Japanese Reader Collection Volume 1: Hikoichi

Four classic Hikoichi folktales — every sentence broken down for upper-beginner readers of Japanese.

Hikoichi is the clever young man of Kyushu legend who outwits lords, tengu, and the occasional smug retainer with nothing but quick thinking and a straight face. This volume gathers four of his most beloved stories, presented in full Japanese with line-by-line vocabulary, grammar notes, native-speaker audio, and a simple English translation for self-checking.

New in the 2026 edition:

• Bonus unlock code inside the book — redeem at Makoto+ to study every sentence from this book interactively, on the web or in the mobile app
• New watercolor illustration and audio QR codes on every story's opening page
• Hook teaser and Before-You-Read intro for each story, pointing you toward the grammar and vocabulary patterns to watch for
• Full Exercises section for each story: Comprehension Questions, Particle Fill-in, Grammar Pattern Hunt, Translation Comparison, and Answer Key
• Resized furigana — ruby now sits closer to the base text, the way good Japanese typography should
• Running headers, page numbers, and sumi-e section ornaments throughout

What's inside:

• Four full Hikoichi stories, each presented three ways: with line-by-line vocabulary, in plain Japanese (no furigana, for real reading practice), and in English summary
• Word-by-word breakdowns with furigana over every kanji
• Grammar spotlights, cultural notes, and language tips throughout
• Free MP3 audio downloads — natural speed and slowed down — recorded by a native speaker
• Free Anki decks for pre-study
• Bonus unlock code for Makoto+ Sentence Explorer
• No sign-up required to access the audio

The four stories:

1. The Young Lord — The lord lines up five identical children and asks Hikoichi to pick the real heir. One quiet observation does the work.

2. The Hanami — A cherry-blossom picnic turns into a lesson in thinking ahead. The retainers laugh first. Hikoichi laughs last.

3. The Living Umbrella — A "living" umbrella that opens by itself when it rains. Some things are too good to be true.

4. Tengu's Straw Raincoat — Hikoichi sets out to outwit a long-nosed mountain spirit with nothing but a hollow bamboo pipe. The trade goes well. The cover-up does not.

Who this is for: Upper-beginner to lower-intermediate learners. You'll need solid kana and a working sense of basic grammar. (New to hiragana? Take our free two-week crash course at TheJapanesePage.com/hiragana.)

Questions or requests for future readers? The authors' personal email addresses are inside the book.

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