Yomi DailyREAD & PRACTICE
N2 Japanese reading practice
Read a short Japanese scene, use the notes when you need them, and check your understanding with explained answers. This practice is for intermediate learners working toward JLPT N2. You can try it here without signing up.
A celebration gets ahead of itself
Aoi (葵・あおい) and Ren (蓮・れん) are old friends meeting at a café in Kichijoji, Tokyo. Aoi has suggested dinner with their friends on Saturday. When she mentions something happening at work, Ren thinks there is something to celebrate.
This is an excerpt from The Promotion Dinner, a Yomi Daily story. On your first read, follow what each person believes about Aoi's news. You can return to unfamiliar words afterward.
「会社で、昇進（しょうしん）の話が出てね。みんなとご飯食べたくなって」
「え、昇進祝いじゃん。おめでとう！」
蓮は二人で頼んだクッキーを半分に割り、大きい方を葵の皿に置いた。自分のことみたいに喜んでくれる。その顔を見ていると、続きを言いにくくなった。
まだ候補（こうほ）の一人にすぎない。結果は金曜に伝えると、上司は言っていた。土曜の食事までには、ちゃんと話せるはずだ。
「みんなにも送るね」
蓮は六人のグループチャットに書いた。
『土曜、葵の昇進祝い！』
それを読んだ葵に、蓮が聞いた。
「何時にする？」
訂正（ていせい）するなら、今だった。けれど、葵が送ったのは別の返事だった。
『十八時半はどう？ ここの席が取れるか、聞いてみるね』
時間と場所の話なら、すぐに書けた。
Vocabulary & one expression Optional reading support
| Japanese | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| 昇進（しょうしん） | Promotion to a higher position at work |
| 候補（こうほ） | A candidate; someone being considered |
| 上司（じょうし） | A supervisor or boss |
| 訂正（ていせい） | A correction |
| 返事（へんじ） | A reply or response |
One expression: にすぎない
まだ候補の一人にすぎない。
“She is still only one of the candidates.”
Noun + にすぎない means “no more than” or “merely.” Here it limits Aoi's current status: the promotion has not been decided. It says nothing about whether she deserves it.
Check your understanding
Use the passage and notes to answer in English or Japanese. Point to the Japanese words that support each answer.
Show answers and explanations
1. Ren treats Aoi’s promotion as already decided; the reader knows she is still one of the candidates. His message calls the dinner 葵の昇進祝い, a celebration of Aoi's promotion. The narration tells us まだ候補の一人にすぎない. Keeping those two perspectives separate is the central reading task.
2. She expects the result on Friday, before the Saturday dinner. The sentence 結果は金曜に伝えると、上司は言っていた gives the timing. 話せるはずだ expresses her expectation that she will be able to explain; it does not establish that she actually will.
3. She proposes 6:30 p.m. and offers to ask whether they can get seats at the café. She answers the practical question about dinner without correcting the promotion claim. The last sentence emphasizes that time and place are easy for her to write about. Earlier, Ren's happiness has made it harder for her to continue explaining.
Was this a useful challenge?
If you followed the misunderstanding and the notes helped with a few gaps, try the full first-day sample. It includes the opening and what happens after this exchange.
If you understood individual words but lost track of who knew what, reread the group message beside the sentence about Aoi being a candidate. If you needed help with nearly every sentence, our guide to choosing reading between N3 and N2 offers a way to find a more manageable starting point.
This short exercise is a sample of story-based practice, rather than a test of your JLPT readiness. The official N2 description includes reading across different subjects and understanding a writer's intent. Include other kinds of text and official JLPT sample questions in your preparation. See the official level description.
Make room for the next part
Yomi Daily is a free Japanese reading newsletter following six friends in Kichijoji. One weekly episode unfolds in seven daily pieces, with vocabulary and grammar notes alongside the Japanese.
The aim is to make returning to Japanese reading a little easier—with a manageable piece of a story and people you want to hear from again.
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