Makoto Magazine for Learners of Japanese


Book Description

Makoto Magazine for beginning to intermediate learners of Japanese IN THIS ISSUE: February 2022 Laughs, Jokes, Riddles, and Puns Vocabulary: あげあしを取る Prefecture Spotlight: Toyama Etymology: 猫ババ Anime Phrase of the Day Haiku : 松尾芭蕉 Kanji Spotlight: 母 Grammar Time! になります Japanese Readers: Japanese Toilet (beginner) + Kicchomu’s Big Rock (Intermediate)




Learn Japanese with Stories Volume 12


Book Description

READ real Japanese Today! By choosing short stories, the intimidation factor is greatly reduced. Not only that, but we divide the story up into tiny, easy-to-swallow segments with complete explanations to give you confidence as you read real Japanese page by page. Recommended for upper beginner to intermediate level students of Japanese. BONUS! Get FREE sound files of the stories read by a native Japanese voice actress, one read at normal speed and one read slowly. Listen while reading. The link to the bonus content is found on the last page. NOW WITH QR CODES - While you can still download the sound files with the link on the last page, we are also including handy QR codes for both the slow and normal speed recordings of the stories. Simply scan the code with the camera of your phone and the audio will begin playing in seconds. EXTRA BONUS! Included with the sound files, are PDFs of all the vocabulary and grammar points. Feel free to print these out to use while reading. EXTRA BONUS! Lastly, we are also providing an Anki flashcard deck of the vocabulary for not extra charge. Now with Furigana! All our readers now have furigana in both the paperback and Kindle versions. Furigana is the small hiragana over the kanji--most devices support this new feature. (The Japanese only section has no furigana so you can practice reading the story again in "real" furigana-less Japanese) Have you studied for a year or two but just don’t feel like you are progressing? This book is for you too. We suggest reading the Japanese only section first (includes furigana) and then go through the line-by-line running gloss section to cement understanding and learn vocabulary. * All Japanese have furigana (printed version and Kindle version on supported devices (most new devices)) * Two complete Japanese short stories. Each story is presented in three unique ways. * GLOSS: Read the story with a running gloss—understand completely. Every sentence is broken down word-for-word and with English explanation of the grammar. * JAPANESE ONLY: The full story in Japanese only (without the running gloss) is also provided so you can practice reading without interruption. * ENGLISH SUMMARY: 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!). * Short stories make reading full Japanese texts possible. * Download the FREE MP3s to listen while you study and the Anki flashcard decks to learn the vocabulary. THE STORIES: STORY 1: 瓜子姫(うりこひめ)とあまのじゃく Princess Uriko and the Amanojaku An Amanojaku in Japanese folklore is an antagonistic ogre. This Amanojaku causes trouble for Princess Uriko, a beautiful woman born of a... melon. STORY 2: 天女(てんにょ)の羽衣(はごろも) Celestial Maiden's Feathered Robe Stories of beautiful celestial women coming from the sky are found in many cultures. Such legends are also common in Japan. In this story, a young man finds a way to make the Tennyo (Celestial maiden) marry him. But will it last? Finally, we invite the reader to contact us with questions or requests for future Japanese readers. You will find our personal email addresses in the book. To your Japanese! What are you waiting for? Ninja up your Japanese.




Learn Japanese with Stories Volume 20


Book Description

READ real Japanese Today! By choosing short stories, the intimidation factor is greatly reduced. Not only that, but we divide the story up into tiny, easy-to-swallow segments with complete explanations to give you confidence as you read real Japanese page by page. Recommended for upper beginner to intermediate level students of Japanese. BONUS! Get FREE sound files of the stories read by a native Japanese voice actress, one read at normal speed and one read slowly. Listen while reading. The link to the MP3s is found on the last page. BONUS! Get a FREE Anki flashcard deck of most the vocabulary. The vocabulary decks mostly have audio and pitch accent diagrams. NOW WITH QR CODES - While you can still download the sound files with the link on the last page, we are also including handy QR codes for both the slow and normal speed recordings of the stories. Simply scan the code with the camera of your phone and the audio will begin playing in seconds. Furigana! All our readers now have furigana in both the paperback and eBook versions. Furigana is the small hiragana over the kanji--most devices support this feature. (The Japanese only section has no furigana so you can practice reading the story again in "real" furigana-less Japanese) Have you studied for a year or two but just don’t feel like you are progressing? This book is for you. We suggest reading the Japanese only section first (without furigana) and then go through the line-by-line running gloss section to cement understanding and learn vocabulary. The line-by-line section has furigana (printed version and eBook version on supported devices (most new devices)) The story is presented in three unique ways. GLOSS: Read the story with the definitions below each sentence to understand completely. Every sentence is broken down word-for-word and with English explanation of the grammar. JAPANESE ONLY: The full story in Japanese only (without the running gloss) is also provided so you can practice reading without interruption. ENGLISH SUMMARY: 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!). Short stories makes reading full Japanese texts possible. Download the FREE MP3s to listen while you study. Download a FREE Anki flashcard deck to learn all the vocabulary found in the stories ABOUT THIS STORY The ぶんぶく茶釜(ちゃがま) story is a Japanese folktale featuring a shape-shifting tanuki disguised as a tea kettle, which performs various tricks and brings fortune to a junk dealer. The tale originates from Morinji Temple in Tatebayashi, Gunma Prefecture, which claims to possess the actual kettle and tells a version highlighting its mystical ability to provide endless tea. This story belongs to a wider tradition of tales involving magical animals transforming into everyday objects to repay human kindness or for trickery. What are you waiting for? Ninja up your Japanese. Click “Buy Now” now!




Learn Japanese with Stories Volume 11


Book Description

READ real Japanese Today! By choosing short stories, the intimidation factor is greatly reduced. Not only that, but we divide the story up into tiny, easy-to-swallow segments with complete explanations to give you confidence as you read real Japanese page by page. Recommended for upper beginner to intermediate level students of Japanese. BONUS! Get FREE sound files of the stories read by a native Japanese voice actress, one read at normal speed and one read slowly. Listen while reading. The link to the MP3s is found on the last page. BONUS! Get a FREE Anki flashcard deck of most the vocabulary. The vocabulary decks mostly have audio and pitch accent diagrams. NOW WITH QR CODES - While you can still download the sound files with the link on the last page, we are also including handy QR codes for both the slow and normal speed recordings of the stories. Simply scan the code with the camera of your phone and the audio will begin playing in seconds. Furigana! All our readers now have furigana in both the paperback and eBook versions. Furigana is the small hiragana over the kanji--most devices support this feature. (The Japanese only section has no furigana so you can practice reading the story again in "real" furigana-less Japanese) Have you studied for a year or two but just don’t feel like you are progressing? This book is for you. We suggest reading the Japanese only section first (without furigana) and then go through the line-by-line running gloss section to cement understanding and learn vocabulary. The line-by-line section has furigana (printed version and eBook version on supported devices (most new devices)) The story is presented in three unique ways. GLOSS: Read the story with the definitions below each sentence to understand completely. Every sentence is broken down word-for-word and with English explanation of the grammar. JAPANESE ONLY: The full story in Japanese only (without the running gloss) is also provided so you can practice reading without interruption. ENGLISH SUMMARY: 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!). Short stories makes reading full Japanese texts possible. Download the FREE MP3s to listen while you study. Download a FREE Anki flashcard deck to learn all the vocabulary found in the stories ABOUT THIS STORY カチカチ山(やま) is longer than most of the other stories we've done in the past. To make it more digestible, we are splitting it into three parts. The story is about a nasty tanuki who gets what's coming to him. It's not a very pleasant story, but it is well known in Japan. What are you waiting for? Ninja up your Japanese.




Hikoichi Revisited


Book Description

READ real Japanese Today! By choosing short stories, the intimidation factor is greatly reduced. Not only that, but we divide the story up into tiny, easy-to-swallow segments with complete explanations to give you confidence as you read real Japanese page by page. Perfect for upper beginner level students of Japanese. BONUS! Get FREE Sound Files of the story read by a native Japanese voice actress, one read at normal speed and one read slowly. Listen while reading. The link to the MP3s is found on the last page. EXTRA BONUS! Included with the MP3s, is a PDF of all the vocabulary organized by parts of speech. Feel free to print these out to study before reading. EXTRA BONUS! Free Anki flashcard deck of all the vocabulary. If you haven't used Anki before, it is a free flashcard program with spaced repetition. This means, you'll study cards you don't know well more often than the cards you do know. With Furigana! All our readers have furigana in both the paperback and eBook versions. Furigana is the small hiragana over the kanji--most devices support this feature. Have you studied for a year or two but just don’t feel like you are progressing? This book is for you too. We suggest reading the Japanese only section first (includes furigana) and then go through the line-by-line running gloss section to cement understanding and learn vocabulary. * Furigana over the kanji for the glossary section * Three complete Japanese short stories. Each story is presented in three unique ways. * Two stories are about Hikoichi and the third is about a girl and a mask. * GLOSS: Read the story with definitions below each line to understand completely. Every sentence is broken down word-for-word and with English explanation of the grammar. * JAPANESE ONLY: The full story in Japanese only (without the running gloss) is also provided so you can practice reading without interruption. * ENGLISH SUMMARY: 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!). * Short stories make reading full Japanese texts possible. * Download the FREE MP3s and Anki flashcard decks to listen while you study. Hikoichi You may know our first Japanese Reader Collection Volume has several Hikoichi stories. By far, those have been the most popular among students. Hikoichi is, after all, an interesting character. Smart, sassy, creative in his laziness...In short, his adventures are entertaining. Plus, not many non-Japanese are as familiar with Hikoichi as they are Momotaro or the Moon Princess. So, be one of the few to dig in, enjoy, and learn more about Hikoichi! Finally, we invite the reader to contact us with questions or requests for future Japanese readers. You will find our personal email addresses in the book. To your Japanese! What are you waiting for? Ninja up your Japanese. Click “Buy Now” now!




Learn Japanese with Stories Volume 18


Book Description

READ real Japanese Today! By choosing short stories, the intimidation factor is greatly reduced. Not only that, but we divide the story up into tiny, easy-to-swallow segments with complete explanations to give you confidence as you read real Japanese page by page. Recommended for upper beginner to intermediate level students of Japanese. BONUS! Get FREE sound files of the stories read by a native Japanese voice actress, one read at normal speed and one read slowly. Listen while reading. The link to the MP3s is found on the last page. BONUS! Get 2 FREE Anki flashcard decks of most the vocabulary and kanji. The vocabulary decks mostly have audio and pitch accent diagrams. NOW WITH QR CODES - While you can still download the sound files with the link on the last page, we are also including handy QR codes for both the slow and normal speed recordings of the stories. Simply scan the code with the camera of your phone and the audio will begin playing in seconds. EXTRA BONUS! Included with the sound files, are PDFs of all the vocabulary and grammar points. Feel free to print these out to use while reading. Now with Furigana! All our readers now have furigana in both the paperback and eBook versions. Furigana is the small hiragana over the kanji--most devices support this new feature. (The Japanese only section has no furigana so you can practice reading the story again in "real" furigana-less Japanese) Have you studied for a year or two but just don’t feel like you are progressing? This book is for you too. We suggest reading the Japanese only section first (without furigana) and then go through the line-by-line running gloss section to cement understanding and learn vocabulary. * The line-by-line section has furigana (printed version and eBook version on supported devices (most new devices)) * Two complete Japanese short stories. Each story is presented in three unique ways. * GLOSS: Read the story with a running gloss—understand completely. Every sentence is broken down word-for-word and with English explanation of the grammar. * JAPANESE ONLY: The full story in Japanese only (without the running gloss) is also provided so you can practice reading without interruption. * ENGLISH SUMMARY: 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!). * Short stories makes reading full Japanese texts possible. * Download the FREE MP3s to listen while you study. THE STORIES: Kicchomu is a character very similar to another favorite of ours: Hikoichi. Kicchomu was an actual person who lived during the Edo period. However, the stories about him came much later. Like Hikoichi, Kicchomu is quick-witted and a little sneaky. This book contains two stories about Kicchomu. If you haven’t read our other stories staring Kicchomu, you are in for a treat. In Kicchomu and the Big Rock, Kicchomu has a big problem. There’s a big rock in his yard. Never fear! The ever clever Kicchomu has an idea how to get someone else dig it out for him. In the second story, Kicchomu accidentally sells his horse to the rice cake shop owner. How does Kicchomu get the horse back? Read and find out. Finally, we invite the reader to contact us with questions or requests for future Japanese readers. You will find our personal email addresses in the book. To your Japanese! What are you waiting for? Ninja up your Japanese.




Business Japanese


Book Description

Finally, a fun and easy way to learn REAL conversational Japanese! Crafted especially for beginners and upper beginners, this book offers a dynamic way to learn conversational Japanese through engaging, real-life dialogues. Each dialogue is designed to enhance your understanding of everyday Japanese, making this an ideal resource for learners aiming to achieve fluency. We are including, at no extra charge, sound files for all the dialogues found in this book. Listen on demand with the QR codes found in the book or download the files to your computer. Also, download an Anki flashcard deck with all the lines. The download link is found on the last page. Why Choose This Book? Listen and Learn: Each dialogue is accompanied by high-quality audio files. Access these through easy-to-scan QR codes within the book or download them from a link provided on the last page. Interactive Learning Tools: Boost your learning with a free Anki flashcard deck for each dialogue line, aiding in effective memorization and recall. Rich Content: Includes seven dialogues set in various everyday scenarios that will prepare you to face real-world conversations with confidence. Features: Authentic Dialogues: Experience natural pacing in conversations, which might seem fast at first but are designed to enhance your listening skills as you revisit them. Cultural and Grammatical Insights: Each dialogue comes with detailed notes on vocabulary, grammar, and cultural contexts, helping you understand the nuances of the language. Comprehensive Approach: From introducing yourself to eating out, the book covers a wide range of practical situations. Bonus content Download sound files for all dialogues QR Codes to scan and instantly hear just that dialogue Free Anki flashcard deck of each line Dialogues in various beginning conversation settings The dialogues are presented naturally and all in Japanese. This may be too fast for you at first but try listening to it a few times to attune your ears. As you master the vocabulary and understand the grammatical points mentioned in the book, you may find what was difficult upon first hearing is easy the second (or tenth!) time around. The bonus files also include a free Anki flashcard deck with the phrases found in this book. The book itself contains the dialogue with the English translation, but it also adds cultural and grammatical notes to help you understand the dialogue in context. Contents: A Job Interview Making Copies for a Meeting Business Meeting - a New Snack Product Business Meeting - Radio Advertising Download link for free sound files If you are a beginner to intermediate learner of Japanese, click buy now to begin learning now.




Meeting and Greeting


Book Description

Finally, a fun and easy way to learn REAL conversational Japanese! We are including, at no extra charge, sound files and Anki decks for all the dialogues found in this book. Listen on demand with the QR codes found in the book or download the files to your computer. The download link is found on the last page. Bonus content Download sound files for all dialogues Free Anki flashcard deck of each line Seven dialogues in various beginning conversation settings The dialogues are presented naturally and all in Japanese. This may be too fast for you at first but try listening to it a few times to attune your ears. As you master the vocabulary and understand the grammatical points mentioned in the book, you may find what was difficult upon first hearing is easy the second (or tenth!) time around. The bonus files also includes a free Anki flashcard deck with the phrases found in this book. The book itself contains the dialogue with the English translation, but it also adds cultural and grammatical notes to help you understand the dialogue in context. Contents: Dialogue One: Meeting for the first time Dialogue Two: Meeting a friend in the morning Dialogue Three: Meeting one summer afternoon Dialogue Four: Some enchanted winter evening Dialogue Five: How about coffee? Dialogue Six: What do you think of Japan? Dialogue Seven: What do you want to do?




Learn Japanese through Dialogues - Idioms


Book Description

Finally, a fun and easy way to learn REAL conversational Japanese! We are including, at no extra charge, sound files and Anki decks for all the dialogues found in this book. Listen on demand with the QR codes found in the book or download the files to your computer. The download link is found on the last page. Bonus content Download sound files for all dialogues Free Anki flashcard deck of each line Seven dialogues in various beginning conversation settings The dialogues are presented naturally and all in Japanese. This may be too fast for you at first but try listening to it a few times to attune your ears. As you master the vocabulary and understand the grammatical points mentioned in the book, you may find what was difficult upon first hearing is easy the second (or tenth!) time around. The bonus files also includes a free Anki flashcard deck with the phrases found in this book. The book itself contains the dialogue with the English translation, but it also adds cultural and grammatical notes to help you understand the dialogue in context. Contents: Dialogue One: Move your Hands instead of your Mouth Dialogue Two: Killing two birds with one stone Dialogue Three: Preaching to deaf ears Dialogue Four: Better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away Dialogue Five: Full of Inconsistencies Dialogue Six: Best under the heavens Dialogue Seven: The Scenic Beauty Dialogue Eight: Undoubtedly Genuinely Real




Art and Faith


Book Description

From a world-renowned painter, an exploration of creativity’s quintessential—and often overlooked—role in the spiritual life “Makoto Fujimura’s art and writings have been a true inspiration to me. In this luminous book, he addresses the question of art and faith and their reconciliation with a quiet and moving eloquence.”—Martin Scorsese “[An] elegant treatise . . . Fujimura’s sensitive, evocative theology will appeal to believers interested in the role religion can play in the creation of art.”—Publishers Weekly Conceived over thirty years of painting and creating in his studio, this book is Makoto Fujimura’s broad and deep exploration of creativity and the spiritual aspects of “making.” What he does in the studio is theological work as much as it is aesthetic work. In between pouring precious, pulverized minerals onto handmade paper to create the prismatic, refractive surfaces of his art, he comes into the quiet space in the studio, in a discipline of awareness, waiting, prayer, and praise. Ranging from the Bible to T. S. Eliot, and from Mark Rothko to Japanese Kintsugi technique, he shows how unless we are making something, we cannot know the depth of God’s being and God’s grace permeating our lives. This poignant and beautiful book offers the perspective of, in Christian Wiman’s words, “an accidental theologian,” one who comes to spiritual questions always through the prism of art.