You have probably seen these white and red cat figures somewhere as decoration. They generally have one paw raised or sometimes it’s moving back and forth. Also, they usually either hold a sign with calligraphic characters or it’s hanging from their collar. They are called manekineko and this book tells a legend of their possible origin.
Tag: japanese folklore
[N5] うらしま たろう
Urashima Tarō is a Japanese folklore character. He rescues a turtle and rides on its back to the bottom of the sea, where the beautiful ocean princess Otohime is waiting for him. This retelling for N5 has rather short sentences, but includes some more unusual words. At about 5 sentences per page, it is also… Continue reading [N5] うらしま たろう