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 18506
Harder Unread 9582
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 11174
Harder Unread 6549
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 6587
Harder Unread 3477
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 3410
Harder Unread 2157
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 2789
Harder Unread 1936
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 2274
Harder Unread 1639
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 2082
Harder Unread 1540
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 1926
Harder Unread 1470
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 1823
Harder Unread 1405
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 1708
Harder Unread 1322
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 1633
Harder Unread 1283
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 1570
Harder Unread 1265
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 1488
Harder Unread 1237
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 1486
Harder Unread 1241
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 1398
Harder Unread 1199
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 1362
Harder Unread 1153
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 1298
Harder Unread 1129
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 1282
Harder Unread 1127
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 1255
Harder Unread 1094
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 1210
Harder Unread 1072
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 1163
Harder Unread 1037
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 1128
Harder Unread 1000
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 1110
Harder Unread 993
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 1085
Harder Unread 974
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 1064
Harder Unread 972
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 1067
Harder Unread 951
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 1034
Harder Unread 932
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 1031
Harder Unread 927
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 1007
Harder Unread 911
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 985
Harder Unread 914
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 956
Harder Unread 929
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 943
Harder Unread 902
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 932
Harder Unread 895
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 934
Harder Unread 893
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 921
Harder Unread 883
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 920
Harder Unread 869
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 910
Harder Unread 864
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 898
Harder Unread 867
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 897
Harder Unread 856
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 893
Harder Unread 835
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 957
Harder Unread 874
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 899
Harder Unread 849
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 970
Harder Unread 898