Stories from the Japanese Classroom

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Many Japanese people remember the stories they read in elementary school: a lonely fox, a little fish in a school of big ones, a boy who is afraid of the dark. These stories aren't only read. They are discussed and questioned in class, and often remembered long after school. In each episode, we take one story from a Japanese school textbook, tell you the full plot in English, and look at how children are asked to think about it. Along the way, we explore the feelings, values, and ways of seeing the world that each story brings to the surface. If you're curious about Japan beyond the usual tr

Episodes

  1. Oct 8

    [S1EP.003] Why Do Japanese Kids Read a Story With a Word Nobody Can Define? | elevenlabs.io

    Two baby crabs, a stream, and a word nobody can define. In this episode, we look at "Yamanashi" by Kenji Miyazawa, a story read in Japanese sixth-grade classrooms. (Also known in English as "Wild Pear" and "Mountain Stream.") You'll hear: - The full story, told through two "blue slides": May and December - Why Japanese sixth graders draw the bottom of a stream, scene by scene - Why, in class, a word that nobody can define isn't a mistake in the lesson. It's the lesson. A question to think about: what do you think Kurambon is? CHAPTERS 00:00 Two crabs and a word nobody can define 00:41 Kenji Miyazawa and the two blue slides 01:38 The first slide: May 02:39 The second slide: December 03:48 In the classroom 05:11 Your turn READ THE STORY Kenji Miyazawa's original text is in the public domain in Japan, and it's free to read online: - Aozora Bunko, a free digital library of Japanese literature: https://www.aozora.gr.jp/index_pages/person81.html (search for "Yamanashi") English translations use different titles, and they spell the mysterious name differently too (for example, "Crambon"): - "Mountain Stream" (Yamanashi), translated by Arthur Binard, illustrated by Koji Yamamura. A picture book. - "Wild Pear: Yamanashi" (Monogatari Tepu Shuppan, 1984). Translated by C. W. Nicol and Gan Tanigawa, illustrated by Tschang Yeul Kim. A bilingual Japanese/English edition. - John Bester's translation appears in the collection "Once and Forever: The Tales of Kenji Miyazawa" (Kodansha International, 1998). Check the contents page for "Yamanashi." Editions and availability may vary by country. Please check with your local bookstore or library. ABOUT THE STORY "Yamanashi" (やまなし) was written by Kenji Miyazawa (1896-1933), who was born in Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, and died at age 37. It is one of the few stories he saw published during his lifetime. Today, he is best known for works such as "Night on the Galactic Railroad." "Yamanashi" has been in Japanese sixth-grade textbooks since at least the 1970s. ABOUT THIS EPISODE Because the original text is in the public domain, this episode tells the whole plot. ABOUT THIS SHOW Stories from the Japanese Classroom looks at one story from a Japanese school textbook in each episode and explores how children are asked to think about it. A note on the curriculum: the classroom questions in this episode are based on the elementary school Japanese language Course of Study (MEXT, 2017), which asks fifth and sixth graders to imagine the whole world of a story, to think about the effects of the author's words, and to put their own thoughts into words. Audio generated with ElevenLabs.

  2. Oct 7

    [S1EP.002] Why Do Japanese Kids Read a Story About a Boy Afraid of the Dark? | elevenlabs.io

    A five-year-old boy, a giant tree, and a night that changes everything. In this episode, we look at "The Mochi-Mochi Tree" by Ryusuke Saito, a story that is read in Japanese third-grade classrooms. You'll hear: - A short introduction to the story, without the ending - Why Japanese third graders look closely at one boy's courage, scene by scene - Why, in class, the question isn't "Is he brave?" but "When was he, and how do you know?" A question to think about: when did you last do something that scared you, for someone else? CHAPTERS 00:00 A boy, a tree, and the dark 00:21 Why this story, and what I can't tell you 01:29 The story: a boy and his grandfather 02:03 The night everything changes 02:47 In the classroom 04:12 Your turn READ THE STORY IN ENGLISH In this episode, I call the story "The Mochi-Mochi Tree," after its Japanese title. English editions use different titles: - "The Tree of Courage" (RIC Publications, 2007). Translated by Sako Lachlan, illustrated by Jiro Takidaira. ISBN 978-4-902216-83-7. - "The Booyoo Tree" (Iwasaki Shoten, 2021). Translated by Arthur Binard, illustrated by Jiro Takidaira. 36 pages. ISBN 978-4-265-83102-9. Editions and availability may vary by country. Please check with your local bookstore or library. THE JAPANESE ORIGINAL - "Mochi-Mochi no Ki" (モチモチの木), Iwasaki Shoten picture book (1971), illustrated by Jiro Takidaira. ISBN 978-4-265-90906-3. Unlike the story in our first episode, this one is still under copyright, so it is not in the public domain. ABOUT THE STORY "The Mochi-Mochi Tree" (モチモチの木) was written by Ryusuke Saito (1917-1985) and published in 1963. It became a picture book in 1971, and it has been a third-grade textbook story in Japan for decades. ABOUT THIS EPISODE Because the story is still under copyright, this episode doesn't retell the whole plot. I tell you just enough to make you curious, and I leave the ending for you to discover. ABOUT THIS SHOW Stories from the Japanese Classroom looks at one story from a Japanese school textbook in each episode and explores how children are asked to think about it. A note on the curriculum: the classroom questions in this episode are based on the elementary school Japanese language Course of Study (MEXT, 2017), which asks third and fourth graders to imagine how characters' feelings and personalities change, and to notice that people can feel differently about the same story. Audio generated with ElevenLabs.

  3. Oct 5

    [S1EP.001] Why Do Japanese Kids Read a Story Where the Fox Dies? | elevenlabs.io

    A fox, a gun, and a pile of chestnuts. In this episode, we look at "Gon, the Little Fox" by Nankichi Niimi, a story that has long been a standard text in Japanese fourth-grade classrooms. You'll hear: - The full story, from Gon's prank to its heartbreaking ending - How Japanese children are asked to read it, using the words in the text to imagine a character's feelings - Why teachers don't ask "What's the moral?" and what they ask instead A question to think about: if you were Gon, how would you try to make things right? CHAPTERS 00:00 A fox, a gun, and something on the floor 00:23 Why this story? 01:57 The story: a lonely fox 03:02 The story: gifts in secret 04:34 The story: the last day 05:25 In the classroom 07:06 Your turn READ THE STORY IN ENGLISH - "Gon, the Little Fox" (Museyon, 2015). Translated by Mariko Shii Gharbi, illustrated by Genjiro Mita. Hardcover, 36 pages. ISBN 978-1-940842-03-5. - "Gon, the Little Fox" (Kodansha International, 1995). A small Japanese/English edition. Check the listing for the ISBN (978-4770022776) before you buy. - "Gongitsune: The Lonely Fox" (2015), an English translation published for academic readers. DOI: 10.17192/es2015.0002. Editions and availability may vary by country. Please check with your local bookstore or library. READ THE ORIGINAL IN JAPANESE (FREE) Nankichi Niimi's works are available on Aozora Bunko, a free digital library of Japanese literature: http://www.aozora.gr.jp/index_pages/person121.html ABOUT THE STORY "Gon, the Little Fox" (ごんぎつね, "Gongitsune") was first published in 1932 in the children's magazine Akai Tori. Its author, Nankichi Niimi (1913-1943), was born in Handa, Aichi Prefecture, and died at age 29. ABOUT THIS SHOW Stories from the Japanese Classroom looks at one story from a Japanese school textbook in each episode, tells you the full plot in English, and explores how children are asked to think about it. A note on the curriculum: the classroom questions in this episode are based on the elementary school Japanese language Course of Study (MEXT, 2017), which asks fourth graders to imagine how characters' feelings change and to notice that people can feel differently about the same story. Audio generated with ElevenLabs.

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Many Japanese people remember the stories they read in elementary school: a lonely fox, a little fish in a school of big ones, a boy who is afraid of the dark. These stories aren't only read. They are discussed and questioned in class, and often remembered long after school. In each episode, we take one story from a Japanese school textbook, tell you the full plot in English, and look at how children are asked to think about it. Along the way, we explore the feelings, values, and ways of seeing the world that each story brings to the surface. If you're curious about Japan beyond the usual tr

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