{"product_id":"japanese-reader-collection-volume-3-the-inch-high-samurai-paperback","title":"Japanese Reader Collection Volume 3: The Inch-High Samurai - 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\u003eRead two of Japan's most beloved folktales, broken down sentence by sentence for upper-beginner learners.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn inch-tall samurai who takes on an oni with a sewing needle for a sword. A luminous princess discovered inside a stalk of bamboo who turns out not to be of this world. \u003ci\u003eThe Inch-High Samurai\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eKaguya Hime\u003c\/i\u003e are two pillars of Japanese folklore - and Kaguya, in its original 10th-century form, is the oldest surviving work of Japanese prose narrative, older than \u003ci\u003eThe Tale of Genji\u003c\/i\u003e by a century. This volume gives you the language to read them both in 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 sections with answer keys (Comprehension Questions, Particle Fill-in, Grammar Pattern Hunt, Translation Comparison) for both stories\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\u003eThe two stories: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e1. The Inch-High Samurai\u003c\/b\u003e - An old couple prays for a child and is given a tiny boy no taller than a pinky. When he comes of age, he sets off for the capital with a sewing needle for a sword, a rice bowl for a boat, and chopsticks for oars - and on the road home meets an oni who learns the hard way that bravery doesn't scale with size.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e2. Kaguya Hime (Princess Kaguya)\u003c\/b\u003e - An old bamboo cutter finds a glowing stalk in his grove and, inside it, a child no larger than his palm. Within months she has grown into the most beautiful young woman in Japan; emperors and princes vie for her hand. But Kaguya keeps looking up at the moon and weeping, because where she truly belongs isn't on this earth at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat's inside: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEach story presented three ways: with line-by-line vocabulary, in plain Japanese (for unscaffolded 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 reading 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 for the audio\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\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\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 136\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.29 x 8.5 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 11, 2013\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45662027317292,"sku":"9781490355139","price":20.23,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0728\/0954\/5772\/files\/SmDm5FmXCB9781490355139.webp?v=1781592103","url":"https:\/\/smartsupplydeals.com\/products\/japanese-reader-collection-volume-3-the-inch-high-samurai-paperback","provider":"Smart supply deals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}