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➡️ WAIT! Want to save a dollar and get the latest issue each month? Become a member of our Makoto+ club and not only save and download new Makoto issues, but also access web-versions of the past three Makoto issues. Want more? Well, Makoto+ members also get a 10% reusable coupon good for anything at theJapanShop.com and each month, we will post a new eBook for you to download free of charge. Subscribe today for only $3 a month or $36 a year. Cancel at any time! Click here to learn more. IN THIS ISSUE: NEW READER: Ninja * Laughs, Jokes, Riddles, and Puns* Prefecture Spotlight: Aichi* Etymology* Phrase of the Day: Love Words* Japanese Art: Byobu* Kanji Spotlight* Grammar Time!　* Reader: Ninja! ➡️ LEARN ABOUT BECOMING A MAKOTO+ MEMBER. CLICK HERE

  ➡️ WAIT! Want to save a dollar and get the latest issue each month? Become a member of our Makoto+ club and not only save and download new Makoto issues, but also access web-versions of the past three Makoto issues. Want more? Well, Makoto+ members also get a 10% reusable coupon good for anything at theJapanShop.com and each month, we will post a new eBook for you to download free of charge. Subscribe today for only $3 a month or $36 a year. Cancel at any time! Click here to learn more. IN THIS ISSUE: Sushi: How to Make Sushi Easy and Cheap NEW READER: Miyamoto Musashi * Laughs, Jokes, Riddles, and Puns: おやじギャグ* Prefecture Spotlight: Toyama* Etymology: 二枚目* Phrase of the Day: Useful English proverbs in Japanese* Ukiyo-e: Hokusai* Kanji Spotlight: 金* Grammar Time!　予定 and つもり* Reader: Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's Greatest Swordsman ➡️ LEARN ABOUT BECOMING A MAKOTO+ MEMBER. CLICK HERE

  ➡️ WAIT! Want to save a dollar and get the latest issue each month? Become a member of our Makoto+ club and not only save and download new Makoto issues, but also access web-versions of the past three Makoto issues. Want more? Well, Makoto+ members also get a 10% reusable coupon good for anything at theJapanShop.com and each month, we will post a new eBook for you to download free of charge. Subscribe today for only $3 a month or $36 a year. Cancel at any time! Click here to learn more. IN THIS ISSUE: New Year's Special Issue NEW READERS: Frank and the Obaasan & The Wise Child31 Pages * Laughs, Jokes, Riddles, and Puns * Prefecture Spotlight: Saga * Etymology: New Year's Eve in Japanese * Phrase of the Day: New Year's Greetings * Kanji Spotlight: Kanji Stroke Order Rules * Grammar Time! GA as a conjunction * Frank and the Obaasan Reader, Grammatical Notes, Kanji Notes, and English Translation [Beginner Level] * The Wise Child Reader [Beginner Level] ➡️ LEARN ABOUT BECOMING A MAKOTO+ MEMBER. CLICK HERE

SAVE WITH DIGITAL! This item is included in a digital bundle at a discount. If you would like the eBook version (PDF, ePub) and the MP3s, please see our discounted bundles here - Japanese Vocabulary Booster Value Pack WHICH FORMAT SHOULD I GET?Paperback: Requires shippingDigital Download: Get instant access of the ebook and sound files Learn 101 useful Japanese idioms. What happens if your mouth is heavy? Or if you use people with your chin? Or when you grind sesame? Find out all about these idioms and much more. Beginners can get a lot out of this product, but hiragana and very basic Japanese is recommended. 200 page paperback Printable PDF Over 300 MP3s with each phrase and example sentence Flash eBook for interactive studying and listening Works on both PCs and Macs NOW FREE Kindle and Nook ebook versions ePub works on Android devices with FBReader and possibly other EPUB book reader apps. Once one zooms beyond the basics of a language, idiomatic expressions, proverbs, and slang can provide the spice to keep motivation up and progress going forward. This book will introduce 101 of the most common Japanese idioms. We are including at no extra charge MP3s for all the examples found in this book. Create playlists to study on the go or burn the sound files to a CD to listen at home. The download link is found on the last page. We believe the best way to learn vocabulary–by far–is to study words within their proper context. Every idiom is followed by an example sentence and a paragraph or two explaining the context and usage. Each idiom will have three sound files associated with it. The MP3s are all recorded by native voice actors and actresses. The first sound file is the idiom itself. The second is the example sentence. The third sound file has the idiom, an English translation, the idiom repeated slowly, and the example sentence with translation. Try to mimic the Japanese speakers in sound and presentation. We highly recommend knowing hiragana before tackling this book. Every kanji here has furigana (small hiragana) over it to aid reading. If you do not yet know hiragana, please check out our Hiragana book: “Hiragana, the Basics of Japanese.”

Excellent for Intermediates who have completed Genki II, and for those who have completed N3. Students may also want the Workbook--especially if you have a teacher or a tutor who can check your work. Includes 2 CDs 342 Pages ISBN 978-4-7890-1307-9  

Makoto E-Zine Series #101 Recommended for beginner to intermediate learners of Japanese. You can purchase the printed version on Amazon by clicking here. Makoto Japanese Language & Culture Magazine Issue 101 (July 2026) — the first issue of the next hundred Makoto is a monthly digital magazine for beginner to intermediate learners of Japanese. Each issue blends short stories, language lessons, cultural notes, humor, and native-audio recordings — all designed to make Japanese feel natural, usable, and enjoyable. In this issue (July 2026, Issue 101): After the fireworks of issue #100, #101 gets to enjoy the quiet luxury of being a perfectly ordinary number — which means it's simply a magazine full of Japanese to dig into. Frank clocks in for a full shift at the diner, a rain-soaked stranger shows up at a castle gate claiming to be a princess, and the etymology section explains why the gods get credit for thunder. All in the fully redesigned format introduced last issue: PDF, ePub, web, and the iPhone & Android apps, all from the same source. Readers: Beginner Reader (Let's Read): 看板を読む子 (Reading the Signs) A bored kid in the back seat reads restaurant signs out the car window — and accidentally gives Mom entirely the wrong idea. Presented in hiragana-spaced and kanji+furigana formats for multiple reading passes, with grammar notes covering の modifiers, 何も～ない, ～ている, ～ことにする, のなら, and て-form sequencing. Japanese Reader: えんどう豆の上のお姫さま (The Princess and the Pea) After last month's ghost story, something gentler: Andersen's classic retold in clear, approachable Japanese. A prince wants a real princess, and the queen has a testing method involving one very small pea and a great deal of bedding. Full vocabulary, grammar notes, and audio — watch for ～かどうか (whether or not), ～たり～たり, ～ようで, and the confident conclusion pattern ～にちがいない. Frank and the Obaasan: Season 3, Episode 9 A Day at the Restaurant (定食屋の日常) Last month Frank got a job. This month he actually has to do it. A full day at the teishoku diner — morning prep, lonely regulars, and Frank's particular gift for saying goodbye to fish. Includes structured Japanese, vocabulary/grammar support, and Japanese-only reading. Language & culture lessons: Grammar Time — Beginner: ～てもいい (JLPT N4) The everyday permission pattern: "you may ~" / "is it okay to ~?" — with examples across verbs, adjectives, and nouns. Grammar Time — Intermediate: ～ものの (JLPT N2) The "although ~" pattern for when the first half of your sentence writes a check the second half can't cash — a contrast connector you'll meet constantly in written Japanese. Onomatopoeia Focus: Rain しとしと, ざあざあ, and ぽつぽつ — three ways Japanese hears the rain, from a gentle drizzle to a downpour to the first scattered drops that make you regret not bringing an umbrella. Vocabulary (5 entries, N5 to N1): いただきます, 久しぶり, 気になる, 念のため, and 気が置けない — graded across all five JLPT levels, each with usage notes, example sentences, and audio. Etymology: 雷 Why is thunder called かみなり? Because to the ancient Japanese, it was quite literally the sound the gods make — a word history that traces the kanji back to lightning spreading across the sky beneath rainclouds. Kanji Spotlight (JLPT N5 to N1): 館, 親, 登, 現, and 矛 — readings, meanings, stroke order, compound words, and example sentences for each. Prefecture Spotlight: 神奈川 (Kanagawa) Home to Yokohama — one of Japan's first ports opened to foreign trade in 1859 and now home to the country's largest Chinatown — plus Kamakura's Great Buddha and more. Anime Phrase of the Month 「同じ気持ちじゃない時、どうしたらいいんだろう？」 from ちいかわ — Hachiware wonders what to do when someone doesn't feel the same way. Small, cute, and quietly devastating, as Chiikawa tends to be. Haiku Spotlight: 正岡子規 (Masaoka Shiki) 「ずんずんと夏を流すや最上川」— the mighty Mogami River sweeps summer itself downstream, in one of Shiki's most energetically modern-sounding classical haiku. With five English translations and full analysis. Jokes & Riddles, Katakana Match (Nation Names), and more Includes: 106 pages (PDF) in the fully redesigned Makoto format 27 MP3 audio files 4 Anki flashcard decks 2 eBook formats (PDF + ePub) Scan-and-listen QR codes for quick mobile access Full integration with Makoto+ Japanese Explorer on the web and in the iPhone & Android app — magazine content is built into the Read tab with inline audio, tappable vocabulary, furigana-on-demand, translations, notes, and vocabulary tracking Issue 101: no milestones, no fireworks — just a magazine full of Japanese worth digging into. Whether you're testing princesses with produce, learning to hear the rain in Japanese, or just here to see how Frank handles the lunch rush — welcome to the second hundred. NOTE: Digital and Print Versions Available (print on Amazon, digital here). Digital version downloads are instant—no waiting. No Dropbox account required. Download directly on PC/Mac or access files on mobile. If you don't see your email right away, check your spam folder or contact us. This series is also available on Amazon.

➡️ WAIT! Want to save a dollar and get the latest issue each month? Become a member of our Makoto+ club and not only save and download new Makoto issues, but also access web-versions of the past three Makoto issues. Want more? Well, Makoto+ members also get a 10% reusable coupon good for anything at theJapanShop.com and each month, we will post a new eBook for you to download free of charge. Subscribe today for only $3 a month or $36 a year. Cancel at any time! Click here to learn more. Makoto E-Zine series #20Recommended for beginners and lower intermediates of Japanese.FREE MP3s of the stories read by a native Japanese speaker--download link found on the last page. Listen while reading.The Fun Japanese Not Found in Textbooks. If you like our readers and lessons, you will love Makoto, the new e-zine filled with articles on kanji, culture, idioms, proverbs, geography, history, etymology, JLPT tips, Japanese trivia, and much more. Not only that, but every issue will include a brand new reader with newly recorded high-quality MP3s for you to download for no extra charge. IN THIS ISSUE: October 2019NEW READER: よんでみよう！ Let's Read! & Ukiyoe, Part Two* Laughs, Jokes, Riddles, and Puns* Vocabulary* Prefecture Spotlight* Etymology* Phrase of the Day* Haiku: Basho* Kanji Spotlight* Grammar Time!* Japanese Readers: Yonde miyou! Let's Read! and Ukiyoe, Part Two ➡️ LEARN ABOUT BECOMING A MAKOTO+ MEMBER. CLICK HERE

Paperback. 144 pages. 7 x 5 inches. -----------------   Our award-winning series moves forward with an all-new selection of 80 kanji geared toward intermediate learners of the language. Upon completion of this and the previous three volumes, students will have learned a total of 320 kanji, enough to prepare them for the advanced levels of the official Japanese Language Proficiency Test. "A brilliant idea!" says Ronald A. Morse, retired professor of Japan Studies at UCLA and the University of Las Vegas, Nevada. "Japanese kanji — the written symbols adapted from Chinese — were originally drawings of images from real life. Japanese comic books and cartoons now provide fresh images to help us learn. Kanji de Manga uses today's manga images to make the kanji learning process fun and easy for otaku of all ages. This is a brilliant approach to learning the language." Each page features its own comic strip, kanji pronunciation guide, stroke order, and English explanations. Created by Glenn Kardy, editor of several volumes in the popular How to Draw Manga series, including Getting Started, the first book of its kind to be used at major universities in the United States (UCLA) and Japan (Waseda). Artwork by Chihiro Hattori, niece of legendary manga artist Eichi Fukui.

➡️ WAIT! Want to save a dollar and get the latest issue each month? Become a member of our Makoto+ club and not only save and download new Makoto issues, but also access web-versions of the past three Makoto issues. Want more? Well, Makoto+ members also get a 10% reusable coupon good for anything at theJapanShop.com and each month, we will post a new eBook for you to download free of charge. Subscribe today for only $3 a month or $36 a year. Cancel at any time! Click here to learn more. IN THIS ISSUE: NEW READER: Frank and the Obaasan & The Fountain of Youth33 Pages * Laughs, Jokes, Riddles, and Puns* Prefecture Spotlight: Kumamoto* Etymology: Mizu ni Nagasou* Phrase of the Day: The Pen is Mightier than the Sword* Kanji Spotlight: JLPT N5 Kanji Numbers* Grammar Time! Plan To: yotei; tsumori* Frank and the Obaasan Reader, Grammatical Notes, Kanji Notes, and English Translation* The Fountain of Youth ➡️ LEARN ABOUT BECOMING A MAKOTO+ MEMBER. CLICK HERE