{"product_id":"japanese-reader-collection-volume-1-hikoichi-paperback","title":"Japanese Reader Collection Volume 1: Hikoichi - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eYumi Boutwell\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eClay Boutwell\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFour classic Hikoichi folktales - every sentence broken down for upper-beginner readers of Japanese.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHikoichi 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNew in the 2026 edition: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eBonus unlock code inside the book\u003c\/b\u003e - redeem at Makoto+ to study every sentence from this book interactively, on the web or in the mobile app\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNew watercolor illustration and audio QR codes on every story's opening page\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHook teaser and Before-You-Read intro for each story, pointing you toward the grammar and vocabulary patterns to watch for\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFull Exercises section for each story: Comprehension Questions, Particle Fill-in, Grammar Pattern Hunt, Translation Comparison, and Answer Key\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eResized furigana - ruby now sits closer to the base text, the way good Japanese typography should\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRunning headers, page numbers, and sumi-e section ornaments throughout\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat's inside: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFour 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\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWord-by-word breakdowns with furigana over every kanji\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrammar spotlights, cultural notes, and language tips throughout\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFree MP3 audio downloads - natural speed and slowed down - recorded by a native speaker\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFree Anki decks for pre-study\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBonus unlock code for Makoto+ Sentence Explorer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo sign-up required to access the audio\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe four stories: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e1. The Young Lord\u003c\/b\u003e - The lord lines up five identical children and asks Hikoichi to pick the real heir. One quiet observation does the work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e2. The Hanami\u003c\/b\u003e - A cherry-blossom picnic turns into a lesson in thinking ahead. The retainers laugh first. Hikoichi laughs last.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e3. The Living Umbrella\u003c\/b\u003e - A \"living\" umbrella that opens by itself when it rains. Some things are too good to be true.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e4. Tengu's Straw Raincoat\u003c\/b\u003e - 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWho this is for: \u003c\/b\u003e 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.)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuestions or requests for future readers? The authors' personal email addresses are inside the book.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWant a FREE book? Head over to ClayBoutwell.com for fiction and\/or TheJapanShop.com for Japanese instructional books. FREE! Clay Boutwell and his wife Yumi are the authors of several top ten books on learning Japanese, including: Hiragana, the Basics of Japanese, and Hikoichi, the first in their Japanese Reader Collection series. They currently have seventeen titles and are slowly adding more readers and study guides as ebooks and paperbacks. And...EVERY purchase comes with FREE MP3s! His fiction includes thrillers (Tanaka and the Yakuza's Daughter), mysteries (Two Tocks before Midnight), and, yes, superheroes! (The Temporal) ClayBoutwell.com TheJapanShop.com TheJapanesePage.com\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 198\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.42 x 8.5 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 22, 2013\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45663261458476,"sku":"9781482373349","price":20.23,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0728\/0954\/5772\/files\/NDGllG4-VU9781482373349.webp?v=1781594963","url":"https:\/\/smartsupplydeals.com\/products\/japanese-reader-collection-volume-1-hikoichi-paperback","provider":"Smart supply deals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}