diff --git a/misaki/cutlet.py b/misaki/cutlet.py
index 438d95b..4a509c4 100644
--- a/misaki/cutlet.py
+++ b/misaki/cutlet.py
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from fugashi import Tagger
 from typing import Tuple
-import importlib.resources
+try:
+    from importlib.resources import files
+except ImportError:
+    from importlib_resources import files
 import jaconv
 import mojimoji
 import re
@@ -230,8 +233,7 @@
 assert all(chr(i) == kk[0] for i, kk in zip(range(12784, 12800), Katakana_Phonetic_Extensions))
 Katakana_Phonetic_Extensions = {kk[0]: kk[1] for kk in Katakana_Phonetic_Extensions}
 
-with importlib.resources.open_text(data, 'ja_words.txt') as r:
-    JA_WORDS = frozenset({line.strip() for line in r})
+JA_WORDS = frozenset({line.strip() for line in files(data).joinpath('ja_words.txt').read_text(encoding='utf-8').splitlines()})
 
 def add_dakuten(kk):
     """Given a kana (single-character string), add a dakuten."""
diff --git a/misaki/en.py b/misaki/en.py
index 222c170..0960ec4 100644
--- a/misaki/en.py
+++ b/misaki/en.py
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass, replace
 from num2words import num2words
 from typing import List, Optional, Tuple, Union
-import importlib.resources
+try:
+    from importlib.resources import files
+except ImportError:
+    from importlib_resources import files
 import json
 import numpy as np
 import re
@@ -142,10 +145,8 @@ def __init__(self, british):
         self.cap_stresses = (0.5, 2)
         self.golds = {}
         self.silvers = {}
-        with importlib.resources.open_text(data, f"{'gb' if british else 'us'}_gold.json") as r:
-            self.golds = Lexicon.grow_dictionary(json.load(r))
-        with importlib.resources.open_text(data, f"{'gb' if british else 'us'}_silver.json") as r:
-            self.silvers = Lexicon.grow_dictionary(json.load(r))
+        self.golds = Lexicon.grow_dictionary(json.loads(files(data).joinpath(f"{'gb' if british else 'us'}_gold.json").read_text(encoding='utf-8')))
+        self.silvers = Lexicon.grow_dictionary(json.loads(files(data).joinpath(f"{'gb' if british else 'us'}_silver.json").read_text(encoding='utf-8')))
         assert all(isinstance(v, str) or isinstance(v, dict) for v in self.golds.values())
         vocab = GB_VOCAB if british else US_VOCAB
         for vs in self.golds.values():
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index e0ee5aa..b9a8f8f 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ classifiers = [
 requires-python = ">=3.8, <3.14"
 dependencies = [
     "addict",
+    "importlib-resources; python_version < '3.9'",
     "pip>=25.0.1", 
     # ^ Spacy needs pip within Python, uv lacks pip by default
     "regex",
diff --git a/tests/test_resource_loading.py b/tests/test_resource_loading.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..292701b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_resource_loading.py
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import sys
+import types
+
+
+def _install_stubs(monkeypatch):
+    addict = types.ModuleType("addict")
+
+    class Dict(dict):
+        def __getattr__(self, key):
+            return self.get(key)
+
+    addict.Dict = Dict
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "addict", addict)
+
+    num2words = types.ModuleType("num2words")
+    num2words.num2words = lambda *args, **kwargs: "stub"
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "num2words", num2words)
+
+    spacy = types.ModuleType("spacy")
+    spacy.load = lambda *args, **kwargs: None
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "spacy", spacy)
+
+    regex = types.ModuleType("regex")
+    regex.compile = lambda *args, **kwargs: None
+    regex.match = lambda *args, **kwargs: None
+    regex.findall = lambda *args, **kwargs: []
+    regex.sub = lambda *args, **kwargs: ""
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "regex", regex)
+
+    transformers = types.ModuleType("transformers")
+    transformers.BartForConditionalGeneration = object
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "transformers", transformers)
+
+    torch = types.ModuleType("torch")
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "torch", torch)
+
+    fugashi = types.ModuleType("fugashi")
+    fugashi.Tagger = object
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "fugashi", fugashi)
+
+    jaconv = types.ModuleType("jaconv")
+    jaconv.kata2hira = lambda text: text
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "jaconv", jaconv)
+
+    mojimoji = types.ModuleType("mojimoji")
+    mojimoji.zen_to_han = lambda text, kana=False: text
+    mojimoji.han_to_zen = lambda text, digit=False, ascii=False: text
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "mojimoji", mojimoji)
+
+
+def test_resource_loading_uses_files_api(monkeypatch):
+    _install_stubs(monkeypatch)
+
+    import importlib.resources
+
+    def boom(*args, **kwargs):
+        raise AssertionError("open_text should not be used")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(importlib.resources, "open_text", boom, raising=False)
+
+    import misaki.cutlet  # noqa: F401
+    import misaki.en  # noqa: F401