About Context Japanese - Read Japanese through real-world news
Watch this short introduction to see how graded articles, level switching, and vocabulary support can help you read Japanese through real-world news,
- ✓ Read real Japanese news
- ✓ Switch between 5 difficulty levels
- ✓ Look up words instantly
What this site is
Context Japanese is a language learning tool that uses AI to generate readable articles inspired by current topics.
Every article on Context Japanese begins with a real news story from a Japanese news source. AI is then used to adapt the language to a target JLPT level while preserving the key facts and adding learning features such as vocabulary support.
The articles are designed to help learners practice reading in a structured way, with content available at different difficulty levels rather than a single one-size-fits-all version.
The result is reading practice based on current events, designed specifically for Japanese learners. The focus is on comprehension, vocabulary exposure, and consistency — not breaking news.
How it works
Each article is generated in multiple difficulty levels.
- Read the same topic at a level that suits you
- Gradually move up in difficulty as your confidence grows
- Focus on meaning rather than decoding every word
Content is refreshed regularly so there is always something new to read.
How to use it
There’s no single right way to use the site, but extensive reading theory encourage learners to:
- Choose a level that feels comfortable
- Read for meaning before focusing on individual words
- Understand words you are not familiar with through context
- Read for enjoyment and read as much and as often as possible
Short, regular reading sessions are usually more effective than long, infrequent ones.
Membership tier
The site has a free membership tier for users to enjoy additional content and features.
The members tier includes the following benefits:
- Six new articles per day instead of two.
- Persistant level: set your reading level in the account settings to automatically go to that level on opening an article.
- Progress Dashboard: see number of articles read, breakdown by level and category and common words encountered.
- Context Japanese newsletter sharing updates about the app and information related to language learning (optional).
New benefits will be listed here and communicated to users through the newsletter as they arrive.
Sign up for a members account for free here.
Feedback and questions
Feedback helps us to improve the app.
If you have questions, notice issues, or have suggestions for improvement, please get in touch via the contact page.
Feature update timeline:
- June 26 2026: Progress dashboard showing number of articles read and breakdown by category and level.
- May 18 2026: Persistant leveling allowing members to set their reading level across articles.
- May 11 2026: Built in dictionary allows users to immediately gloss words for definitions and furigana readings within the app.
- April 30 2026: User authentication has been added giving signed in users free access to 3 new article per day.