These are the classic Japanese short stories that make reading actually fun — every word defined, every grammar point explained, and the kanji explored along the way. You'll pick up real vocabulary and grammar while absorbing the culture behind the tales.

The Big Update

What Changed in This Edition

This wasn't a light touch-up. We went through all ten books page by page and rebuilt them from the reading up. Here's what's new.

All ten books, freshly redesigned inside and out.

What's Included

The bundle is complete with ten full-length volumes. Read them in the app or download instantly in digital format and start improving your reading (PDFs & ePub), your listening (MP3s), and your vocabulary right away.

• In-app access to every story on iPhone, iPad, and Android — tap any word, hear the audio, study without juggling files.
• Ten fully updated books in the Japanese Reader Collection, ready to download the moment you buy.
• Anki flashcard decks with the vocabulary from the stories — use the free Anki software to lock it in.
• Native-speaker audio for every story, recorded at both slow and natural speed, with QR codes to stream on demand.
• Makoto+ Sentence Explorer access for interactive, word-by-word study online or in the app.

Who Is This For?

This bundle is built for upper beginners through intermediate students of Japanese. Just starting out? No problem — we have a bundle made for you. See our Beri-Beri-Shoshinsha Beginner's Bundle.

Incredible Value

Each volume sells on Amazon and elsewhere for $6.99. All ten volumes plus two bonuses would run $69.90 — get them all today for about half that.

Example Content

Flip through the opening pages of Hikoichi and the Young Lord below, then hear the same story read at both speeds.

Stories Included

All the stories across ten fully updated books — read in the app, or as eBooks plus sound files:

• Hikoichi and the Young Lord
• Hikoichi and the Living Umbrella
• Tengu's Straw Raincoat
• Momotaro, the Peach Boy
• Usagi to Kame (the Tortoise & the Hare)
• The Inch-High Samurai
• Kaguya Hime
• The Mouse Bride
• Ikkyuu-san
• The Cut-Tongue Sparrow
• Kobutori Jiisan
• Yuki Onna
• Anchin and Kiyohime
• The Little Match Girl
• Hikoichi and the Wondrous Box
• Hikoichi and the Trickster Tanuki
• The Oni's Mask and the Girl
• The Fountain of Youth
• The Hundred Tales Game
• The Wise Child
• Urashima Tarou
• The Young Man Who Slept Three Years
• Hanasaka Jiisan
• Hikoichi and the Hanami

日本語を磨こう！ Let's polish our Japanese!

What You Get with Every Story

• A fun way into Japanese folklore — the classic tales every Japanese person grows up with, but few Westerners have ever heard.
• Real Japanese you can actually read. If you know hiragana, these fully annotated stories are within reach today.
• Every line and every word explained and defined — now with corrected glosses and cleaner furigana.
• Active practice built in: "Before You Read" primers, exercises, and answer keys turn each reader into a real workbook.
• Build vocabulary, grasp new grammar patterns, and sharpen reading and listening — all at once.
• Two native recordings per story (slow and natural). Read in the app, print the PDFs, or load the MP3s on your phone and study anywhere.

Anki is free flashcard software. To install: double-click a supplied deck file to add it to Anki, or send it to your phone for the mobile version.

➡️ Need help opening the eBooks? Follow the steps in our eBook guide.