Yลkai are Japanese spirits and haunting creatures from Japanese folklore that can be harmless as well as malicious. This booklet introduces you to several of them.
Category: Non-Fiction
[N4] ใๅใ๏ผใใฐใ๏ผ
If you're fascinated by supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore, then you'll love this graded reader by the Japan Foundation Kansai. It features simple descriptions of popular Yลซrei and Yลkai tales and includes pictures of old woodblock prints to illustrate this eerie world of Japanese ghost stories.
[N5] ๆใ็ซ๏ผใพใญใใญใ๏ผ
You have probably seen these white and red cat figures somewhere as decoration. They generally have one paw raised or sometimes itโs moving back and forth. Also, they usually either hold a sign with calligraphic characters or itโs hanging from their collar. They are called manekineko and this book tells a legend of their possible origin.
[N2] ่พๅ ธ็ทจ้่ (ใใฆใใธใใใ ใใใ)ใใ่ฆใๆฅๆฌ่ช
If you are interested in Japanese linguistics or want to have a bit more insight into how Japanese works, this series of short articles for upper intermediate learners is absolutely invaluable.
[N4] ่ฑก๏ผใใ๏ผใฎใใณใญใผ
This book tells the real story of Tonky, an elephant at Ueno zoo. A keeper named Shinichi takes care of Tonky during the 1920s and 1930s, but when the war eventually breaks out, he has to make a difficult decision regarding the elephantโฆ. The tragic fates of the animals at Ueno zoo during the Second… Continue reading [N4] ่ฑก๏ผใใ๏ผใฎใใณใญใผ
[N3] ใปใใจใใซใใฃใใ่ฉฑใ1ๅนด็
At the start of each day, many schools in Japan have a time slot, in which students can freely read their own books. Today's recommendation is a book for first graders and intended to be read during this reading time. The short stories in here are - as the title suggests - based on true… Continue reading [N3] ใปใใจใใซใใฃใใ่ฉฑใ1ๅนด็
[N5] ใฉใใใฉใใใฉใ
donburi is the Japanese name for a large bowl of rice where the main dish (e.g. meat or fish) is served on top. Depending on these other ingredients on top of the rice, those dishes are called different names, but all of them end in ๏ฝใฉใ. This text written by Kondo Maiko at the Japan… Continue reading [N5] ใฉใใใฉใใใฉใ
[N3] ้ฃฏ็ฐ๏ผใใใ ๏ผใใ
Iida Kunihiko was born in Manchuria in 1942, but was soon brought to Hiroshima by his mother. There he experiences and survives the atomic bombing in 1945โฆ This story was created by the NPO ๅนณๅ(ใธใใ)ใฎๅคงๅ(ใใใใค)ใใไผ(ใคใ)ใใๆฅๆฌ่ชๆๆ(ใซใปใใใใใใใ)ใใคใใไผ(ใใ) which I would translate as 'Association for the creation of Japanese language teaching materials to convey the importance of peace'.… Continue reading [N3] ้ฃฏ็ฐ๏ผใใใ ๏ผใใ
[N4] ใๅผๅฝ๏ผในใใจใ๏ผใฃใฆ้ข็ฝใ
This non-fiction text by McPherson Tanaka Naemi is about bento - what types of bento there are, when the food culture around it emerged and how the discussions around it are also socially linked.
[N5] ๅ็ฉ(ใฉใใถใค)ใฎๅฃฐ(ใใ)
What sound does a sheep make? Baaa! Or in Japanese, ใใกใผใ. In this case, English and Japanese differs, but the German word is very similar: mรครครคh! How about a dog, a rooster or an elephant? Find out in this text by Seto Toshihiko on Nihongo Tadoku Dลjล. This text has many pictures and audio embeddings,… Continue reading [N5] ๅ็ฉ(ใฉใใถใค)ใฎๅฃฐ(ใใ)
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