Japan Books for Kids

Our homeschool study of countries and cultures has us reading lots of books from the library. This time it was books about Japan for kids. We loved reading these Japan books for kids to learn about Japanese culture from the nonfiction books and hear some great stories from the fiction books. Our trip to the library for books really rounds out our country studies. Each day we have a set time where the kids read (or the youngest looks at) books. Then, I pick some of the stories to read aloud--even my 9 year old still likes for me to read aloud with him. These times of curling up on the couch together with a stack of books are some of my favorite times with my kids. By reading about each of the countries we are studying, my oldest is able to do a mini report sharing interesting facts about each country. He gains most of his knowledge during our book basket time. My youngest (5 years old) loves to sit with us while we read and is learning right along with us.

Even if you don't homeschool your kids, this list is great for extending the learning at home for your child when they are studying these countries in school or just for some after school fun. You never know...they might just learn something! It's also a great list for teachers as they plan Japan unit studies.

Japan Books for Kids

Click on the picture of the books to learn more about each book. *These are affiliate links.*

Some of our favorites not to miss include Tea with Milk, Tree of Cranes, and Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say. They are all connected and tell a bigger story when read together in that order.

Count Your Way Through Japan Japan Japan It's Cool to Learn About Countries: Japan Spotlight on Japan Look What Came from Japan All About Japan: Stories, Songs, Crafts and More Amazing Pictures and Facts About Japan: The Most Amazing Fact Book for Kids About Japan Meet Our New Student from Japan My Japan The Way We Do It in Japan The Boy from the Dragon Palace Three Samurai Cats: A Story from Japan In the Eyes of the Cat: Japanese Poetry for All Seasons Sadako Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks Crow Boy Grandfather's Journey Tree of Cranes The Wise Old Woman The Paper Dragonfly Tea with Milk Yoko's Paper Cranes Manjiro: The Boy Who Risked His Life for Two Countries Shipwrecked!: The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy Circus Day in Japan Sky Sweeper Wink: the Ninja Who Wanted to Nap Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to Be Noticed Wabi Sabi Kamishibai Man The Wakame Gatherers Yoko's Show-and-Tell Girl from the Snow Country Erika-San The Long Silk Strand Grass Sandals: The Travels of Basho Kites: Magic Wishes That Fly Up to the Sky The Bicycle Man Drums of Noto Hanto The Warrior and the Wise Man I Live in Tokyo Suki's Kimono Tsunami! The Beckoning Cat: Based on a Japanese Folktale Under the Cherry Blossom Tree: An Old Japanese Tale Yuki and the One Thousand Carriers Hokusai: The Man Who Painted a Mountain Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog My Awesome Japan Adventure: A Diary about the Best 4 Months Ever! A Treasury of Japanese Folktales Japanese Children's Favorite Stories The Tiny Traveler: Japan My First Book of Japanese Words: An ABC Rhyming Book Once Upon a Time in Japan