What you get
10 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:
How you'll use it
Read, listen, review, practice
- ReadRead a story one sentence at a time, with a note on every word.
- ListenPlay it at slow speed, then at natural speed, and read along.
- ReviewGo over the story's words in its own Anki deck.
- PracticeAnswer the exercises, then reread the story in the Makoto+ app.
Start with Volume 1, or jump to any story you like.
JLPT N5 to N4, CEFR A1 to A2 · Best after Genki I
What's inside
10 eBooks, Volumes 1 to 10
Folktales every Japanese child grows up with, from the clever Hikoichi to Urashima Tarou.
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Step 1
Folktales every Japanese child knows
Hikoichi and the Young Lord, Momotaro, the Tortoise and the Hare, the Inch-High Samurai, Kaguya Hime, the Mouse Bride, Ikkyuu-san, the Cut-Tongue Sparrow, Kobutori Jiisan and more.





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Step 2
Ghosts, wonders and a few tears
Yuki Onna, Anchin and Kiyohime, the Little Match Girl, more Hikoichi, the Hundred Tales Game, Urashima Tarou, Hanasaka Jiisan and more.





- Then on to Volumes 11 to 20
Look inside a story
Every story, three ways
むかし、
むかし、
“Once upon a time, there lived a very clever young man named Hikoichi.”
The first line of “Hikoichi and the Young Lord” in Volume 1. On its own page every word gets a note, like 賢い: wise, clever. Then the story runs again without furigana, then in English, with audio at slow and natural speed.
In the app too
Read and listen in the Makoto+ app


All 10 books unlock in the Makoto+ Japanese Explorer app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Here is Hikoichi in the app, and what you see when you tap a word: its meaning, its pitch accent to play, and its kanji. Your unlock codes come with the download.
- Hear every sentence at normal or slow speed
- Turn furigana on or off
- Tap any word for its meaning, pitch accent and kanji
- Save words and quiz yourself
- Pick up where you left off in every book
What learners say
“These stories are perfectly geared to beginners, and being able to understand them really boosts your confidence so that you can take it to the next level.”
James S.
“I'd definitely recommend this package if you already have some Japanese knowledge, are looking to start reading larger stories, but still need help understanding everything. These are the best readers I can find at that knowledge level.”
Tim R.
“It's great to be able to read fun and engaging stories in Japanese, even with just a beginner-level vocabulary. Highly recommended!”
Wendi W.
Who it's for
- Pay once, keep them forever
- Free updates forever
- Instant download
- 60-day money-back guarantee
Add Volumes 11 to 20 for $20 more
The Complete Bundle is this bundle plus Bundle 2, all 20 volumes, for $59. That's $19 less than buying both.
See the Complete BundleQuestions
What do I get?
Volumes 1 to 10 as PDF and ePub files, MP3 audio of every story at slow and natural speed, an Anki deck for each story, and two bonus books: Hiragana, The Basics of Japanese and Makoto magazine issue 1.
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.
Which books unlock in the Makoto+ app?
All ten. Every story opens in the app, and your unlock codes come with the download.
What level is it?
Upper beginner, about JLPT N5 to N4. You should be able to read hiragana. In the line-by-line section every kanji has furigana. If you are just starting, try Beri-Beri Shoshinsha first.
What about Volumes 11 to 20?
They're in Bundle 2, or get all 20 volumes for less in the Complete Bundle.
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 Samurai member, you can read these 3 stories in the Makoto+ Japanese Explorer app right now:
Learn Japanese with Stories Volume 1: HikoichiHikoichi and the Young Lord · Hikoichi and the Living Umbrella · Hikoichi and the Tengu's Concealing Coat
And if you are Shogun, you also have access to these 4 stories:
Learn Japanese with Stories #2: MomotaroMomotaro
Learn Japanese with Stories Volume 3: The Inch-High Samuraiかぐや姫 The Moon Princess
Learn Japanese with Stories 4 - The Mouse Brideねずみの嫁入り The Mouse Bride
Learn Japanese with Stories 8 - Hikoichi RevisitedHikoichi and the Mischievous Tanuki
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
Read the first story free
Flip through the opening pages of Hikoichi and the Young Lord from Volume 1, exactly as they appear in the book, then hear the story read at slow and natural speed.
Trouble viewing? Open the sample PDF in a new tab.
Hikoichi and the Young Lord Slow speed
Hikoichi and the Young Lord Natural speed
Every story in the bundle comes the same way: line by line with notes, then the whole story, then in English, with audio at both speeds.









