Learn Japanese with Non Non Biyori

Anime by Japanese level › N4

How hard is the Japanese in Non Non Biyori?

Ikkimi rates Non Non Biyori at N4 (simple everyday talk). What sets its level: slow countryside life, children talking. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 7 are easier and 176 are harder.

Levels follow the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). They are Ikkimi’s estimate of how hard a show’s Japanese is to follow, from how fast people talk, how many unusual words there are and how clear the voices are. They are not official JLPT ratings.

Format, episodes, year and genres are from AniList’s entry, which may cover only the first season.

The words in the title

The Japanese title, のんのんびより, is a first lesson in itself. Its word, as a dictionary lists it:

How to learn Japanese with Non Non Biyori

Ikkimi lists Non Non Biyori on Crunchyroll. What each service carries varies by country. Ikkimi does not stream anything: you watch on your own account, in Chrome on a computer, and Ikkimi adds a Japanese line you can click on top of the player.

On Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll rarely has Japanese subtitles. On a Crunchyroll episode, Ikkimi looks for a matching Japanese subtitle file in Jimaku’s public catalogue, loads it and lines it up with the episode by itself. If Jimaku has no file for an episode, you can search by hand in the Ikkimi popup or load a subtitle file from your computer.

1. Add Ikkimi to Chrome

   Get the extension from the Chrome Web Store and sign in.

2. Play an episode

   Open Non Non Biyori on Crunchyroll. The Japanese line appears on top of the video.

3. Click the words you keep hearing

   The video pauses and the word opens: kana, romaji, meaning, JLPT level and a recording by a native speaker where one exists (never a computer voice; otherwise the line from the show plays again). Keep three to five words an episode, the ones that come up again.

4. Review them later

   Kept words come back as flashcards on the Ikkimi website, with the scene and the line they came from, just before you would forget them.

Easier and harder shows

Shows within a level of Non Non Biyori, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• N5 to N4My Neighbor Totoroとなりのトトロa film, 1 h 26, children talkingNetflix
• N5 to N4Teasing Master Takagi-sanからかい上手の高木さんtwo speakers, short linesNetflixCrunchyroll
• N5 to N4Pokémon Conciergeポケモンコンシェルジュshort episodes, polite talk at workNetflix

Also N4

• N4K-On!けいおん!school club chatter, everyday wordsNetflix
• N4Kiki’s Delivery Service魔女の宅急便a film, 1 h 43Netflix
• N4Sweetness & Lightning甘々と稲妻a father and a small child, cooking wordsCrunchyroll

Harder

• N4 to N3Horimiyaホリミヤcasual school talk, short scenesCrunchyrollNetflix
• N4 to N3Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid小林さんちのメイドラゴンhome and office talk, one very polite speakerCrunchyroll
• N4 to N3Komi Can’t Communicate古見さんは、コミュ症です。short lines, written notes on screenNetflix

See every N4 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.

Questions

Is Non Non Biyori good for learning Japanese?

Yes. Ikkimi rates it N4 (simple everyday talk). What sets its level: slow countryside life, children talking. It is one of the easier shows, good for your first weeks.

What Japanese level is Non Non Biyori?

N4, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 7 are easier and 176 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

Where can I watch Non Non Biyori with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Non Non Biyori on Crunchyroll. What each service carries varies by country. Crunchyroll rarely has Japanese subtitles, so Ikkimi looks for a matching file in Jimaku’s catalogue and lines it up with the episode.

What does the title のんのんびより mean, word by word?

日和 (biyori) means “ideal weather (for some action, event, etc.); perfect day”. Words the title writes in another form are shown here as a dictionary lists them.

How many episodes does Non Non Biyori have?

AniList’s entry lists 12 episodes of about 24 minutes, first aired in 2013. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch after Non Non Biyori?

Shows a little harder, with genres in common: Horimiya (N4 to N3), Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid (N4 to N3) and Komi Can’t Communicate (N4 to N3).

Sources: show details from AniList; meanings from JMdict (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0); readings and word splits from kuromoji.js with IPADIC; JLPT word levels from Jonathan Waller’s unofficial lists. See Credits. Spotted a mistake? Tell us at hello@ikkimi.app.