First Dream | Learn Japanese Through Stories #0001

📖 Study Guide

Learn Japanese through stories.

These stories include Japanese culture,
daily life, travel experiences,
and conversations between people.

1. Read the story.
2. Follow the Japanese text.
3. Use Romaji if needed.
4. Review the vocabulary.

🌸 Story

🌸 さくら｜Sakura

I had my first dream of the year.
In it, I was a child again.

初夢を見た。
そこにいたのは、幼い頃のわたし。

Hatsuyume o mita.
Soko ni ita no wa, osanai koro no watashi.

🌸 さくら｜Sakura

There was my twin sister, Sumire.

そして、双子の姉妹のすみれ。

Soshite, futago no shimai no Sumire.

🌸 さくら｜Sakura

She was lively, always smiling, always moving forward.

すみれは活発で、よく笑って、前に前に進む子。

Sumire wa kappatsu de, yoku waratte, mae ni mae ni susumu ko.

🌸 さくら｜Sakura

I was shy, quietly watching from a small distance behind her.

わたしは少し内気で、後ろからそっと見ている子だった。

Watashi wa sukoshi uchiki de, ushiro kara sotto mite iru ko datta.

🌸 さくら｜Sakura

Even though we were twins,
I remember thinking, in the dream,
how different our personalities were.

双子なのに、こんなにも性格が違うんだね。
そんなことを、夢の中で静かに思っていた。

Futago na noni, konna ni mo seikaku ga chigau n da ne.
Sonna koto o, yume no naka de shizuka ni omotte ita.

💭 Story Note

Hatsuyume (初夢) is the first dream of the New Year.

In Japan, many people believe that a good first dream brings good luck for the year ahead.

In this story, Sakura remembers her childhood through a dream.

One of the highlights of this story is how Sakura reflects on the differences between herself and her twin sister, Sumire.

📚 Vocabulary

Here are some words and expressions from this story.
Many of them are commonly used when talking about memories, family, and personality.