The cost of shipping English books to Japan is expensive but in reading in English is an important part of bilingual development. Exposing our children to a rich variety of English materials to enriches their vocabulary and fosters a love of reading. So, where can we find English children's books in rural Japan?
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Tips For Shipping English Books To Japan
Buy in Bulk From Outside Japan
International postage scales with weight but there is a flat fee. For example 1 book may cost £15 to ship but two books would only be £17 (this is just an example) I usually make an order from Amazon UK or US twice a year. You can check out my Amazon store for recommended Children's English books for bilinguals.
Sometimes, the same books are available on Amazon Japan but the price, but even with international postage factored in, ordering from Amazon UK is still often cheaper. Additionally, I once received a refund on some custom fees which was a bonus.
Better World Books ship used books to Japan and they offer free international shipping on orders over $15. Delivery time is between 10-21 days.
Abe Books is a market place for new and used books with shipping starting from $9 USD.
Where to Buy English Books In Japan
Amazon Japan
Amazon Japan offers print-on-demand. Titles like the Little SPOT series, which are independently published are printed locally and usually offer free shipping. Delivery typically takes about a week.
Bookstores
Some Japanese book shops carry English books, Kinokuniya is a large chain with locations in most major cities.
Local Library
My local library carries a few English books, probably fewer than 20 but it's a good place to start. In bigger cities libraries often have better English book selections.
English Cram Schools (Eigo Juku)
My local English cram school has a sizeable collection of English books. You might be able to borrow books without taking lessons. Consider offering a monthly English read-aloud in exchange for library access.
Used Children's English Books in Japan
Friend network
As children outgrow books, parents often look to pass on their used books. If you're near Tokyo check out "Tokyo Kid's Book Group" on Facebook which hosts a regular book swap event.
Our local mottainai event does a book exchange with used Japanese books but I have yet to find any used English books here.
Book Off is a secondhand bookstore chain, city locations are more likely to have English children's books.
Mercari is like the Japanese version of eBay. Search for terms like 英語絵本 (eigoehon english picture books). I saw the whole Oxford Reading Tree set on there for a really good price.
Children's English Books via Subscription Service in Japan
While I prefer physical books digital libraries with English ebooks can be a convenient way to access English childrens books. These services usually require a paid subscription and a tablet for optimal reading.
FREE Services
Oxford Owl's Ebook Library
The Oxford Owl Ebook library offers around 100 books for 3 to 11 years olds. Sign up for free to view the titles.
Home Library Apps
UK libraries use the Cloud Library App but you will need an active library membership and a VPN. US libraies use the Libby App which works similarly. If you were registered with a library before you came to Japan, you could look into whether or not they have an elibrary service.
Paid Services
Kindle Unlimited
Kindle Unlimited includes a wide selection of children's picture books, chapter books and adult titles, making it a versatile option for bilingual families. A subscription is ¥980 a month and they offer a free 30 day trial.
Twinkl
Twinkl has two reading apps Rhino Readers for phonics and Twinkl Originals App which is aimed at readers aged 3-11.
Both apps are included as part of the Twinkl premium subscription service (¥980 a month). They have a one month trial for ¥99.
I find the Twinkl website site a little hard to navigate but it is a treasure trove of teaching resources and most of the Twinkl original books have literacy activities, sequencing tasks and other worksheets to accompany them.
Reading Eggs
Reading Eggs features a library of over 4,000 ebooks with read aloud options and comprehension questions built-in for younger readers. Membership is $18.99 AUD a month with a one month free trial.
Although, I use Reading Eggs for the learning content, I find the app laggy and the graphics feel outdated. If not for its learning features, it wouldn't be my first choice for a digital library.
Finding affordable English Children's books in Japan, especially in rural areas can be challenging. By combining bulk orders, buying second had and using digital libraries you can creat a rich library of English books for bilingual children that supports their development and fosters a love of reading. Share your favourite places for getting English Children's books in Japan in the comments.
You may also like Educational Tools To Stock Up On If You're Taking A Trip Home and these other posts about Children's English books.
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