Sakura and Suzuki's Long Distance Relationship

When Suzuki's work suddenly takes him to Okinawa, his budding relationship with Sakura is tested.

Told in very short episodes that feature informal Japanese and lots of helpful notes, the Easier editions of this series make a great first step for new readers. (43 episodes)

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Sakura talks about her hope to visit Suzuki over the upcoming Golden Week vacation.
Notes: This article features communication that you might see between peers in a close relationship, including mostly informal verbs, dropped particles, incomplete sentences, intimate forms of address, and so on.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 17957
Harder Unread 9334
Suzuki describes his daily life in Okinawa.
Notes: This article features communication that you might see between peers in a close relationship, including mostly informal verbs, dropped particles, incomplete sentences, intimate forms of address, and so on.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 10825
Harder Unread 6381
Pro
Plans for the Okinawa trip begin to firm up as Sakura spots a deal at the local travel agency.
Notes: This article features communication that you might see between peers in a close relationship, including mostly informal verbs, dropped particles, incomplete sentences, intimate forms of address, and so on.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 6357
Harder Unread 3370
Pro
Suzuki looks forward to Sakura's visit.
Notes: This article features communication that you might see between peers in a close relationship, including mostly informal verbs, dropped particles, incomplete sentences, intimate forms of address, and so on.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 3272
Harder Unread 2091
Pro
Sakura announces that she has bought tickets…and presents Suzuki with a difficult decision.
Notes: This article features communication that you might see between peers in a close relationship, including mostly informal verbs, dropped particles, incomplete sentences, intimate forms of address, and so on.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 2676
Harder Unread 1873
Pro
Excited about Sakura's upcoming visit, Suzuki suggests a side trip.
Notes: This article features communication that you might see between peers in a close relationship, including mostly informal verbs, dropped particles, incomplete sentences, intimate forms of address, and so on.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 2169
Harder Unread 1577
Pro
Sakura gets to the bottom of the sudden increase in airfare.
Notes: This article features great expressions, such as "to feel cheered up," "to be sold out," and "to rip off."
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1990
Harder Unread 1477
Pro
Suzuki asks about Sakura's work situation...and betrays a bit of insecurity about the architects she works with.
Notes: This episode contains fun colloquial expressions such as "hitting on" someone romantically.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1836
Harder Unread 1410
Pro
Sakura eases Suzuki's mind and provides more details about her day-to-day work environment.
Notes: This episode has lots of great vocabulary and grammar patterns, such as words for "inviting" someone out on a date, working hard "on" something, and using the -te form to provide a reason.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1731
Harder Unread 1349
Pro
Suzuki learns that he may have underestimated Sakura's professional talents.
Notes: This episode contains important grammar, including the tricky but very useful 'wake,' and lots of great vocab.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1621
Harder Unread 1269
Pro
Sakura explains more about her responsibilities at work.
Notes: This episode contains excellent vocabulary, including a word you might hear as a fight is brewing.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1556
Harder Unread 1230
Pro
Suzuki feels a little left behind but is reinvigorated by Sakura's coming visit.
Notes: This article contains good notes, including an explanation of the use of na as a masculine-sounding replacement for ne.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1496
Harder Unread 1210
Pro
Sakura looks forward to experiencing Okinawan food.
Notes: This article includes notes about how the verb chigau works and the use of hairu to mean "to fit."
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1423
Harder Unread 1183
Pro
Suzuki reacts to Sakura's choice of swimwear and reflects on the moment when they began their long-distance relationship.
Notes: This article contains good vocabulary and an example of the -te form linking cause and effect.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1423
Harder Unread 1189
Pro
Sakura shares her experience of the moment the two last saw each other.
Notes: This episode contains notes on interesting grammar points, such as the use of blunt-form questions in musing or realizing to oneself.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1334
Harder Unread 1146
Pro
Suzuki remembers saying goodbye to Sakura at the airport.
Notes: This episode contains examples of a more colloquial equivalent of the negative -te form, and an expression that means "to feel (a certain way)" or "to have (a certain kind of) experience."
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1298
Harder Unread 1097
Pro
Sakura reminds Suzuki of her martial arts prowess.
Notes: This shorter episode nevertheless contains great vocab related to judo, as well as some interesting expressions such as "to make a move" on someone, and "to have a bad time."
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1232
Harder Unread 1075
Pro
Suzuki jokes about needing to be careful around Sakura.
Notes: This shorter episode is packed with interesting vocab and grammar. Be sure to check out both editions for notes on wake, -kke, and more.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1219
Harder Unread 1075
Pro
Sakura reports on her research into sightseeing in Okinawa.
Notes: This episode contains great conversational devices, like use of tte koto to summarize, and a reminder on how the word mitai ("seeming like") works.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1188
Harder Unread 1040
Pro
Suzuki reflects on his experiences swimming in the Okinawan sea.
Notes: This episode contains examples of the -te yokatta pattern, which indicates happiness or relief over something that has happened, and the -te oku pattern, which means "to do something in advance; to do in preparation."
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1144
Harder Unread 1018
Pro
The trip fast approaching, Sakura considers what to bring.
Notes: This episode contains a use of sae that means "if only" or "as long as."
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1096
Harder Unread 983
Pro
Suzuki muses about a key difference between Sakura and himself.
Notes: This episode contains great vocabulary, such as a common colloquial term used by men for their mothers, and a discussion of a use of rashii.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1066
Harder Unread 950
Pro
Sakura reacts to a weather-related development.
Notes: This episode contains lots of great vocab and cultural notes.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1050
Harder Unread 946
Pro
Suzuki shares a reason for optimism about the typhoon.
Notes: This episode contains fun vocabulary, such as words for a man or woman who can make their own good weather, as well as extended annotations explaining useful patterns and expressions.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1026
Harder Unread 926
Pro
Sakura wonders what to do about the typhoon.
Notes: This episode contains more fun vocabulary, such as one of the opposites of the "sunny guy/girl" words from the last episode, plus useful notes, such as one on the word umai.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1006
Harder Unread 923
Pro
The weather looks up as Suzuki prepares for Sakura's arrival.
Notes: This episode contains a long note about the masculine sentence enders zo and ze.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 1010
Harder Unread 900
Pro
Things are looking up as Sakura's departure date arrives.
Notes: This episode contains good practice at describing an itinerary, plus notes on the banzai cheer and an expression that means "it's hard to believe."
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 980
Harder Unread 882
Pro
Suzuki requests a souvenir.
Notes: This episode contains a fun backstory about a popular airport souvenir, as well as a cultural note about an aspect of humility in Japan.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 976
Harder Unread 878
Pro
A minor setback happens as Sakura heads to the airport.
Notes: This episode contains useful vocabulary, such as the word for "traffic jam," plus interesting grammar and cultural notes.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 954
Harder Unread 860
Pro
Suzuki recalls his first meeting with Sakura's mother.
Notes: This episode contains a nice review of the "trying to remember" suffix -kke, as well as an approach for responding to the Japanese anti-brag.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 934
Harder Unread 862
Pro
Sakura arrives at the airport.
Notes: This episode contains useful vocabulary such as the words for "being on time" for something, a "line" that one would wait in, and "check-in."
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 904
Harder Unread 880
Pro
Suzuki relates an embarrassing episode from this morning.
Notes: This episode contains a note on the words meshi and kuu which are rough-sounding variants of more polite words.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 890
Harder Unread 854
Pro
Sakura recalls a related episode from earlier in their relationship.
Notes: This episode contains great vocabulary, such as words for "uncool," "inside-out," and perhaps a new way to say "funny."
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 882
Harder Unread 845
Pro
Suzuki shares his recollection of the shirt incident.
Notes: This episode contains useful words like "to turn inside out," as well as (in the Harder edition) a suffix that means that the verb is performed "with wild abandon."
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 885
Harder Unread 845
Pro
Sakura remembers the waiter's reaction.
Notes: This episode contains a fun expression that derives from manga/anime and means "to be astounded."
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 872
Harder Unread 837
Pro
As Sakura prepares to board, Suzuki thinks of the perfect analogy to his and Sakura's upcoming reunion.
Notes: This episode contains a nice note about a summer festival in Japan and related vocabulary.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 873
Harder Unread 825
Pro
Another small hiccup has Sakura wondering if the universe is trying to pester her.
Notes: This short episode nonetheless contains several interesting words and notes.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 862
Harder Unread 821
Pro
Suzuki reacts the only way one can when confronted by Sakura's amazing spate of bad luck.
Notes: This episode contains a fun way to say that someone looks or acts "like someone else entirely."
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 853
Harder Unread 824
Pro
Sakura reports some good news.
Notes: This episode contains an example of datte for reporting hearsay and an extended explanation of it.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 851
Harder Unread 814
Pro
Suzuki sends a message that he expects Sakura will see after arriving in Naha.
Notes: This episode contains a sentence that demonstrates the -te kara pattern combined with the no that stands in for a person, place, thing, time, or reason, along with a breakdown of the grammar in play.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 844
Harder Unread 792
Pro
Sakura texts from the luggage pickup area of Naha Airport.
Notes: This episode contains a note on a very useful word, shidai, in the Harder edition.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 909
Harder Unread 831
Pro
Suzuki arrives at the airport.
Notes: This episode contains an example of a mostly self-directed question and a discussion of how and when to use such questions.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 853
Harder Unread 806
Pro
At long last, Sakura and Suzuki are reunited.
Notes: This episode contains great vocabulary and interesting notes, as always.
Editions Status Total Readers
Easier Unread 919
Harder Unread 854