Nihongo Scene
A Weekend Away — cover

Japanese, One Scene at a Time / Volume 04

A Weekend Away

A rainy morning changes the plan. Join Alex, Ren and Sora for a museum visit and a day in the park, then start telling short stories about yesterday.

Learn to Read & Speak Japanese Through Everyday Scenes

ShoppingWeather & plansMuseumsTalking about yesterday

36 illustrated pages · 98 companion vocabulary cards

Book release coming soon. Explore sample pages below.

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A look inside

Step into the story.

Four pages from the current edition. Furigana, fading romaji, and first-use meanings keep the reading approachable.

Sample page 4 from A Weekend Away; page text follows below
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0 1 / S AT U R D AY R A I N AUDIO · V04-S01 A different morning Alex looks outside his Kyoto hotel. He puts the blue notebook and folded map in his backpack. The café meeting is still at ten, but the first word of the day is rain. ame きょう あめ 今日 は 雨 です 。 ALEX · TO HIMSELF じゅうじ 10時 に 、 カフェ です ね 。 ALEX · TO HIMSELF This is Saturday, Day 3. The Kyoto lodging is a quiet off-page base, not another full hotel lesson. FA M I L I A R W O R D S / N O N E W E N T R I E S O N T H I S P A G E J A PA N E S E , O N E S C E N E AT A T I M E 04
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0 1 / S AT U R D AY R A I N AUDIO · V04-S01 Buy one useful thing A small shop on the way sells plain umbrellas. Alex chooses one, checks the price and pays. The same umbrella will stay with him through the wet day. kasa ikura かさ ALEX この 傘 は いくら です か 。 gohyaku-en ごひゃくえん SHOP CLERK 500円 です 。 jā kasa かさ ALEX じゃあ 、 この 傘 を ください 。 The price is a fictional practice amount. Point to one item when saying “this”; the clerk can see exactly what Alex means. FIRST MEETINGS / NEW WORDS & EXPRESSIONS 傘 かさ 500円 ごひゃくえん umbrella 500 yen (sample price) J A PA N E S E , O N E S C E N E AT A T I M E 05
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0 1 / S AT U R D AY R A I N AUDIO · V04-S01 No extra bag needed The clerk offers a shopping bag. Alex will use the umbrella as soon as he leaves, so he declines. He opens it only after stepping outside clear of other people. fukuro irimasu ふくろ SHOP CLERK 袋 は いります か 。 irimasen ALEX いいえ 、 いりません 。 ALEX ありがとうございます 。 A brief refusal can still be polite. “Do not need” answers an offer; it does not mean that an object does not exist. FIRST MEETINGS / NEW WORDS & EXPRESSIONS 袋 ふくろ いります bag; shopping bag here need (polite) いりません do not need (polite) J A PA N E S E , O N E S C E N E AT A T I M E 06
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02 / CHANGE THE PLAN AUDIO · V04-S02A The meeting point still works At ten, Alex finds Ren and Sora inside the familiar café. Hana has a tray near the door for wet umbrellas. They keep the entrance clear and sit down together. REN おはようございます 。 あめ SORA 雨 です ね 。 kasa kaimashita かさ かいました ALEX はい 。 傘 を 買いました 。 Alex has already bought the umbrella, so listen for the past form in his reply. The plan said to meet inside if it rained. FIRST MEETINGS / NEW WORDS & EXPRESSIONS 買いました かいました bought (polite past) J A PA N E S E , O N E S C E N E AT A T I M E 07