Hikoichi Revisited: Learn Japanese with Stories

Two more Hikoichi tales, plus a chilling oni-mask folktale — every sentence broken down for upper-beginner readers of Japanese.

Hikoichi — the dry-witted young man of Kyushu legend — returns to crack a broken-pot mystery at the headman's house, then sidesteps a tanuki who picked the wrong opponent. The third story steps outside the Hikoichi cycle into a different kind of cleverness: a devoted daughter walking a mountain road by night with nothing in her hands but a fearsome oni mask. This volume presents all three in full Japanese with line-by-line vocabulary, grammar notes, native-speaker audio, and a simple English summary for self-checking.

New in the 2026 edition:

Bonus unlock code inside the book — redeem at Makotoplus.com to study every sentence from this book interactively, on the web or in the mobile app (search the App or Play store for "Makoto Japanese Explorer")New illustrations and audio QR codes on every story's opening pageBefore-You-Read section for each story, pointing you toward the grammar and vocabulary patterns to watch forFull Exercises section for each story: Comprehension Questions, Particle Fill-in, Grammar Pattern Hunt, Translation Comparison, and Answer KeyResized furigana — ruby now sits closer to the base text, the way good Japanese typography shouldRunning headers, page numbers, and section ornaments throughout

What's inside:

Three folktales, each presented three ways: with line-by-line vocabulary, in plain Japanese (no furigana, for real reading practice), and in English summaryWord-by-word breakdowns with furigana over every kanjiA "Kanji in Focus" appendix after each storyGrammar spotlights, cultural notes, and reading tips throughoutFree MP3 audio downloads — natural speed and slowed down — recorded by a native speakerFree Anki deck for pre-studyBonus unlock code for Makoto+ Sentence ExplorerNo sign-up required to access the audio

The three stories:

Hikoichi and the Wondrous Box — A precious pot lies in pieces at the headman's house and no one will admit who broke it. Hikoichi arrives with a Shinto priest, an old wooden box, and a very quiet trap.Hikoichi and the Trickster Tanuki — A tanuki disguises himself as a traveler to fool Hikoichi. He picks the wrong young man.The Oni's Mask and the Girl — A devoted daughter, sent away into service, buys a wooden mask carved to resemble her mother. One morning the mask is gone, switched for a fearsome oni's face by a neighborhood prankster. The mountain road home is dark. What she carries to chase away her fear is about to be tested.

Who this is for: Upper-beginner to lower-intermediate learners. You'll need solid kana and a working sense of basic grammar. (New to hiragana? Take our free two-week crash course at TheJapanesePage.com/hiragana.)

Questions or requests for future readers? The authors' personal email addresses are inside the book.

© 2024 Kotoba Inc (E-bog): 6610000537235

Udgivelsesdato

E-bog: 29. februar 2024