The Very Simple Japanese Podcast: Short Stories to Help You Learn Japanese

Today’s episode tells the story of the Twelve Zodiac Animals — a famous tale that explains how the zodiac began. 

(Key words)
じゅんばん：order, sequence 
〜ばん：number
とうちゃくする：to arrive

You can get the scripts here → https://www.patreon.com/Onigiri888
Youtube → https://youtu.be/hFVv9yGRpNI

If you enjoy this story, please like, subscribe, and share so more learners can join our club. Let’s study Japanese together!

In this episode, we explore the famous Japanese folktale “The Straw Millionaire (Warashibe Chōja)”. “Warashibe” means a straw stem and “chōja” means a wealthy person.
It’s about an unlucky young man who starts his journey with only a single straw. By valuing small things, helping others, and never giving up, the straw slowly turns into oranges, cloth, a horse, and finally a big house.
This heartwarming story teaches us an important lesson:
even small things can lead to great happiness if we treat them with care and kindness.
Enjoy the story, learn new vocabulary, and discover the wisdom hidden in Japanese folktales.

(Keywords)
わら : straw, あぶ : horse fly, みかん : oranges, ぬの : cloth, fabri, 馬(うま) : horse, 家(いえ) : house, こうかんする : to exchange, trade

This episode tells the classic Japanese folktale Kasajizō. Set in a cold winter, this fantasy story teaches the value of kindness and caring for others. Perfect for Japanese learners who want to enjoy stories while improving their listening skills.

(Keywords)
笠（かさ）kasa : straw hat that people wore in the old days.
お地蔵さま （おじぞうさま）jizō : a Buddhist figure that looks like a small monk.

You can get the scripts 📄 here→https://www.patreon.com/Onigiri888

Youtube → https://www.youtube.com/@onigirinihongoclub

If you enjoy this story, please like, subscribe, and share so more learners can join our club. Let’s study Japanese together!

Today’s story is about きつね (fox), lantern oil, and a little temptation… 👀 The keywords are あぶらabura (oil) , いちごう ichigou (180ml), ばける bakeru (transform) and ぺろりperori (lick). Let’s relax, listen, and enjoy learning Japanese😊

You can get the scripts ↓
https://www.patreon.com/Onigiri888

Youtube → https://youtu.be/h13YNdk-B6Y

In this episode, I read a classic Japanese folktale about Ikkyu, a clever young monk known for his wit (とんち tonchi).
The story plays with the Japanese word “hashi,” which can mean “bridge” or “edge.”
Ikkyu uses this double meaning to outsmart the adults around him in a funny and surprising way.
This is a short, beginner-friendly listening practice with simple Japanese. Relax, listen, and enjoy the wisdom and humor of traditional Japanese stories.

YouTube ➡️ https://youtu.be/bK1hXXSNR7k