Meet the kitsune.

In Japanese folktales the fox is a shapeshifter. It can turn into a beautiful woman, pay you with money that turns out to be leaves, and make rain fall out of a clear sky. Most foxes are tricksters. One, with nine tails, is something far more dangerous.

This fourth volume of Learn Japanese with Yokai uses the fox to carry you through three readings in real Japanese.

First, the nine-tailed fox itself, from an old Chinese myth to the palace of a Japanese emperor, where a beautiful, clever woman arrives at court and the trouble begins. Then what became of it: the plains of Nasu in Tochigi, and a stone said to kill anything that comes near. The stone is real, you can visit it today, and there is a reason it is dangerous. And finally a short folktale behind a Japanese name for a sun shower.

Every part is taught in seven passes, so your understanding builds one layer at a time.

Story introduction. A short English preview.
Vocabulary. The key words in Japanese, then English.
Slow speed. The full text read slowly and clearly.
Line by line. Each sentence broken into phrases with their English meanings, then rebuilt.
Normal speed. The same text at natural pace.
Comprehension questions. Answer out loud, then hear the answer in Japanese and English.
English version. The whole piece retold in English.

Japanese narration is by native speaker Yumi Boutwell, with the English read by Clay Boutwell, from the family behind TheJapanShop.com, helping people learn Japanese since 2002.

No textbook needed and no pages to turn. Press play in the car or on a walk and let the repetition do the work.

Perfect for upper beginners at JLPT N5 to N4 who are ready to move past word lists into real Japanese, and for anyone curious about the creatures that fill Japanese folklore. Includes a companion PDF with the Japanese text and vocabulary.

Learn Japanese with Yokai! Volume 4: The Fox

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