Reading comprehension in both kanji and kana scripts.

Grasp the basic principles of kanji. This involves knowing stroke order, the different reading systems (on’yomi and kun’yomi), and radicals (the building blocks of kanji).
Polish your understanding of hiragana and katakana as these two kana scripts are foundational to Japanese. They are used in various contexts in native Japanese writing.
Identify the difference between kanji and kana usage in a text. Understanding where, when, and why one script is used over the other can improve comprehension.
Practice reading and writing kanji and kana regularly. Repetition aids in recognising and recalling these characters, which is critical for comprehension.

Improve your skimming and scanning skills. These are essential for quickly getting a overall sense of a text or for pinpointing specific details.
Understand and appreciate context. This is vital for inferring the meaning in written Japanese, where certain words might have different interpretations depending on their context.
Strengthen your kanji recognition skills by learning and reviewing kanji for common words and phrases. Flashcards with kanji on one side and meaning on the other are useful tools.
Use a Japanese dictionary to practice looking up characters you don’t recognise. Rikaichan or Rikaikun are useful browser extensions for this purpose.

Stay motivated even when facing challenging reading passages. Initially, you might understand just a fraction of what you read but don’t be discouraged. With perseverance, your comprehension will improve over time.
Take note of recurring words and phrases. By identifying such phrases, you can piece together the meaning of a text even if you don’t understand every single word.
Identify sentence structures and grammar patterns in the text. This will assist you in understanding the overall flow and message of the text.
Make use of context clues to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words. Look at the sentences before and after the unfamiliar word, they often provide helpful hints.

Be aware that different text types - such as newspaper articles, literary extracts, or official documents - require different approaches. Familiarising yourself with these various forms will improve your overall comprehension.
Learn to recognise cultural references. Japanese literature and media contain many cultural and historical references, understanding these can greatly enhance your comprehension.
Practice summarising texts. This aids in understanding the purpose, arguments or storylines in different types of written materials.
Cultivate the skill to discern the author’s perspective. This is often indicated through the use of certain words or phrases. Knowing the author’s viewpoint can provide valuable insight into the meaning of a text.