haikyuu!!
Offshoot 25
16 不可解なぼくのすべてを
FukaBoku
Offshoot
(Complete)
22
17 日常
Nichijou
25
18 地縛少年花子くん
Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun
25
19 小川未明童話集
Ogawa Mimei: Collection of Children’s Stories
/ short stories
30
20 極主夫道
The Way of the Househusband
Offshoot
(Caught up)
25
21 デスノート
Death Note
Offshoot 30
22 夜カフェ
Night Cafe
/ light novel
Offshoot 23
23 シャドーハウス
Shadows House
Offshoot 24
24 神さまがまちガえる
God Bless the Mistaken
Offshoot
(Complete)
24
25 耳をすませば
Whisper of the Heart
20
26 月刊少女野崎くん
Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun
Offshoot 25
27 古見さんは、コミュ症です。
Komi Can’t Communicate
23
28 ロジカとラッカセイ
Rojica and Rakkasei
Offshoot
(Complete)
22
29 スーパーの裏でヤニ吸うふたり
Behind the Supermarket, Smoking With You
Offshoot 24
30 舞妓さんちのまかないさん
Kiyo in Kyoto
Offshoot 25
31 この美術部には問題がある
This Art Club has a Problem
22
32 気になってる人が男じゃなかった
The Guy I Noticed Wasn’t a Guy
Offshoot 23
33 葬送のフリーレン
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Offshoot 27
34 ウスズミの果て
Usuzumi no Hate
25
35 約束のネバーランド
The Promised Neverland
In Progress 26
36 ひとりぼっちの〇〇生活
Hitoribocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu
Next
(Dec 14th)
21

We always read just the first volume of a series (sometimes we read a ‘Master’ edition which incorporates the first two volumes of an original run). Sometimes, if a particular pick was enjoyed by many people who want to continue reading it together, that pick will continue to run as a parallel offshoot, reading the subsequent volumes.


Proposed Books

Feel free to nominate something you’d like to read using the template below! Suggestions must be appropriate though; please read the guidelines.

Guidelines for Proposing Books
  1. Nominate something you are ready to read
    We want to maintain lively discussion throughout the club, so don’t nominate something you yourself will struggle to participate in. You also can’t rely on there being more advanced learners available to help with all questions.

  2. Books must be under 200 pages
    This is the most we could tackle within a reasonable timeframe (ideally no more than 16 weeks), but if the book is dense even 200 pages may be too much.

  3. Do not nominate anything clearly NSFW
    We try to maintain a wide appeal, so don’t knowingly nominate anything associated with fanservice or gore.

  4. Do not nominate anything difficult to procure
    Picks must be readily available at online stores. If no eBook version is available please consider whether it’s still worth nominating and list this clearly as a “con”.

  5. Well-known works are more desirable
    Guidance only: the reader pool will be much larger for well-known works, and background knowledge of the premise will make it easier for people to understand the content and help each other out.

  6. Fantasy and Sci-Fi are less desirable
    Guidance only: fantasy and sci-fi works often use niche and esoteric vocabulary (on top of intimidating info-dumps). Series which focus on human interaction in a real-life setting tend to provide a lower barrier to entry and higher returns on time invested.

  7. Books that fail to score at least 15% on the last three round of voting will get automatically removed.
    This approach ensures that the list remains reasonably small and dynamic.
    You may nominate a removed book again, but please think about it before hand. Do you think there’s reasonable interest for that nomination?

Proposal Template

Copy this template into a new post when making a nomination.

For page samples, you can either take photos of your own copy (try to make the three additional pages ‘representative’ if possible), grab photos from the internet, or use eBook previews from e.g. Amazon, Kobo, BookWalker. Make sure the text is legible!

# Insert Title Here

Insert cover image here

Natively: [Level ??](Natively Url)
Full furigana: Yes or No

## Summary
Insert summary here, taken from wherever - Wikipedia, Amazon, etc. Improve the description if you would like / feel it necessary.

## Availability
Insert purchase links for physical: preferably Amazon JP and CD Japan.
Insert purchase links for digital: preferably Kindle, Kobo and BookWalker. Mention if an eBook is not available at all and list this in the cons.

## Personal Opinion
Insert why you think this book would be good to read, personally and for the book club.

### Pros and Cons

**Pros**
* Insert pros here.

**Cons**
* Insert cons here.

## Pictures

[details=“First Three Pages of Chapter One”]

Insert images here (can be photos from you or from eBook previews).

[/details]

[details=“Additional Pages”]

Insert a few more representative images here.

[/details]

List of Removed Nominations
Book Reason
おおかみこどもの雨と雪 Too long (270 pages)
Moved to the intermediate book club
キノの旅 Too hard / long (213 pages)
Moved to the intermediate book club
トラちゃん Too hard
ご注文はうさぎですか Too hard
Misc discussion available
放浪息子 Misc discussion available
日本昔ばなしアニメ絵本 18冊全巻セット Moved to the absolute beginners’ club
あたしンち Moved to the absolute beginners’ club
しろくまカフェ Read by the absolute beginners’ club
チーズスイートホーム Read by the absolute beginners’ club
ナルト Polling results
ドラゴンボール Polling results
聲の形 First volume too depressing on its own!
進撃の巨人 Polling results
ポレポレ日記いざ流星学園へ! Polling results
ご近所物語 Polling results
スキップ・ビート! Polling results
こぐまのクーク物語 Moved to the absolute beginners’ club
北欧女子オーサが見つけた日本の不思議 Polling results
名探偵コナン Nomination out of date
マギ Polling results
僕のヒーローアカデミア Polling results
ラーメン大好き小泉さん Polling results
名探偵コナン Polling results
ささやくように恋を唄う Polling results
熱帯魚は雪に焦がれる Polling results
Scary Lessons Polling results
Mashle: Magic and Muscles Polling results
ひらめきはつめちゃん Polling results
Ranking of Kings Polling results
妖怪ギガ Polling results
ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 Polling results
アオのハコ (Blue Box) Offshoot book club
5分後に笑えるどんでん返し Polling results
スラムダンク (Slam Dunk) Polling results (22)
にじいろフォトグラフ (Rainbow-Coloured Photograph) Polling results (22)
さよなら絵梨 (Goodbye Eri) Polling results (22)
Buying Mittens / Gon, the Little Fox Polling results (23)
Dreamin’ Sun Polling results (23)
ヒナのままじゃだめですか? Polling results (23)
ココロのプログラム Polling results (23)
Full Moon Polling results (24)

Current Proposals

See the linked nomination posts for more information, including sample pages. Also browsable on Natively. The difficulty scores come from Natively, where they are ranked by other language learners.

Last updated: 2024-10-12

Web Novel - きみと雨上がりを (After the Rain With You)

Nomination Post
Not on Natively
“The world was beautiful, but it’s become far more beautiful ever since I met you.”

Nemona, the student council president of Naranja Academy in the Paldea region, shows Anna, a girl who has just moved in as her neighbor, the way to school. During a Pokémon battle soon after they meet, Nemona sees something glimmer deep in Anna’s eyes.

The skilled novelist, Ayano Takeda, depicts the story of the two’s “Treasure Hunt” from a unique perspective.

Published for free online

Difficulty: Unrated

Manga - 夜の名前を呼んで

Nomination post
Natively

Mira, the main character, is a girl with a disease that causes darkness to seep from her body when she gets anxious. In order to cure her disease, she lives secluded deep in the forest with Rei, a kind-hearted doctor. By making jam from the stars that fall from the sky, trying to get up early to gain confidence, and cherishing each small daily detail, Mira gradually regains her former self.

However, one day, Rei’s friend, who is interested in Mira’s darkness disease, appears before the two of them, making Mira anxious…!

A healing story of an anxious patient and a kind-hearted doctor who face the wall of a disease that cannot be cured immediately.

Bookwalker
Rakuten
Amazon JP
CDJapan

Difficulty: level 22

Manga - 午后のあくび (afternoon yawning)

Nomination post
Natively

This is… kinda hard to describe.This is a collection of short (4 pages) stories about weird and magic stuff happening in the protagonist daily life.

We’ll meet a talking cat showing shortcuts throughout the city, an anti-sleep hat that may not work as expected, a shop that only accept acorns as currency, kanjis escaping from a book with 逃 trying to run away while 隠 and 秘 try to stay hidden…

The whole thing has a very relaxed, cosy and dreamy vibe. The drawing itself is super cute.

Bookwalker
Amazon JP
CDJapan
Ebook Japan
Website

Difficulty: level 22

Manga - 骨ドラゴンのマナ娘 (The Skull Dragon's Precious Daughter)

Nomination Post
Natively

An abandoned girl finds her way to a dragon’s lair, and becomes raised as his daughter. Later, the girl finds she has magical aptitude and finds her way back to human civilization, under the watchful gaze of her bone dragon guardian.

Difficulty: L26

Manga - 尾守つみきと奇日常 (Tsumiki Ogami & the Strange Everyday Life)

Nomination Post
Natively

The modern world is one of diversity, where “genjins” live together with humans. At Keiki High School, where many genjins attend, a human boy, Yutaka Shinsou, enrolls there. Yutaka, who often goes along with other people’s wishes instead of expressing his own feelings, meets a werewolf girl, Tsumiki Ogami. With Tsumiki, he has a feeling that he’ll finally be able to be himself… A new-normal story about two people’s coming-of-age!

Difficulty: L23

Manga - 現実もたまには嘘をつく (Real mo Tama ni wa Uso wo Tsuku)

Nomination Post
Natively

Kaoru Terasaki is a gamer who’s into MMORPGs, and he’s finally meeting up with someone he’s been friends with in-game for a long while—this time, offline and in person. He’s worried that his friend will be disappointed to see Kaoru is a guy, unlike his female character in the game. But he’s the one who’s in for a surprise when, instead of another guy, his friend turns out to be a cute girl, Nanami Ousaka. On top of that, Nanami told her parents that she would be bringing a friend over—a female friend. Even worse, Nanami’s dad is the super overprotective type who won’t allow any guys near his daughter. There’s only one solution to this dilemma: Kaoru has to cross-dress as a girl!

Physical: Amazon JP | CD Japan
Digital: Kindle | Bookwalker

Difficulty: L22

Manga - 月曜日の友達 (Friends on Mondays)

Nomination Post
Natively

How far can we fly before we have to come down? Little by little, everyone in their first year of junior high school has begun their transition into adulthood. However, Akane Mizutani finds it difficult acting mature. On an off chance, she meets Tooru Tsukino, a boy in her class with mysterious rumors surrounding him—rumors that make even Mizutani think of him as strange.

With their encounter, Mizutani finds out the truth of Tsukino and the similarly odd girl Hiki. With Mizutani and Tsukino forming a promise at the schoolyard regarding each Monday night, the story depicts the relationship and encounters with each other, the alienating idea of growing up, and the truth of one’s character.

Physical: Amazon JP | Kinokuniya JP | CD Japan
Digital: Bookwalker | eBook Japan | Honto | Amazon JP (Kindle)

Difficulty: L24-27

Manga - ルックバック (Look Back)

Nomination Post
Natively

The overly confident Fujino and the shut-in Kyomoto couldn’t be more different, but a love of drawing manga brings these two small-town girls together. A poignant story of growing up and moving forward that only Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of Chainsaw Man, could have crafted.

Physical: Amazon JP | CD Japan
Digital: Free online at Shonen Jump+ | Kindle | Rakuten | Bookwalker

Difficulty: L21

Short Story - かえるくん、東京を救う (Super Frog saves Tokyo)

Nomination Post
Natively (Note: part of a larger compilation - only this story is nominated)

One day, Katagiri, an ordinary bank employee, comes back home and find a giant frog making tea in his kitchen. According to them, they have a big mission to fulfill : save Tokyo from a huge earthquake.

Difficulty: L18??

Manga - ヤマノススメ (Encouragement of Climb)

ヤマノススメ (Encouragement of Climb)

Nomination Post
Natively

Aoi Yukimura is a quiet girl who prefers staying indoors and is afraid of heights. When she reunites with her childhood friend Hinata Kuraue, who is outgoing and loves mountaineering, they decide to climb a mountain together, in order to see a sunrise they saw together when they were younger. Along the way, they meet several other girls who are also interested in the outdoors, and begin a series of adventures on various mountains across Japan.

Amazon | Bookwalker

Difficulty: L24

Book - 雪女

雪女

Nomination Post
Natively

Digital & free: Kindle JP | Aozora | Vertical reader
Digital & paid: Bookwalker | Kindle JP with furigana (with multiple short stories) | Kindle US (with multiple short stories)

Physical (bundled with multiple short stories): Amazon JP | AmazonUS

Audio: YouTube

Difficulty: L24

Manga - 先輩がうざい後輩の話 (My Senpai is Annoying) (< 8wks)

先輩がうざい後輩の話 (My Senpai is Annoying)

Nomination Post
Natively

Takeda, the somewhat crude, but caring senior, and Igarashi, the junior, that can’t be honest with him. Even today, Igarashi thinks that Takeda is annoying, but in reality, she doesn’t find him all that bad, and even though there are times, when he is annoying her, she unknowingly struggles with the distance between them. Both the story of Takeda and Igarashi, and the newly drawn story of the slightly more mature(?) Kazama and Sakurai are included!

Physical: Amazon | CD Japan
Digital: Kindle | Bookwalker

Difficulty: L20

Manga - スキップとローファー (Skip and Loafer)

スキップとローファー (Skip and Loafer)

Nomination Post
Natively

Excellent student Iwakura Mitsumi has always dreamt about leaving her small town, going to a prestigious university, and making positive change in the world. But she’s so focused on reaching her goals that she’s not prepared for the very different (and overwhelming) city life that awaits her in a Tokyo high school. Luckily, she makes fast friends with Shima Sousuke, a handsome classmate who’s as laid-back as she is over-prepared. Can this naive country girl make it big in Tokyo with Sousuke by her side?

Physical: Amazon
Digital: Kindle | Bookwalker

Difficulty: L22

Manga - ひとりぼっちの〇〇生活 (< 8wks)

ひとりぼっちの〇〇生活

Nomination Post
Natively

Hitori Bocchi, a girl with social anxiety who has difficulty communicating with others. Before starting middle school, her friend Yawara Kai, who will be attending a different school, tells Bocchi she is breaking off their friendship until she can make friends with her entire class at her new school. Thus, Bocchi is left with the task of befriending everyone in her class before graduation.

Physical: Amazon, CD Japan
Digital: Kindle, Bookwalker

Difficulty: L21

Manga - スローループ (Slow Loop) (< 8wks)

スローループ (Slow Loop)

Nomination Post
Natively

Since childhood, Hiyori Yamakawa has witnessed her father’s various eccentricities, but one activity she has always loved doing with him is fly fishing—a complicated yet rewarding method of catching fish. Even after his sudden death, Hiyori still visits the seaside in her spare time, savoring the joy that her father’s memento brings her.

Three years later, Hiyori’s mother decides to remarry and arranges a dinner with her fiancé, his daughter, and Hiyori to celebrate. Anxious and wanting to pass the time, Hiyori goes to her usual fishing spot when a rather energetic girl named Koharu Minagi suddenly appears before her. The two soon become acquainted, with Koharu taking an interest in fly fishing herself. However, their meeting is more than just a coincidence: Koharu turns out to be Hiyori’s future stepsibling, which is only the beginning of treasured memories the both of them will reel in as they foster their sisterhood.

Physical: Amazon | CD Japan
E-Book: Amazon | Bookwalker

Difficulty: L28

Manga - マグメル深海水族館 (Deep Sea Aquarium MagMell) (< 8wks)

マグメル深海水族館 (Deep Sea Aquarium MagMell)

Nomination Post
comic.pixiv
Natively

A tale about a modern deep-sea aquarium employee in Tokyo!What’s living in the overwhelming darkness deep within the sea? Take a glimpse into this strange world about a boy working at a deep sea aquarium.

Physical: CDJapan | AmazonJP
Digital: Kobo | Bookwalker | Kindle

Difficulty: L24



Where to Purchase Books

This section explains where to buy Japanese books in general; see the nominations above for links to purchase specific books.

Purchasing Japanese Books

Physical books:

Note that you need a separate account for each ‘instance’ of Amazon, so you won’t be able to use Amazon JP with e.g. your French Amazon account. Amazon adds an estimated customs charge to your bill which will be refunded if you don’t have to pay customs (or pay less).

CDJapan has economy shipping options which take longer to arrive but cost less.

If you can’t find an online store that will ship to you, you can use a forwarding service like Tenso or White Rabbit Express. If you live in the right place, you may also be able to find the book at a local Japanese book store such as Kinokuniya; just Google your area.

eBooks:

Sirvorn has a wonderful guide to purchasing eBooks from Amazon JP.



Historic Polls


Book Selection Polls

Winner links go to the original nominations.

Other Polls
203 Likes

A list of quick suggestions of books/manga for the first pool:

Please, if you have any suggestions, do say so. I made this list based on what I’ve seen considered as “easiest to read” around the Internet/Japanese learning community. I think it’s better to hear some suggestions from everyone before creating the pool that will decide the first book. I’ve heard that sports related stuff are also beginner friendly (Baby steps & Haikyuu!). Doraemon seems also to be a good option…

Also, feel free to let me know if there’s something that you don’t agree with :slight_smile:

13 Likes

Since I just ordered “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time,” but am also already committed to 秋の牢獄 for the next round of the other club, I guess I’ll just pop in and say hi now, and hope that “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” doesn’t get picked right away. I may be nuts, but I’m pretty sure I can’t handle two book clubs at once.

I’m excited to see this starting, and I hope those who don’t feel ready for the original club will find a place here!

3 Likes

I have recently orderer yotsuba& and found it pretty entertaining and easily readable. I would be totally in for that one :slight_smile:

4 Likes

Since I just bough the whole series for 絶叫学級 I’m hoping it might be picked :wink:
It seems like a very good beginner book, with easy language and furigana (which is good only while on lower levels, which many of us still are)

I have been considering Yotsuba too though, as I’ve seen it on so many lists for beginners =)

Edit:
Bought Yotsuba. Whether or not we pick it doesn’t mater, I have been thinking of buying it for so long anyway =) Found complete set at bargain price on eBay, free shipping!
時をかける少女 too, hey, if it is good for beginners, just as well grab it =) Got it of eBay for a fair price.
しろくまカフェ as well, I’ve seen it on more than one list of recommended mangas, founda set for a decent and low price on eBay.

4/5 (current suggestions) bought =) None in possession, though one bought before list :wink:
Himouto! I’m skipping on for now, and won’t have my vote as first book. Might be doable later when higher level due to not using furigana much.

4 Likes

I’ve seen the other book club, and always thought it looked like fun. I’m still super beginner, but if we were reading something easy I would love to do my best. I think I have a lot to learn before I can read without looking up words and grammar all the time, but even if I have to look up every other word, I still think want to give it a try! I think it would be good for my learning and very motivating for me to have something to read in Japanese laying around.

I’ll add myself to the members list for now.

I’m interested in Yotsuba because I’ve heard it’s one of the easier books, but I’ll try to read anything.

By the way, where do you think is the best place to order books for me living in Sweden? Is it possible to order stuff from amazon.co.jp and have them shipped overseas?

1 Like

I’m able to buy from there, and I’m from Norway. I can’t seem to get free shipping anymore (always over 100Nok in shipping =/ )
I got Yotsuba of eBay instead, full series for 500Nok, free shipping.

I would like to recommend Chi’s Sweet home. It too, like Yotsuba, has easy language and a child as main character (the child is a cat, but still a child :wink: There’s an actual child too =P ) It has an easy yet fun plot that makes you feel for the characters, and the story is quite interesting. I have seen it on lists for beginners, and of my reading material it is one of the less strained readings I have without meaning to be (as in, it has natural language, yet is easy to follow) The language is about things happening around the house and family.

I would not, however, recommend Doraemon. I bought it cause it was made to be bilingual, and though made for Japanese people it could work the other way… No, not really. The Japanese text is very small and little to no furigana as it was meant for adults. I’m not able to read the Japanese part of those. The small Japanese text is set outside the frames while the English is in the text bubbles. I haven’t even gotten around to reading the English part of it yet. Much better to buy both versions of some other manga and read side by side.

Personally I love trying to read Naruto in Japanese. It feels t me just the same as Chi, cause I already know the lingo :wink:
For those not used to the series it would be much harder. They keep a lot of the Japanese parts in the scanlations of the mangas and in the subtitles of the anime, as well as being repeated so much that you end up knowing a lot of the phrases and specific ninja words they use in Japanese.

2 Likes

A good resource we could use to find something good might be wakarukana.com - wakarukana Resources and Information., as it provides you with sample sentences of the work that you check so it tells you how hard it might end up being.

I wouldn’t be upset if we went with Yotsuba. I love manga and I hear Yotsuba is incredibly cute. Since I already love manga (I read a lot of manga but I’ve only read english translations so far), I think it’d be cool if my first book I read in Japanese (from cover to cover, anyway) is a manga. Plus, since everyone says Yotsuba is so simple, I would probably be able to have time to participate while still studying Genki like I want to. So if we go with Yotsuba as the first book, I’ll start participating now instead of waiting until next year. :slight_smile:

Though, I do also want to read “actual” books so I would want to go with something other than manga for our second book.

Whatever we decide to go with, I hope someone will post some links of good places to purchase from?

I checked out Himouto!, found photos of the actual pages. Since it doesn’t use much furigana it will be good for high levels but bad for lower levels. Didn’t buy it for now.

I do hope we try actual books as well, though I wouldn’t mind going with a manga as the first one and book as second =)

4 Likes

よつばと! is a very entertaining book. The grammar and the vocabulary are fine but it should be said that there’re some informal particles or sentence structures which should be discussed. Also, keep in mind that Yotsuba pronounces the words long so don’t be confused when you see strokes in words =)

Oh yeah, I know a website which ships for free (over 39 bucks). But keep in mind that the prizes for individual books are more expensive. YESASIA: Japanese Comics - New Japanese Comics & Manga Releases from Japan (Japan Version Comics) - Free Shipping

1 Like

Sure! This isn’t supposed to be a manga club. The problem is that what we associate as children books in the West, 日本人 associate with manga. That’s also why it’s important that everyone shares any extra book suggestions they might have :slight_smile:

From what I researched on google/forums, amazon.jp seems to be the place to go to order books in Japanese. That’s why I linked only from Amazon in the suggestions that I gave. Not sure if there’s better places out there though.

Kiki’s Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便)might be nice!

1 Like

I sometimes grab the same book through amazon.co.uk for a better price on shipping (doesn’t always work, but sometimes)
And eBay is always a good place to check. Not as easily linked as most will be one of, sold and gone. But do have a search there when looking =)

I’d be up for either よつばと or The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Although I’m hesitantly skeptical about how easy TGWLTT will be to read for beginners, based on my hazy memory of the movie.

I voted for that one in the previous vote on the original Book club! =D
Just cause I know the story, which is a good bonus (Ghibli Movie)
I should grab it too, to check it out =)

Edit: bought the set just as well. Found it at decent price on Amazon jp

Only a small amount of items can be shipped internationally. But it is possible to get it shipped for an extra fee by choosing a seller for used books and mailing them for a international shipping request.

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Really? Every book I’ve tried and bought (four so far) was easy to get through JP Amazon.

Omg, I’m sorry, I’m so dumb. I didn’t realize you already had provided those links in the other post… I read the titles but for some reason it didn’t click in my head that they were links to purchase them. xD

So, thank you, you already did what I was asking. xD My bad!

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From what I remember reading the book (in Swedish) the movie and the book(s) are quite different. Ghibli (Miyazaki) usually deviates quite a bit from the source material when they do an interpretation. Nothing bad with that, just putting it out there.

I like both versions though, might have give the book a read in Japanese!

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