10 Good Japanese Cartoons Kids Can Watch Daily

For young learners who are learning Japanese in an English speaking environment, it is advantageous to receive as much exposure to the target language as possible aside from their regular Japanese class. Watching Japanese cartoons daily is a practice that aims to increase their exposure to the target language and help develop their listening skills. Through listening, kids can also pick up new vocabularies and improve their speaking skills.

Below is a list of long-running Japanese cartoons that kids can watch daily to support their Japanese language study. The DVDs are available from Amazon Japan.

Click on the image to view the trailer

Chi’s Sweet Home (チーズスイートホーム)

The cartoon is a simple story about an adorable cat named Chi and her new family. The series contain 104 episodes.

Nintama Rantarou (忍たま乱太郎)

The cartoon tells the story of a first-grader named Rantarou and his friends who go to a ninja school.

Prince Mackaroo (おじゃる丸)

The cartoon tells the adventure of a 5-year old prince Ojarumaru from the first century who accidentally finds himself in modern Japan. It is broadcasted on NHK Educational TV.

Doraemon (ドラえもん)

Doraemon is a robot cat from the future sent to save Nobita, a fourth-grade boy who frequently falls into mishaps. To do this, Doraemon is equipped with a magic pocket on his front filled with infinite tools from the future.

Ikkyuu-san (一休さん)

This is a classic cartoon aired in the 70’s and 80’s about a mischievous, witty, little Buddhist monk named Ikkyuu. Ikkyuu likes to draw inspiration to solve his problems by sitting in a meditative lotus position.

Let’s Go! Anpanman (それいけ!アンパンマン)

Anpanman is a superhero who is an anpan (Japanese pancake filled with red bean filling). These long-running series tell the story of Anpanman and his battle against his nemesis Baikinman.

Japanese Classical Stories (むかしばなし）

The series are produced by Kodansha Kidsbombom. The folktales included are The Child Gods, The Snow Woman, The Tongueless Sparrow, The Grateful Crane, and many more.

Kidsbombom also produce Western folktales such as Jack and The Bean, Little Mermaid, Pinocchio, Aladdin and The Magic Lamp in Japanese audio and subtitle.



Folktales from Japan (ふるさと再生 日本の昔ばなし)

This is another series on Japanese folktales. Some of the stories contain supernatural themes and unique Japanese traditions.

Sazae-san (サザエさん)

Sazae-san tells the everyday life story of a mother and her young family. This anime is watched by adults and kids alike. The series originally ran from 1969 until now and makes a good source for cultural study. Viewers can get a feel of traditional Japanese themes in the episodes.

Chibi Maruko-chan (ちびまる子ちゃん)

The series tell the simple everyday life of an elementary school girl nicknamed Chibi Maruko-chan. The stories depict her family life and school life. Although the main character is a child, the anime is also watched by adults due to its nostalgic contents.