Japanese Through Stories

Why are 紅葉 and 黄葉 both pronounced “kouyou”? On their way home from school, Sakura and Sumire discover how different kanji can share the same sound. Explore Japanese homophones and the colorful language of autumn through a gentle bilingual story with English, Japanese, and Romaji.

Why do green leaves turn red or yellow in autumn? Join Sakura, Sumire, and Hachi-sensei as they discover the secret of changing leaves in their school courtyard. A gentle story for learning Japanese through English, Japanese, and Romaji.

After school,Hachi-sensei is quietlymuttering to himself.Shimeji, maitake,and even the orderof the ingredients in the hot pot…Sakura and Sumire begin to wonder:“Is Hachi-senseia nabe bugyō?”As the weather gets cooler,it is the perfect seasonfor Japanese hot pot. 🍲🐈

Sakura finds the word「霜降」(sōkō)on the school calendar.The kanji mean“frost” and “fall.”So does that meanfrost will fall tomorrow?Hachi-sensei explainsthis seasonal wordand its place in the traditionalJapanese calendar. 🐈🍂

It is already autumn,so maybe it is time to switch clothes.But some daysstill feel surprisingly warm.“Can I put awaymy short-sleeved shirts now?”Should we follow the calendar,or the temperature?Sakura and Sumire talkabout choosing clothesfor the changing season.

The smell of roasted sweet potatoesdrifts through the air.You haven’t even seen them yet,but somehow,you already want one.“Isn’t this smell unfair?”A small autumn momentstarts today’s conversationbetween Sakura and Sumire.

Bears eat acorns.So…can people eat them too?Acorns are a familiar part of autumn,but we may not know much about them.“If bears can eat them,people can too, right?”A small autumn questionstarts today’s conversationbetween Sakura and Sumire.

“What’s ‘kuri’ in English?”Sometimes,you know a word,but it just doesn’tcome to mind.Then someone says it,and suddenly you think,“Oh, right!That’s the word!”A small everyday conversationbetween Sakura and Sumireabout a familiar autumn word.

“Today,I got stopped by the policewhile I was out with my bicycle.”Sakura immediately imaginesthat Sumire broke a rule.But as Sumire explainswhat really happened,the meaning of“got stopped by the police”starts to look very different.A light story abouta bicycle,a police officer,and one small misunderstanding.

In Japan, autumn is often called“the season of appetite.”There are many delicious seasonal foods,such as chestnuts, sweet potatoes,and pumpkin.But does “autumn appetite”really make a good excusefor eating too much?Sakura and Sumire talk aboutthis familiar autumn expressionin a lighthearted way.