Two beloved Japanese folktales. Seven smart passes each. Real listening skills you can hear growing.

A mouse father and mother are determined their beautiful daughter will marry the greatest one in all the world—but is that the Sun, the Cloud, the Wind... or someone much closer to home? Then meet Ikkyū, Japan's cleverest young monk, as he faces the Shogun's impossible challenge: capture the tiger that lives inside a painted screen.

Learn Japanese with Stories 4: The Mouse Bride and Ikkyū-san turns these two classic tales — stories every Japanese child grows up hearing — into a complete listening course for upper-beginner Japanese learners.

Each story is built in seven passes, designed so you understand more at every step:

• Story Introduction—a quick English preview to set the scene
• Vocabulary—key words, Japanese then English, so you can repeat after a native speaker
• Slow Speed—the full story read slowly and clearly, every word catchable
• Line-by-Line—each Japanese sentence broken into bite-size phrases with English meanings, then rebuilt—this is where the language really sinks in
• Normal Speed—the story at natural pace. Hear how much more you catch now
• Comprehension Questions—answer out loud, then hear a model answer
• English Version—the full story retold in English to confirm your understanding

Japanese narration is by native speaker Yumi Boutwell, with English explanations by Clay Boutwell—the husband-and-wife team behind the Learn Japanese with Stories series and TheJapanShop.com, helping people learn Japanese since 2002.

No textbook required, no flipping pages—just press play, in the car or on a walk, and let the repetition do its work. By the final pass, you won't just understand these stories—you'll own the vocabulary and grammar inside them.

Perfect for upper beginners (JLPT N5–N4) ready to move beyond word lists and into real Japanese.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.