Page 12
I’ve got almost 70 posts to read through yet, so this has probably already been addressed, but I think the first word, そこで, means so; accordingly; now; then; thereupon; therefore.
1 Like
Page 12
巻く
まく - to roll
まいた - past tense
ら - if / when
まいた + ら = まいたら = when [they] rolled [it that way…]
Hi! This forum finally made me ascend from being a forum lurker 
Anyhow:
そこで、のりを外がわではなく、ごはんの内がわに入れてまいたら、とたんに大人気になりました。
Translation
There, nori isn’t on the outside, it is inserted inside the rice, which is (was?) very popular.
For 外がわ, I read 外皮 including rendaku rather than 外側. I know the latter is right now, but my version made sense to me (literally the nori is not the outer skin). Do people know if 皮 and 側 were the same word once, but then kanji came in and split one Japanese word into two Chinese words?
Kinda tangential, if it’s the wrong forum sorry!
Page 12
Is it ない, “not”, plus the く to connect it? (I’ve forgotten the grammatical words!)
So, the nori was not on the outside and…
Something like that?
3 Likes
I thought maybe そこ - there, as in ここ、そこ、あそこ; で - location particle, so just “over there”?
Ah, I can see that now. Originally ~ではない. The く was confusing me, but I remember something about く to connect things.
I’ll have to re-read that grammar lesson again.
1 Like
Page 12
This has been discussed quite a bit over the past couple of days, but I understand about the sheer weight of posts - if only people would stick to topic instead of all these endless chats about page numbers! Anyway, の is an informal question marker, making this question, in a kids book, sound more friendly. Here’s a link to its section in Tae Kim’s Guide to Learning Japanese.
1 Like
に is a particle meaning “for”, sushi is popular “for” people (though I suppose we’d more naturally translate that as “with”).
1 Like
Mkay…this is part of what I have put together between driving and putting out sugar-rushed toddler fires. Hopefully will finish the rest tomorrow before driving some more. Random question: is this whole using は instead of が for ある statements a children’s thing or is it a subtle variation of typical grammar laws that I was until now blissfully unaware of? 
Got marked off so many times for using は that way that seeing it first makes me cringe and then makes me angry for all those red marks.
Edit: texted a friend, she says that in this case it’s because we already know we’re talking about sushi so we don’t need to introduce it as the subject again, though bares to be emphasized as the topic of this sentence.
外国にも、おすしはあるの？
Do foreign countries also have sushi? super cute question
あなたは、どんなおすしが好きですか。
What kind of sushi do YOU like?
たまご？まぐろ？イクラ？のりまき？いなりずしや、ちらしずしもおいしいですね。
raising different sushi types as questions 
Inari sushi and (but not limited to) chirashi sushi are delicious, too, right?
おすしは、子どもたちからお年よりまで、たくさんの人に人気の、日本の食べものです。
From children to the elderly, sushi is a popular Japanese food for many people.
1 Like
Minor edit, but rather than “very popular”, I think a more literal translation is “popular to many people”.
Page 12
Remember that in Japanese adjectives act like verbs, so they can be put at the end of a sentence instead of a verb.
Another way to think of it is that 多い can be read as “are numerous”.
Yep, it’s the same old subject marker. Remember that 人気 is technically a noun in Japanese (amongst others). 人気がある literally means “popularity exists”, “there is popularity” or “(it) has popularity”. (But a better translation is simply “is popular”)
3 Likes
Ohh I see… my bad f^_^;.
I understood your explanation but the translation somewhat doesn’t make sense to me in English. Which is why it bugs me and makes me question it again and again
1 Like
I think, more literally: 合うように = “in order to meet”
Page 12
I thought “in order to suit”, ie. suit the tastes of each country
2 Likes
Yes, I agree. I meant same meaning. (…) in order to meet/suit/cater for these “taste requirements”(…).
2 Likes
Page 11 - book version
Here is my next part of the text from my interpretation. There is a lot of great input and discussion here.
But it is still very hard to find if a question has already been raised for a page or not, if only a few post the page number up top.
すを まぜると ごはんが 長もちするので、むかしから よく 食べられてました。
Rice is mixed with vinegar to make it long lasting, it has often been eaten ‘like this’ since olden days.
今は、外国でも “Sushi” と いえば 通じるほど、日本のおすしは、とても 人きが あります。
Now, talking/speaking about “Sushi” is even understood in foreign countries, Japanese sushi has become/is very popular.
せかいの いろいろな 国に おすしの おみせが あります。
In various/many countries of the world, sushi shops have been ‘opened’.
@marcusp : Thanks for the help on the previous pages 
1 Like
Page 11
Thanks for linking me to the other posts. Seems I got it mostly right, but can be better phrased, especially on the second sentence.
The third one sure makes it simpler with your hint. Guess the language barrier makes it sometimes a bitte difficult to find the best way to say the sentence haha (Am native German).
So far the book still seems pretty tough and it takes quite some time for me to get the sentences figured out correctly. Also still a lot of vocab and grammar that I am missing. But it’s great to see that I am able to figure out the translation myself so far. It sure is a lot of fun, considering this being my first real japanese book to read 
4 Likes
マヨネーズを つける ものや バーベキューあじも あります。
There are sushis using mayonaise and barbecue sauce too !
フランスでは、いちごや マンゴーなど、くだものを つかった おすしが 人気だそうです。
In France , fruit sushis seem to be popular . strawberry or mango sushis for example
1 Like