📖 Study Guide
Learn Japanese through stories.
These stories include Japanese culture,
daily life, travel experiences,
and conversations between people.
1. Read the English text.
2. Read the Japanese text.
3. Use Romaji if needed.
4. Review the vocabulary.
🌸 Story
A wind, a little colder than yesterday,
is shaking the leaves on the trees along the street.
Sakura and Sumire
are walking toward the station.
昨日より少し冷たい風が、
街路樹の葉を揺らしています。
さくらとすみれは、
駅へ向かって歩いているところです。
Kinou yori sukoshi tsumetai kaze ga,
gairoju no ha o yurashite imasu.
Sakura to Sumire wa,
eki e mukatte aruite iru tokoro desu.
It’s cold! 💦
さむっ！💦
Samu! 💦
Is this Kogarashi?
これって、木枯らし？
Kore tte, kogarashi?
Is it a wind that makes trees wither? 🤔
木を枯らす風なの？🤔
Ki o karasu kaze na no? 🤔
Ahaha! 🤣
あははっ！🤣
Ahaha! 🤣
The kanji mean “tree” and “wither,” right?
木が枯れるって書くでしょ？
Ki ga kareru tte kaku desho?
But Kogarashi is
a cold wind that blows
from late autumn to early winter.
でも、木枯らしは
秋の終わりから冬の初めに吹く、
冷たい風のことだよ。
Demo, kogarashi wa
aki no owari kara fuyu no hajime ni fuku,
tsumetai kaze no koto da yo.
So it doesn’t actually make trees wither.
じゃあ、木を枯らすわけじゃないんだ。
Jaa, ki o karasu wake janain da.
It’s a strong, cold wind
that can blow leaves off the trees.
木の葉を散らすような、
強くて冷たい風のことだね。
Konoha o chirasu you na,
tsuyokute tsumetai kaze no koto da ne.
So…
It’s like the wind is telling us,
“Winter is coming!” 😊
じゃあ……
冬が来ますよーって、
教えてくれる風なんだね！😊
Jaa…
Fuyu ga kimasu yoo tte,
oshiete kureru kaze nan da ne! 😊
That’s one way to think about it.
そんな感じかもしれないね。
Sonna kanji kamo shirenai ne.
Even when we went clothes shopping.
洋服を買いに行ったときもね。
Youfuku o kai ni itta toki mo ne.
Maybe I should’ve bought
some winter clothes yesterday after all! 💦
やっぱり昨日、
冬服を買っておけばよかったかなぁ💦
Yappari kinou,
fuyufuku o katte okeba yokatta kanaa. 💦
Yesterday, you said
your usual clothes were fine! 🤣
昨日はいつもの服でいいって
言ってたじゃない！🤣
Kinou wa itsumo no fuku de ii tte
itteta janai! 🤣
Nobody told me
Kogarashi was coming!
木枯らしが来るなんて、
聞いてなかったもん！
Kogarashi ga kuru nante,
kiite nakatta mon!
Don’t complain to the wind! 🤣🐾
木枯らしに文句を言わないの！🤣🐾
Kogarashi ni monku o iwanai no! 🤣🐾
Dear Kogarashi,
Please blow a little more gently
tomorrow, okay? 😊
木枯らしさん。
明日はもう少し、
やさしく吹いてねー！😊
Kogarashi-san.
Ashita wa mou sukoshi,
yasashiku fuite nee! 😊
You’re asking the wind for a favor! 🤣
風にお願いしてるー！🤣
Kaze ni onegai shiteruu! 🤣
💭 Story Note
### 🍃 Kogarashi — A Cold Wind That Brings Winter
In Japan, the word 木枯らし (kogarashi)
refers to a strong, cold wind
that blows from late autumn to early winter.
For many people, feeling this wind
is one of the signs that winter is approaching.
Even when the calendar says winter has begun,
the changing weather can make the new season
feel more real.
### 🌳 The Kanji Behind Kogarashi
The word 木枯らし (kogarashi) contains two kanji:
木 (ko) — tree
枯 (ka) — to wither or dry up
The word 枯らし (karashi) becomes “garashi”
when it is combined with 木 (ko).
This sound change is called Rendaku (連濁).
So, we say:
木枯らし (kogarashi)
Looking at these characters,
you might imagine a wind that makes trees wither.
That’s exactly what Sakura wonders in the story!
But Kogarashi doesn’t literally make trees wither.
The name gives us an image of a cold wind
blowing through trees and scattering their leaves.
### 🍂 Feeling the Seasons Through Nature
In Japanese, many seasonal expressions
are connected to nature.
Kogarashi is one example.
Rather than simply saying,
“It’s getting colder,”
the word Kogarashi can bring to mind
the sound of wind, falling leaves,
and the feeling that winter is near.
Sometimes, one seasonal word
can express much more than the weather itself.
📚 Vocabulary
EN: a cold wind that signals the arrival of winter
JP: 木枯らし
ROMAJI: kogarashi
EN: to wither / to dry up
JP: 枯れる
ROMAJI: kareru
EN: to scatter / to make something fall
JP: 散らす
ROMAJI: chirasu
EN: to complain
JP: 文句を言う
ROMAJI: monku o iu
🌱 Language Tip — 木枯らし (kogarashi)
木枯らし (kogarashi) is a seasonal word
used in Japan from late autumn to early winter.
It describes a strong, cold wind
that makes people feel winter is coming.
In everyday conversation,
you might hear someone say:
「木枯らしが吹いているね。」
Kogarashi ga fuite iru ne.
“The cold winter wind is blowing, isn’t it?”
Or:
「今日は木枯らしが冷たいね。」
Kyou wa kogarashi ga tsumetai ne.
“The cold wind feels chilly today.”
People often use 木枯らし when talking
about the first signs of winter.
It can also create a seasonal feeling
in stories, poems, and everyday conversations.
For example, Sakura imagines
Kogarashi as a wind announcing winter.
That’s one way this word can bring
a little feeling of the season into a conversation.
🔰 Mix Words and Feel Their Meaning｜ことばを混ぜて、感覚をつかもう
木枯らし (kogarashi) is a strong, cold wind
that signals the arrival of winter.
It’s more than just a chilly breeze.
For example…
I felt 木枯らし on my way home.
木枯らし is blowing today.
When 木枯らし blows,
I feel that winter is getting closer. 🍃
Imagine a cold wind blowing through the trees
as autumn slowly turns into winter.
That’s the feeling behind 木枯らし.
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