Learn Japanese with Yokai! 4 - Kitsune Fox, a Japanese Reader

Learn Japanese Through the Strange and Fascinating World of Yokai — Volume 4: Kitsune Fox Fox spirits, nine tails, mysterious stones, secret weddings—and a lot of Japanese along the way. In this completely revised and expanded edition of Learn Japanese with Yokai! Volume 4, you’ll explore three famous pieces of Japanese fox folklore. Designed primarily for upper beginners around JLPT N4 and intermediate learners. The Nine-Tailed Fox Where did Japan’s belief in magical, shapeshifting foxes come from? Follow the legend from an ancient Chinese text to the brilliant and mysterious Lady Tamamo-no-Mae at the court of Retired Emperor Toba. The Legend of the Killing Stone The story continues as the nine-tailed fox escapes to Nasu in Tochigi Prefecture, where soldiers, a Buddhist monk, a deadly stone, and poisonous volcanic gases become tangled together in one of Japan’s best-known fox legends. The Fox’s Wedding Why does Japanese call a sunshower—rain falling while the sun is shining—a kitsune no yomeiri, or “fox’s wedding”? BUILT FOR JAPANESE LEARNERS Each reading takes you through several stages so that you gradually remove the training wheels: Before You Read Get essential cultural background and preview important vocabulary and grammar patterns. Sentence-by-Sentence Japanese Work through the story one sentence at a time, with furigana on every kanji, complete vocabulary breakdowns, and clear grammar and cultural notes. Japanese-Only Reading Once you’ve studied the breakdowns, read the complete story again without the explanations. Review & Practice Test yourself with true-or-false questions, Japanese comprehension questions, particle exercises, and translation challenges. English Summary Check your comprehension only after giving the Japanese a serious try. Kanji in Focus…