Hole in the Wall
Friendship comes in many shapes and sizes.
Life as a house mouse can be fraught with peril. But things start looking up when one lucky mouse forms a bond with a little girl who is dealing with a challenge of her own. Can the two help each other? Featuring copious notes on Japanese life and culture, this story will twitch your whiskers. (58 episodes)
Episode 1
The narrator explains his living arrangements.
Notes: This episode contains great vocabulary and notes, such as the way to speak of your stomach growling, an adverb that refers to "careful/quiet/gentle" action, and a note about a use of mo to indicate an amount that the speaker finds noteworthy.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty |  |
| Standard | Unread | 3.1(1126 votes) |
Episode 2
The narrator's family experiences growing pains.
Notes: This episode contains lots of great vocabulary, such as words that mean "literally" and "at the risk of one's life," as well as a note about the style of narration in this story.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 3.2(517 votes) |
Pro
Episode 3
The narrator explains more about his current home.
Notes: This episode contains excellent vocabulary and cultural notes related to traditional Japanese homes.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 3.0(217 votes) |
Pro
Episode 4
The home of the narrator is situated near a convenient source of food.
Notes: This episode contains wonderful vocabulary, such as the word for "to come to light (of secrets, etc)," plus several cultural notes.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 3.0(194 votes) |
Pro
Episode 5
With some encouragement from her mother, Kumiko performs a morning routine.
Notes: This episode contains vocabulary useful in a traditional Japanese home, such as "incense sticks," as well as notes on the verb gaman suru and a special use of nani wo.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 3.1(170 votes) |
Pro
Episode 6
The narrator describes a part of Kumiko's morning routine and the impact it has on his family.
Notes: This episode contains more vocabulary for items found in a traditional Japanese home, a review of a word that indicates the speaker is imagining what happens in another place or time, and a step-by-step breakdown of a potentially tricky sentence.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 3.0(156 votes) |
Pro
Episode 7
With the coast clear, the narrator checks out the day's spoils and gets an exciting surprise.
Notes: This episode contains lots of good food-related vocabulary, plus several extended notes, such as one on a variation of the "it's no good if " pattern.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 3.0(142 votes) |
Pro
Episode 8
Kumiko and the mouse get their first good look at one another.
Notes: This episode features surprisingly useful vocabulary, such as a word that means "to hold in one's mouth," as well as a reminder about the no that stands in for another noun and a note on a use of toki that means "in such a case."
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 3.1(134 votes) |
Pro
Episode 9
The narrator relates his recent encounter to his family.
Notes: This episode contains vocabulary such as words for "pale (of faces)" and "in an instant," plus a note on names.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.7(142 votes) |
Pro
Episode 10
Chuuya and his father stumble upon something enticing.
Notes: This episode contains excellent vocabulary, such as a word that means "a trap," as well as a thorough explanation of a sometimes-tricky verb that means "to sandwich."
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 3.1(133 votes) |
Pro
Episode 11
Chuuya and Kumiko make a connection.
Notes: This episode contains fun vocabulary, such as a word that means "to twitch" and one that means "a bite (of food)."
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.8(130 votes) |
Pro
Episode 13
Chuuya reports his recent interactions, but his father has reservations.
Notes: This episode should feel straightforward, containing mostly vocabulary that we've seen before in this series, as well as another example of the accusatory nani wo that we met in Episode 5.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.6(123 votes) |
Pro
Episode 15
Chuuya is excited to bring home Kumiko's gift.
Notes: This article demonstrates fun expressions like "to puff out one's chest with pride" and "to put in an appearance."
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.6(118 votes) |
Pro
Episode 16
The family reacts in different ways to the unusual breakfast.
Notes: This episode contains notes on several words that can feel a little hard to get your mind around, such as one that means "to let your guard down" and another that means "I earnestly and repeatedly entreat you."
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.8(116 votes) |
Pro
Episode 17
Excited by his new friendship, Chuuya looks forward to seeing Kumiko again.
Notes: This episode is a trove of mimetic words, including ones that mean "grinning," "gleaming," "smooth," and "with trepidation," along with a few notes to help you understand and remember them.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.9(107 votes) |
Pro
Episode 18
Chuuya explains to Kumiko what their friendship has meant.
Notes: This episode contains notes on bakari occurring within a progressive, and a reminder about how to understand the word nanika when it is used as an adverb.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.8(105 votes) |
Pro
Episode 19
Chuuya remembers a conversation with his grandfather.
Notes: This article contains interesting grammar points, such as "masculine assertion" sa and a variation on the copula used by old men in fairy tales.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.8(106 votes) |
Pro
Episode 20
Chuuya's mother recalls a conversation with Grandpa regarding the strange breakfast item.
Notes: This episode contains useful vocabulary, such as an expression that literally means "making one's neck long = craning one's neck" in anticipation, and a discussion of the difference between two words that mean "content/contents."
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.9(101 votes) |
Pro
Episode 21
Chuuya realizes that he is in a special position.
Notes: This episode illustrates an alternative way of admitting fault, as well as a vocabulary word that means "to interact with" someone.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.9(97 votes) |
Pro
Episode 22
As the family sinks their teeth into the gift from Kumiko, Chuuya anticipates his next meeting with her.
Notes: This episode contains a good example of a sentence where the colors named must be nouns rather than adjectives.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.8(92 votes) |
Pro
Episode 23
Chuuya is eager to know how he can repay Kumiko.
Notes: This episode contains two very extensive notes.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.9(88 votes) |
Pro
Episode 26
Chuuya makes a momentous decision.
Notes: This episode contains great expressions, such as "to float up into one's head" and "entrust it to me!" plus friendly notes and breakdowns, as always.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.8(83 votes) |
Pro
Episode 27
Chuuya and Kumiko hammer out the details of their plan.
Notes: This episode contains a note on using -tari with only a single clause.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.7(79 votes) |
Pro
Episode 28
Chuuya has a difficult conversation.
Notes: This episode contains a few words that might be new, like one that means "fist" and a humorous expression for getting in trouble (if you're not the one in hot water!).
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.9(78 votes) |
Pro
Episode 29
Chuuya's father offers feedback about the plan.
Notes: This episode contains a note about a contraction for negative verbs.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.8(76 votes) |
Pro
Episode 30
As he takes in his father's concerns, Chuuya feels various emotions.
Notes: This episode contains fun vocabulary, such as the name of a children's game that involves staring and a word that means "to speak very quickly and one-sidedly."
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 3.1(77 votes) |
Pro
Episode 31
Chuuya's father reflects on the changing times.
Notes: This episode contains great vocabulary such as the words for "generation," "the times," and more.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.9(77 votes) |
Pro
Episode 32
Kumiko prepares for her big day as her mother worries over her.
Notes: This fun episode contains notes on aspects of school life in Japan, and a simple pattern whose meaning might surprise you.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.9(69 votes) |
Pro
Episode 35
It's showtime as Chuuya and Kumiko near the school.
Notes: This episode contains a note on two words that relate to two kinds of behavior common to schools.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.9(65 votes) |
Pro
Episode 39
Something happens at lunchtime.
Notes: This episode has several useful notes, such as one that takes apart an instance of the -te morau pattern and another that explains a pattern for expanding a verb into two parts so as to insert wa or mo between them.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.8(65 votes) |
Pro
Episode 40
Kumiko and Chuuya share lunch.
Notes: This episode contains an explanation of a pattern that we saw in the previous episode as well, which means that an action nearly happened.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.8(60 votes) |
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Episode 41
Chuuya and Kumiko head outside for some fresh air after lunch.
Notes: This episode contains two extended breakdowns of potentially tricky sentences, one that takes up the noni of lament, and one that breaks down "heated questions."
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.9(58 votes) |
Pro
Episode 42
Two boys make trouble for Kumiko.
Notes: This episode illustrates two ways to make adjectives more emphatic.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 3.0(60 votes) |
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Episode 43
The two boys try to make sense of the surprising turn of events.
Notes: This episode contains a note on a verb that is used in expressions such as "to sweat" and "to snore," as well as a breakdown of a tricky sentence.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 3.0(55 votes) |
Pro
Episode 44
A grateful but concerned Kumiko and an inquisitive Chuuya debrief..
Notes: This episode illustrates a secondary use of the verb chuui suru that might be new to you.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.6(54 votes) |
Pro
Episode 45
Chuuya carefully observes the other children during recess.
Notes: This episode provides an in-depth look at how to use the word nakama-hazure.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.8(54 votes) |
Pro
Episode 46
During recess, Chuuya muses over what the boys said and what it might mean for him and Kumiko.
Notes: This episode contains a suffix that can be used to create words like "movie-lover."
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.8(51 votes) |
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Episode 47
After recess, Kumiko and Chuuya run into a bump in the road at the shoe boxes.
Notes: This episode contains a note on way of correcting yourself or orienting yourself to new information by asking yourself a blunt-form question.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.8(51 votes) |
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Episode 48
At the afternoon wrap-up meeting, Kumiko's teacher brings up the topic of the missing shoes.
Notes: This episode contains interesting notes about how to talk about school periods, plus the structure of a typical school day.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.6(50 votes) |
Pro
Episode 49
As the teacher gently searches for the truth, at least one person in the classroom has already made up his or her mind.
Notes: This episode demonstrates the affective passive (also known as the "suffering passive") as well as an excellent expression that means something is so certain that it is practically predetermined to be so.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.9(51 votes) |
Pro
Episode 51
Progress is made in the case.
Notes: This episode contains an excellent expression related to losing one's temper, plus a note on a pattern used in boy's names, among others.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.9(47 votes) |
Pro
Episode 53
Kumiko's teacher attempts to help the children learn an important lesson.
Notes: This episode demonstrates a special, and potentially surprising, use of the word onaji, plus an example of a phrase that means "Listen up!"
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.7(38 votes) |
Pro
Episode 54
Kumiko's teacher helps the children to reason on commonalities and differences among people.
Notes: This episode also contains a note regarding a term for someone who has Japanese and non-Japanese parents, and a discussion on discrimination in Japan in general.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.7(40 votes) |
Pro
Episode 56
Kumiko thanks Chuuya for his help at school.
Notes: This episode reviews a pattern that means "having only (such-and-such)" or "just (such-and-such)."
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.7(38 votes) |
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Episode 57
Chuuya is reunited with his family.
Notes: This episode contains a note on a use of dekiru that means that something "comes to be."
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.8(41 votes) |
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Episode 58
Chuuya looks back over the day's adventure and imagines what lies in store.
Notes: This episode contains a textbook example of contrastive wa.
| Editions | Status | Difficulty | |
| Standard | Unread | 2.8(38 votes) |