Read real Japanese today.
Short stories make that possible. By keeping each tale brief and breaking it into small, digestible segments with full explanations, this reader lets you work through genuine Japanese page by page — without the wall-of-text intimidation that stops most learners cold.
Volume 14 introduces Kicchomu, the loud, over-eager wit-hero of Kyushu. Where his southern cousin Hikoichi is quietly clever, Kicchomu is brasher, frequently wrong about the details, and somehow still ends up on top — usually by taking someone's advice a little too literally. Both stories here are 頓智話 (tonchibanashi), "wit tales" whose punch lines turn on language and assumption rather than magic or muscle.
The two stories:
Kicchomu and the Falling Star — He climbs onto the roof with a long broom and promises to knock a gold star down for the villagers. What actually falls is the joke.
Kicchomu Selling Crows — Nobody wants a crow. So Kicchomu sets one bright pheasant on top of the basket and lets his customers' assumptions do the selling.
Each story is presented three ways:
Line-by-line gloss — every sentence broken down word-for-word with grammar notes, so you understand completely.
Japanese only — the full story with furigana but no gloss, for uninterrupted reading practice.
English summary — a straightforward translation to check yourself against (work through the Japanese first).
Also included:
Free native-speaker audio — two recordings per story, one at natural speed and one slowed down. Download via the link or scan the QR codes inside.
Furigana throughout the line-by-line explanations (the Japanese-only section drops it so you can test yourself).
Kanji in Focus — key kanji broken into parts with readings, meanings, and memory hooks.
Exercises and answer keys — comprehension questions, particle fill-ins, grammar hunts, and translation comparisons.
Makoto+ Sentence Explorer — free, unlimited access to every sentence from the book for interactive, word-by-word practice on the web or in the app.
Bonus content — Anki flashcard deck and printable PDFs, free with the book.
Who it's for: upper-beginner to intermediate learners. If you can read hiragana and handle simple sentences, you'll get a lot out of these. Studied for a year or two and feel stuck? Start with the Japanese-only section, then use the gloss to cement what you missed.
Questions or requests for future readers? Our email is in the book — we read it.
Up next: Volume 15, Hikoichi Strikes Back.
