How to Back Up Kakuyomu Stories for Personal Reading

Authors and sites can edit, unpublish, or delete stories. To keep a Kakuyomu story for your own reading, you can download it with WP Downloader as an EPUB or PDF. The file is a snapshot that you can store on your phone, computer, or e-reader.

Download a Kakuyomu story with WP Downloader

WP Downloader is a free web tool, and there is nothing to install. For Kakuyomu, it downloads complete stories rather than individual chapters or lists.

1. Open the Kakuyomu Downloader.
2. Copy the story URL from your browser. A Kakuyomu story URL looks like this:

https://kakuyomu.jp/works/12341234123412341234

3. Paste the URL into the box.
4. Choose EPUB, which is free for everyone, or PDF, which requires a free Discord sign-in.
5. Choose whether to include the story’s images.
6. Download the file and save it somewhere you can find later.

You do not need to sign in to Kakuyomu. WP Downloader only downloads content available at the link. It does not bypass locked content, paywalls, or age restrictions.

For a broader walkthrough, read how to download Kakuyomu stories.

What the backup contains

An EPUB or PDF contains the story as it appeared when you downloaded it. The copy remains available if the author later edits, unpublishes, or deletes the online story.

WP Downloader cannot add new chapters to an EPUB you already have. When the author publishes another chapter or revises the story, paste the Kakuyomu link into WP Downloader again and download a new copy.

Adding the download date to the filename can help you tell different snapshots apart. You may want to keep the older file until you have checked that the new download contains everything you expected.

Keep these copies for your own reading. Do not re-upload or share them.

Keep the file on your phone

Once the download finishes, move the EPUB or PDF to a folder you can find instead of leaving it only in your browser’s recent downloads.

Open or import an EPUB in an e-book reading app that supports the format. You can open a PDF in a PDF reader. The buttons vary by phone and app, but you will usually find the downloaded file and use the device’s open or share menu to send it to your reading app.

You can also keep a second copy elsewhere, such as one on your phone and another on your computer.

Organize backups with calibre

Calibre is a free e-book manager for Windows, macOS and Linux. It can keep several downloaded Kakuyomu stories together in one library.

To add a story:

1. Open calibre.
2. Select “Add books.”
3. Choose the EPUB you downloaded from WP Downloader.
4. Check the title, author, metadata and cover, then edit them if needed.
5. Keep the book in your calibre library for reading or transfer.

Calibre has an e-book viewer with a “Read aloud” feature. It can also convert EPUB files to formats such as AZW3, MOBI or PDF. WP Downloader itself produces EPUB and PDF files, not MOBI, AZW3 or TXT.

You can use calibre to send a book to an e-reader connected to your computer by USB.

Put the story on an e-reader

The transfer method depends on your device. You can connect an e-reader to your computer over USB and send the book with calibre, or follow the instructions for your reading platform.

For an Amazon device, see how to send Kakuyomu stories to Kindle. Kobo users can follow the guide to read Kakuyomu stories on Kobo.

After transferring the book, open a few chapters to check that the Japanese text and any included images display correctly. Keep the original downloaded file so you can add it to another device later without downloading it again.

Download a fresh copy when the story changes

Each download is a separate snapshot. To save later chapters or revisions:

1. Keep the original Kakuyomu URL with your saved book.
2. Return to WP Downloader after the story changes.
3. Download the whole story again.
4. Give the new file a different name or date.
5. Check the new copy before removing the older one.

The new download does not update or replace the contents of an existing EPUB.

FAQ

Can WP Downloader back up one Kakuyomu chapter?

No. WP Downloader downloads whole Kakuyomu stories only. It does not download single chapters or lists from the site.

Do I need a Kakuyomu account?

No. You do not need to sign in to download a Kakuyomu story with WP Downloader.

Will my EPUB update when new chapters appear?

No. Download the story again to get later chapters or revisions. The new file will be another snapshot of the whole story.

Can I download a MOBI or AZW3 file?

WP Downloader produces EPUB and PDF files, not MOBI or AZW3. You can add the EPUB to calibre and convert it to either format.

Is it okay to share my backup?

No. Keep downloaded copies for your own reading, and do not re-upload or share them.