This is for the physical book which will be mailed to you. If you are looking for the digital version (with no shipping charges), this book is in the Japanese History Digital Bundle.

Recommended for upper beginner students of Japanese.

 Well, two people and a dog. Learn how one man revolutionized food, how Akira Kurosawa impacted movies, and how a dog taught the world the meaning of loyalty.

Get FREE Sound Files of the stories read by a native Japanese speaker. The download link will be emailed to you instantly upon ordering (we will also ship the physical book). Listen while reading. Each story has two MP3 versions: Read Slowly & Normal Speed

Read--in Japanese--about loyalty in the dog, Hachiko, about how revolutionary Instant Ramen was and is, and finally, learn all about the greatest Japanese film director of the 20th century. Yes, you can read real Japanese--even if you are fairly new to Japanese.

• All Japanese have furigana those starting out with kanji.
• Every sentence is broken down word-for-word and with explanation of the grammar.
• The full story in Japanese only (without the running gloss) is also provided so you can practice reading without interruption.
• Kanji in Focus covers the key kanji found in each essay
• Finally, we have included a simple and mostly literal English translation for you to check your understanding (Don't cheat! Work through the Japanese first!).
• Includes FREE Sound files to listen while you study. Includes both normal speed and slow speed readings. You will be emailed a download link instantly after ordering (the actual physical book will also be mailed to you).

While beginners to Japanese can get a lot from this, hiragana knowledge is required.

Finally, we invite the reader to contact us with questions or requests for future Japanese readers. You will find our personal email addresses in the book. To your Japanese!