{"product_id":"makoto-magazine-99-all-the-fun-japanese-not-found-in-textbooks","title":"Makoto Magazine #99 - All the Fun Japanese Not Found in Textbooks","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMakoto E-Zine Series #99\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eRecommended for \u003cstrong\u003ebeginner\u003c\/strong\u003e to \u003cstrong\u003eintermediate\u003c\/strong\u003e learners of Japanese.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"content-box1\"\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\u003cb\u003eYou can purchase the printed version on Amazon by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4tU32rw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eclicking here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMakoto Japanese Language \u0026amp; Culture Magazine\u003c\/b\u003e Issue 99 (May 2026) Story-driven reading and listening practice for learners of Japanese\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMakoto 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eIn this issue (May 2026, Issue 99):\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis month moves from kitchen mishap to one of Japan's most famous ghost stories. A beginner story about an American making curry from scratch sets up a quietly devastating run-in with the metric system, while a classic Edo-period 怪談 about a maid, ten precious plates, and a well you don't want to stand near at midnight delivers some of the most haunting Japanese in folklore. In between, Frank survives his third job interview — barely — by confessing to a sushi-shop crime of love.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eReaders:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"a-unordered-list a-vertical\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eBeginner Reader: カレー (Curry)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Mark moves to Japan and decides to cook dinner from scratch. He buys the roux, chops the vegetables, and confidently ignores the part of the instructions written in milliliters. What he ends up with is not curry. Presented in hiragana-spaced, kanji+furigana, and natural formats for multiple reading passes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eIntermediate Reader: 番町皿屋敷 (The Dish Mansion at Banchō)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e One of Japan's most enduring ghost stories. A samurai. A loyal maid named お菊. Ten precious heirloom plates — and only nine after midnight. A voice in the well counting \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eone… two… three…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and stopping at \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003enine\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, every night, until a wandering monk does the one thing that finally lets her rest. Guided reading with full vocabulary, grammar notes, audio, and kanji breakdowns.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eFrank and the Obaasan: Season 3, Episode 7 三度目のバイト先\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Two days at a sushi place. One day at a convenience store. Frank's resume is not selling itself. But when the owner of a small 定食屋 asks why he keeps getting fired, Frank's answer — \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003e\"My love is too strong\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e — turns out to be exactly the right answer. Includes structured Japanese, vocabulary\/grammar support, and Japanese-only reading.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eLanguage \u0026amp; culture lessons:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"a-unordered-list a-vertical\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eGrammar Time: ～はずがない (JLPT N5)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e A versatile pattern for \"there's no way…\" Includes examples for verbs, nouns, and both adjective types.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eOnomatopoeia Focus: Soft Things\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e ぷにぷに, むにゅむにゅ, and ぐにゃぐにゃ — three flavors of \"soft\" that English would just call \"squishy\" and leave it at that.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eVocabulary: 肩が軽くなる\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Japan's version of \"a load off my shoulders.\" Includes comparison with ほっとする.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eEtymology: サボる\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e The surprisingly tidy journey from French \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003esabotage\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (factory-floor resistance) to Japanese skipping class.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eKanji Spotlight: 書 (JLPT N5)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Readings, meanings, stroke order, and example words.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003ePrefecture Spotlight: 長野 (Nagano)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Home to nine of Japan's twelve tallest mountains, the famously bathing snow monkeys at Jigokudani, Matsumoto Castle, and the 1998 Winter Olympics.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eAnime Phrase of the Month\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eHaiku Spotlight: 小林一茶 (Kobayashi Issa)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e A quiet early-summer haiku about new tea cutting through midday drowsiness — with five different translations to compare.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eMore...\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"a-unordered-list a-vertical\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e100 pages (PDF)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e26 MP3 audio files\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e4 Anki flashcard deck\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e2 eBook formats\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eScan-and-listen QR codes for quick mobile access\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFull integration with Makoto+ Sentence Explorer for interactive reading, audio playback, furigana-on-demand, translations, notes, and vocabulary tracking\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePerfect for learners who want Japanese that feels human, readable, and fun — whether you're guessing at milliliters, counting plates by a well, or trying to convince a chef that loving food too much is actually a job qualification.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"content-box1\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNOTE:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDigital and Print Versions Available (print on Amazon, digital here).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDigital version downloads are instant—no waiting.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo Dropbox account required. Download directly on PC\/Mac or access files on mobile.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf you don’t see your email right away, check your spam folder or contact us.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis series is also available on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4bomDqk\"\u003eAmazon\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"TheJapanShop.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50226303500508,"sku":null,"price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1214\/2784\/files\/cover_566f459b-fa39-48ab-807a-8bb016f06fa0.jpg?v=1777768043","url":"https:\/\/www.thejapanshop.com\/products\/makoto-magazine-99-all-the-fun-japanese-not-found-in-textbooks","provider":"The Japan Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}