The Snow Woman comes for a father and son trapped in a mountain hut. She spares the son on one condition: never tell anyone what he saw.
A traveling priest accepts shelter from a kind family. He makes one careless promise to the daughter — and the consequences follow him across provinces.
Two of the most haunting folktales in Japanese literature, presented in three formats for upper beginners (JLPT N4–N3) to read, listen, and study without getting lost.
HOW EACH STORY IS PRESENTED
With definitions — every Japanese sentence followed by a line-by-line breakdown. Every word glossed, every grammar pattern explained, every kanji shown with furigana.
Japanese only — the full story without interruption, for building reading fluency.
English summary — check your work after you've tackled the Japanese.
Plus comprehension questions, particle drills, grammar pattern hunts, a kanji reference, and cultural notes on Lafcadio Hearn, Dōjōji temple, and the legends behind the stories.
NEW IN THE 2026 EXPANDED EDITION
Fully revised throughout, with new grammar spotlights, cultural notes, and exercises. Every copy now includes a free unlock code for the Makoto+ Sentence Explorer — the same content delivered as interactive lessons on the web and in our iOS and Android apps. Tap any sentence to hear it, break it apart word-by-word, drill the vocabulary, and quiz yourself. Nothing extra to buy.
WHAT YOU GET
Two complete Japanese folktales: Yuki Onna and Anchin & Kiyohime
MP3 audio at two speeds, recorded by a native Japanese voice (former radio DJ)
Anki flashcard decks for the full vocabulary
Vocabulary PDF
Sentence Explorer unlock codes (web + iOS + Android)
QR codes throughout — no login or email required for audio
WHO THIS IS FOR
Upper beginners through lower intermediates, roughly JLPT N4–N3. You should be comfortable with hiragana before starting. (If not, our free two-week course at TheJapanesePage.com/hiragana will get you there.)
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Clay and Yumi Boutwell have been teaching Japanese online for over twenty years through TheJapanShop.com, TheJapanesePage.com, and Makoto+. Yumi is a former Japanese radio DJ; the audio in this book is hers.
Questions or requests for future readers? Email us — our addresses are in the book.
