Learn Japanese with Stories Volume 1
Summary
Perfect for beginning and upper beginning students of Japanese. This affordable Japanese reader contains four complete stories of a clever and mischievous young man, Hikoichi.
- All Japanese have furigana (printed version) and romaji for those starting out.
- Four full traditional Japanese stories about Hikoichi.
- Every sentence is broken down word-for-word and with explanation of the grammar.
- The full story in Japanese only (without the running gloss) is also provided so you can practice reading without interruption.
- Finally, we have included a simple and mostly literal English translation for you to check your understanding (Don’t cheat! Work through the Japanese first!).
- Download the FREE MP3s to listen while you study. Includes both normal speed and slow speed readings.
The first story has the lord of the castle testing Hikoichi in a Solomon-esque question–which young lord is the true young lord?
The second story shows choosing the first and most favorable isn’t always best. In the end, only Hikoichi can enjoy the cherry blossoms.
The third story is about a mysterious, but living umbrella. Some things are just too good to be true.
We wrap things up with Hikoichi’s encounter with a Tengu–a mythical creature whose straw raincoat renders its wearer invisible.
Availability
amazon.com - eBook & physical version available
Personal Opinion
I could’ve sworn I had seen this book as a nomination, but I can’t seem to find it! I think it seems like a good book for absolute beginners. I like how it breaks things down more than other graded readers I’ve used–say, the Ask graded readers–but this could also be a downside. As far as I can tell, it’s mostly written in polite Japanese, which could be a pro or a con depending on your point of view.
Pros and Cons for the Book Club
Pros
- Has furigana!
- Has downloadable audio tracks!
- Has vocabulary breakdowns and a full translation, so there will be no lingering questions about what something actually means.
Cons
- Unavoidable romaji; thankfully, it’s not used in place of furigana.
- The included glossary might actually make things a bit too easy!
- The “fairytale language” used might not be the most useful or everyone’s cup of tea.
- Not everyone is into folk tales!
- May not be the best book for a book club, as there are already full explanations of the reading
- Already in the Graded Reader book club
Pictures
Difficulty Poll
How much effort would you need to read this book?
- No effort at all
- Minimal effort
- Just right
- Challenging
- Impossible, even with everyone’s help
- I don’t know (please click this if you’re not voting seriously)
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