Book Review, graded reader, N4, Non-Fiction

[N4] ๆ—ฅๆœฌใฎใŠใ‚‚ใ—ใ‚ใ„ๅฆ–ๆ€ช๏ผˆใ‚ˆใ†ใ‹ใ„๏ผ‰

Yลkai 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.

Book Review, graded reader, N4, Non-Fiction

[N4] ใŠๅŒ–ใ‘๏ผˆใŠใฐใ‘๏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 Yลkai tales and includes pictures of old woodblock prints to illustrate this eerie world of Japanese ghost stories.

Book Review, graded reader, N2, Non-Fiction

[N2] ่พžๅ…ธ็ทจ้›†่€…(ใ˜ใฆใ‚“ใธใ‚“ใ—ใ‚…ใ†ใ—ใ‚ƒ)ใ‹ใ‚‰่ฆ‹ใŸๆ—ฅๆœฌ่ชž

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.

Book Review, graded reader, N4, Non-Fiction

[N4] ่ฑก๏ผˆใžใ†๏ผ‰ใฎใƒˆใƒณใ‚ญใƒผ

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 elephantโ€ฆ. The tragic fates of the animals at Ueno zoo during the Second… Continue reading [N4] ่ฑก๏ผˆใžใ†๏ผ‰ใฎใƒˆใƒณใ‚ญใƒผ

Book Review, children's literature, N3, Non-Fiction

[N3] ใปใ‚“ใจใ†ใซใ‚ใฃใŸใŠ่ฉฑใ€€1ๅนด็”Ÿ

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] ใปใ‚“ใจใ†ใซใ‚ใฃใŸใŠ่ฉฑใ€€1ๅนด็”Ÿ

Book Review, graded reader, N5, Non-Fiction

[N5] ใฉใ‚“ใ€ใฉใ‚“ใ€ใฉใ‚“

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 ๏ฝžใฉใ‚“. This text written by Kondo Maiko at the Japan… Continue reading [N5] ใฉใ‚“ใ€ใฉใ‚“ใ€ใฉใ‚“

Book Review, N3, Non-Fiction

[N3] ้ฃฏ็”ฐ๏ผˆใ„ใ„ใ ๏ผ‰ใใ‚“

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 1945โ€ฆ This story was created by the NPO ๅนณๅ’Œ(ใธใ„ใ‚)ใฎๅคงๅˆ‡(ใŸใ„ใ›ใค)ใ•ใ‚’ไผ(ใคใŸ)ใˆใ‚‹ๆ—ฅๆœฌ่ชžๆ•™ๆ(ใซใปใ‚“ใ”ใใ‚‡ใ†ใ–ใ„)ใ‚’ใคใใ‚‹ไผš(ใ‹ใ„) which I would translate as 'Association for the creation of Japanese language teaching materials to convey the importance of peace'.… Continue reading [N3] ้ฃฏ็”ฐ๏ผˆใ„ใ„ใ ๏ผ‰ใใ‚“

Book Review, graded reader, N4, Non-Fiction

[N4] ใŠๅผๅฝ“๏ผˆในใ‚“ใจใ†๏ผ‰ใฃใฆ้ข็™ฝใ„

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.

Book Review, Manga, N2, Non-Fiction

[N2] ๆ—ฅๆœฌไบบใฎ็Ÿฅใ‚‰ใชใ„ๆ—ฅๆœฌ่ชž #I

Umino Nagiko is a teacher at a Japanese language school and shares through comic essays some anecdotes from her everyday teaching life while answering questions on Japanese language and culture posed in her classes. There are both comic parts and essay parts for each chapter. When I read this first book, I mostly read it… Continue reading [N2] ๆ—ฅๆœฌไบบใฎ็Ÿฅใ‚‰ใชใ„ๆ—ฅๆœฌ่ชž #I

Book Review, N4, Non-Fiction

[N4] ๅŽŸๅฎฟ๏ผˆใฏใ‚‰ใ˜ใ‚…ใ๏ผ‰ใฎใ‚ฏใƒฌใƒผใƒ—ๅบ—

Around the street Takeshita Doori in Harajuku there are several popular crรชpe stands, that made the area famous for this tasty treat. This article on matcha.jp provides a closer look at 3 of these shops and describes the crรชpes you can buy there. Unfortunately, I'm not one for that much whipped cream, but Harajuku crepes… Continue reading [N4] ๅŽŸๅฎฟ๏ผˆใฏใ‚‰ใ˜ใ‚…ใ๏ผ‰ใฎใ‚ฏใƒฌใƒผใƒ—ๅบ—