Learn Japanese with History & Essays [Digital Books + Audio + Anki + App Access]

$ 29.00 $ 48.93 -41% OFF

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Description

What you get

7 eBooks + audio + Anki flashcards + app access

It's a digital bundle, so nothing is shipped. Right after checkout we email you a link to download:

7 eBooks as PDFsOver 1,100 pages, each volume with a timeline of Japanese history.
The same eBooks as ePubsFor phones, tablets and e-readers.
Audio for every storyRead by Yumi, a native speaker, at slow and natural speed.
Anki flashcard decksWith sound and pitch accent.
Makoto+ app unlock codesOne for every volume, so every story opens in the app.

How you'll use it

Read, listen, review, practice

  1. ReadWork through an essay one sentence at a time, with a note on every word.
  2. ListenPlay it at slow speed, then at natural speed, and read along.
  3. ReviewLearn its key kanji, one per page, then review the words in Anki.
  4. PracticeDo the Review & Practice exercises, with answers in Japanese and English.

One story at a time, in any order. Each one stands on its own.

7eBooks
21true stories and essays
1,100+pages
2audio speeds per story
LevelN3

JLPT N4 to N3, CEFR A2 to B1 · Best after Genki II

What's inside

7 eBooks, 21 true stories

Real history and modern Japan, written for learners: samurai and ninja, Hachikō and instant ramen, ukiyo-e, tunnels and the bullet train.

  1. Step 1

    Samurai & Daimyō

    The three warlords who unified Japan, Sakamoto Ryōma the reformer, and Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsman.

    Volume 1: Samurai & Daimyō
  2. Step 2

    Ninja, Rōnin & Daimyō

    What ninja actually did, the tragedy of the 47 rōnin, and Takeda Shingen, the man who almost had it all.

    Volume 2: Ninja, Rōnin & Daimyō
  3. Step 3

    20th Century Japanese Stories

    Hachikō the loyal dog, the invention of instant ramen, and Kurosawa, the director the world came to know.

    Volume 3: 20th Century Japanese Stories
  4. Step 4

    Essays on Modern Japan

    Reiwa and how an era gets its name, Japan's giant hornet, and 梅雨つゆ, the rainy season.

    Volume 4: Essays on Modern Japan
  5. Step 5

    Ukiyo-e

    What ukiyo-e is, the artists behind it, and how it went on to reshape Western art.

    Volume 5: Ukiyo-e
  6. Step 6

    Japanese Tunnels

    Tunnels in Japan, the Blue Tunnel dug by hand over thirty years, and the Seikan Tunnel beneath the sea.

    Volume 6: Japanese Tunnels
  7. Step 7

    The Shinkansen & the Rails of Japan · New

    Japan's first railway of 1872, the bullet train and how it was built, and the maglev line being tunneled toward Nagoya today.

    Volume 7: The Shinkansen & the Rails of Japan
  8. Your goal: reading real Japanese

Look inside

Every essay, three ways

1Line by line, with furigana

「鳴なかぬなら殺ころしてしまえ。ホトトギス」

2The whole essay in Japanese

「鳴かぬなら殺してしまえ。ホトトギス」

“If the Lesser Cuckoo doesn’t sing, kill it.”

The first line of Volume 1, a poem about the warlord Oda Nobunaga. On its page every word gets a note, like the old negative ending in 鳴なかぬ, which means 鳴なかない. Then the essay runs again without furigana, then in English, with audio at slow and natural speed.

Look inside Volume 1 free

In the app too

Read and listen in the Makoto+ app

Japanese History & Essays Volume 1: Samurai & Daimyo in the Makoto+ app: 3 stories, a Keep reading button, the full eBook to read or email, and cards for the Warring States warlords, Sakamoto Ryōma and Miyamoto Musashi
The line 「鳴かぬなら殺してしまえ。ホトトギス」 in the Makoto+ app reader, with furigana, a Normal or Slow audio switch, a Show translation button and the sentence's notes about Oda Nobunaga

Every volume comes with an unlock code for the Makoto+ Japanese Explorer app on iPhone, iPad and Android. Here is Volume 1 in the app, and Nobunaga's line in the reader, with its notes, vocabulary and translation a tap away.

  • Hear every sentence at normal or slow speed
  • Turn furigana on or off
  • Tap any word for its meaning
  • Save words and quiz yourself
  • Pick up where you left off in every book

What learners say

5.0from 20 reviews

“I love the stories, they make you forget you are learning because you are reading a nice interesting story.”

Ron D.

“All the parts of each sentence are explained in detail, before the full text is presented. This makes reading very easy.”

Ruediger

“To learn about Japanese history whilst learning the language is very handy! Gives a much more rounded understanding of Japanese language & culture.”

Sam L.

Read all 20 reviews

Who it's for

Upper beginnersFinished a first textbook? Read something real, written for adults.
History fansSamurai, ninja, ukiyo-e and the bullet train, in Japanese.
Intermediate learnersBuild reading speed with short, true essays and full notes.
  • Pay once, keep them forever
  • Free updates forever
  • Instant download
  • 60-day money-back guarantee

Questions

What do I get?

All 7 volumes as PDF and ePub files, two MP3 recordings of every story (slow and natural speed), Anki decks with sound and pitch accent, and an unlock code for every volume in the Makoto+ app.

How do I download it?

Right after checkout we email you a download link. Download everything at once on a computer, or open single books on your phone or tablet. You don't need Dropbox or any other account.

Can I read them on my phone or Kindle?

Yes. The ePub files work in Apple Books, Google Play Books and most reading apps, and the PDFs open anywhere. Our eBook guide walks you through each device.

What level is it?

Upper beginner to intermediate, about JLPT N4 to N3. You should know hiragana and some basic grammar. In the line-by-line section every kanji has furigana. Brand new to Japanese? Start with Beri-Beri Shoshinsha. Prefer folktales? Try Learn Japanese with Stories.

Are the stories true?

Yes. Every story and essay is about real Japanese history or modern life, from the warlords who unified Japan to the maglev line being built today.

Will there be more volumes?

As the series grows, every new volume and every improvement comes to you free.

Is a printed version included?

No, this is the digital bundle. Several of these books are also sold as paperbacks.

What if it isn't right for me?

Tell us within 60 days and we'll swap it for a better-fitting bundle or refund you in full.

TheJapanShop.com bundles are books you own. Makoto+ is a library you join. See how they compare

We run two main sites: TheJapanShop.com and MakotoPlus.com. Here's the gist:

Books you own

TheJapanShop.com bundles

  • Pay once and keep it forever
  • Download every book: PDF, ePub and MP3 audio, plus Anki decks with many bundles
  • Free updates forever, including new volumes we add to the bundle
  • Most bundles also unlock in the Makoto app by themselves, as the full eBook plus interactive sentences
  • 60-day money-back guarantee

A library you join

Makoto+ membership

  • Free, monthly or yearly plans
  • Interactive stories in the Makoto app: about a dozen free, dozens with Samurai, up to 200 with Shogun
  • Stories in the membership rotate monthly
  • A new Makoto magazine issue every month to download and keep (Samurai and Shogun)
  • Members save 10% (Samurai) or 20% (Shogun) on bundles

Join once, for good

Makoto+ Lifetime

  • Shogun membership for life, with one payment
  • Everything we add to Makoto+ later is included
  • Bundle downloads are not included, but your 20% member discount works on them
  • Sold only during limited-time windows

Many learners do both. The free Makoto+ Japanese Explorer App (iPhone/iPad and Android) puts them side by side: the books you own and the stories in your membership, in one library.

Samurai or Shogun member? See which stories you can already read in the app

If you are a Shogun member, you can read these 3 stories in the Makoto+ Japanese Explorer app right now:

Japanese History & Essays Volume 1: Samurai & DaimyoThe Warrior Leaders of the Warring States Era · Miyamoto Musashi

Japanese History & Essays Volume 3: 20th Century Japanese StoriesThe Loyal Dog, Hachiko

Stories in your membership rotate monthly and don't include downloads like PDFs, ePubs, MP3s or Anki decks. If you just want to read these stories in the app, they're already yours. Buying the bundle keeps all of its stories in the app for good, plus all the downloads.

Not a Makoto+ member? Become one to save up to 20% on this bundle AND get access to up to 200 stories as part of your membership.

Current as of November 2026.

Try before you buy

Look inside Volume 1, free

Flip through the opening pages of Samurai & Daimyō, exactly as they appear in the book, then hear a reading at normal speed followed by the slower version.

Page 1 / –
Loading sample…

Trouble viewing? Open the sample PDF in a new tab.

Audio sample Normal, then slow

Every story in all seven volumes is recorded at both speeds.

  • 5 stars: 19 (95%)
  • 4 stars: 1 (5%)
  • 3 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 2 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 1 star: 0 (0%)
E
Elizabeth (Albuquerque, US)
Learn Japanese with History is such fun

Another great set of readers. I've enjoyed them no end.

Yeah, and learned a lot, too.

My only gripes? I can't get the Anki Decks to work with my copy of Anki. Probably the unzipped files are in the wrong folder. I'll work on it some more.

Also, I wish you had an interactive stroke order tutorial along with the Kanji list. Maybe in the next revision?

FYI I use your material on my Kindle Fire, which is of course an Android tablet. Works a charm, except for the Anki decks.

Thank you! Make sure you use the official Anki app. There are knock offs but they don't work well with third-party decks like ours. Here is their site: https://apps.ankiweb.net/

If you have that, please email me (https://www.thejapanshop.com/pages/contact-us) and we'll figure it out!

R
Ron Deen (Amsterdam, NL)
You forget you are learning!

I love the stories, they make you forget you are learning because you are reading a nice interesting story. Difficulty is n4 worthy is my opinion. Some stories stil require looking at the explanation a lot, but this is easy! It is right below. I am a big fan.

Thanks! N4 is about where we are shooting for with these stories--except for names and some historical concepts. Those can be... hard, but important eventually. Thanks for the review! We really appreciate it.

G
George Marquez (The Bronx, US)
Excellent Buy

I purchased the Learn Japanese with History because of my studies (personal) on Japanese Culture and got more than I expected and definitely worth the price. You get more bang for your buck.,

I love to hear that you are getting more value than you expected. Thank you!

R
Ruediger (Colchester, GB)
Excellent support for advanced beginners and intermediate learners.

I have obtained the books as well as the online version. The files of the online version should be fine for anybody who is comfortable to study
from PDF files or similar formats. I prefer to read a book. The books are an excellent study tool even if somebody is weak on the vocabulary side.
All the parts of each sentence are explained in detail, before the full text is presented. This makes reading very easy. Another strong point are the
audio files, which contain all the texts read in a crisp and clear voice. Also these files are easily to understand. All together this package can only be
highly recommended.

Thank you so much for your kind words. :)

A
Anonymous (Nuremberg, DE)
Awesome and fun as all your stories!

I read these stories already when they appeared in Makoto and love them! Great choice of topics! I wanted to have them as a bundle this time and go through them again since my Japanese improved since then. I especially love the Takeda Shingen chapter. Have been loving all your texts since I read your fist story, Hikoichi. Thanks for your great work! Big fan!

D
Dr D Akira Robinson (Ladera Ranch, US)
Yokodekimashita! Sugoi!

Very impressed with the pedagogical efforts here! The illustrations are of a familiar style seen all over Japan (ie feels like home in Akigawa). Loved the Warring States teaching on Kanji. Well done; very well done. All around superb materials at the perfect price point.

O
Oji Kenobi (Portland, US)
Extreme Haiku Sentiment Swing

I’m still digesting Episode 1. Slow learner. But what I’ve read so far is entertaining and educational. The haiku were a nice touch. Yeah, just kill the bird! See where that attitude gets you! I print the script and put the audio on a loop and take both with me on neighborhood walks. I can shadow the audio loud enough to help with pronunciation and, of course, learn some new vocabulary. Back home, I practice writing the kanji. Then I’ll repeat that for the next episodes. There’s a wealth of material in these books!

L
Linsey de Jager (Stellenbosch, ZA)
Really interesting

I'm a great fan on history and what a better way than to learn a language by reading up on the history of the country? These are a little advanced for me and the going is slow, but I'm enjoying them nonetheless and learning something new everyday.

J
Johanna (Bengtsfors, SE)
Great readers if you're interested in history

They're a bit above my level, but I'm having a great time reading them nonetheless (I'm just going a bit slower). The format is great, the texts are short and informative, there's a lot of explanations for vocabulary and phrases.

C
Caro Villalba (Quito, EC)
Awesome books!

Great books and great content. All in one history and culture, plus it's very helpful to have the vocabulary and definitions at hand. I love it!

S
Sam Lowe (Northcote, AU)

Great collection of readers. To learn about Japanese history whilst learning the language is very handy! Gives a much more rounded understanding of Japanese language & culture.

S
Sakura Kimura (Quezon City, PH)
For Japanese History Enthusiasts

This is highly recommended if you are a Japanese History nerd like me. Besides learning the language, I get to learn about their history as well!

M
Michael Jay (Hampton, GB)
High quality and easy to use.

Excellent all round. Audio recordings are top technical quality in a very clear voice which is a pleasure to listen to. Ebooks are easy to read in all formats with each story/part written in kanji with furigana, romaji, and English, with clear explanations of the words and grammar. Sensible prices make these really useful.
Excellent practice for reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Well done!

m
marlies van maarseveen (Wageningen, NL)
JLPT N4

I am just starting to study for N4. I like these books, the subjects and the exercise

C
Christos Angelidakis (Athens, GR)
Amazing!

Thank you so much for these bundles! Extremely high quality, everything is broken down and the pricing is great! No more boring textbooks that's the most enjoyable way to learn Japanese!

C
Chandra Barfield (Forney, US)
A fun tool!

These stories are much shorter than the Japanese Reader collection, but are just as fun. They are full of grammar, vocabulary and listening comprehension as well. These may be harder for beginners but are a great tool and I will be coming back to them more than once!

F
Florian Baumann (Oberursel, DE)
中級者にかんぺきです - perfect for intermediate learners

If you just started learning Japanese, I strongly recommend to buy the Japanese Reader Collection first. The stories are longer and Kana are mostly used for inflections (and furigana). So in short terms, the level is much higher. But it's doable because of the good explanations. 💮

T
Tim Haffner
Excellent!

I'm very pleased with this purchase. The PDFs are clean and the audio quality is top notch. Plus, I love the subjects covered in this set in a short, highly digestible format.

Thank you so much! I'm glad to hear the format and subject matter work for you. Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for improvement.

J
Jarmo Honkanen (Vantaa, FI)
Japanese history reader vol. 1-3 bundle

Better than I expected. +++++++

J
Jimi Mason (Wood Green, GB)
A fascinating and accessible purchase

These stories handle two birds with one stone: instructive and accessible language learning as well as a brief, entry-level look into aspects of Japanese history. When used in conjunction with other products on offer these stories provide a broader scope of grammar and vocabulary. I am very pleased that I found this store.

B
Bryan

The series is based on actual history, and not historical fiction right? Can I have the link for Amazon SG for the paperbacks? Thanks

The Japan Shop

That's right. These are essays on various Japanese historical events. (not historical fiction--although that might be fun to do in the future :) )

Here is the link to Amazon which will have the latest versions:
https://amzn.to/3XMsVLR

And here is a similar series specifically on the eras of Japan starting with 縄文 (Jomon):
https://amzn.to/43GIKYf

B
Bryan

I'm interested in the paper backs. Can i know if the paperbacks are updated already? Thanks!!

D
David Crouch

I have lived in Japan for 25 years and my spoken Japanese is fairly fluent. My problem is that my vocabulary is still quite limited. I can read hiragana, katakana and maybe 200-300 kanji. Would this elementary course be too simple for me? If so, do you have a more advanced course?

The Japan Shop

You might find the History bundle a good fit. There are fairly advanced words and lots of names to make it challenging. Reading is the best way to pick up both vocabulary and kanji (although going through a full kanji course might be a good idea too).

If you want to give it a try and find it is too easy or not a good fit, we can either refund you or swap it out for a different bundle.

S
Scott Ellison

Are the paperback versions of the Learn Japanese with History series available in the Japan Amazon store? I’m unable to locate them if they are. Thank you

The Japan Shop

Yes! Here they are:
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B08N5NKT3V

However, you might want to wait a bit since I'm planning on revising them soon. I don't expect the core content to change much at all, but we will add some eye candy, do a full edit for any mistakes, and add more explanation.

If you buy the books (either as Kindle or paperback), let me know and I'll give you digital bundle for no extra charge. That way, you'll be notified as soon as the revised eBooks are ready (probably late August). You won't get updated paperbacks, but you'll have the PDFs and ePubs, though.

And here are all our books:
https://www.amazon.co.jp/stores/Clay-Boutwell/author/B004Q2IUQE

Thanks!
Clay

T
Tony

Do you have romaji version? I am interested in history and culture but cannot read kanji.

The Japan Shop

Hi Tony,

All kanji in the books (except the Japanese only section) have furigana, so if you can read hiragana, you can sound out the words.

However, this bundle may be a little too challenging for beginners. You want a level that is just above your current level but not so high it becomes frustrating.

Also, if you are serious about learning Japanese, I strongly advise against relying on romaji. While romaji can provide a quick start, it ultimately hinders your progress by preventing you from fully immersing yourself in the language. Instead, focus on mastering hiragana and katakana, the two phonetic alphabets of Japanese. These scripts will give you a much deeper understanding of Japanese pronunciation and structure, and they are essential for reading and writing in Japanese. You'll make faster progress down the road.