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)

SORT BY: DATE ↑ | UNREAD | BOOKMARKED
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 19580
Harder Unread 10066
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 11800
Harder Unread 6886
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 6970
Harder Unread 3677
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 3633
Harder Unread 2298
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 3003
Harder Unread 2076
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 2467
Harder Unread 1764
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 2259
Harder Unread 1656
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 2100
Harder Unread 1586
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 1985
Harder Unread 1512
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 1861
Harder Unread 1427
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 1789
Harder Unread 1385
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 1717
Harder Unread 1362
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 1634
Harder Unread 1333
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 1628
Harder Unread 1338
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 1534
Harder Unread 1288
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 1495
Harder Unread 1247
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 1425
Harder Unread 1219
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 1406
Harder Unread 1215
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 1380
Harder Unread 1181
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 1330
Harder Unread 1156
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 1280
Harder Unread 1122
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 1244
Harder Unread 1082
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 1226
Harder Unread 1074
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 1197
Harder Unread 1052
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 1173
Harder Unread 1048
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 1181
Harder Unread 1027
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 1146
Harder Unread 1008
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 1142
Harder Unread 1005
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 1116
Harder Unread 984
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 1094
Harder Unread 984
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 1064
Harder Unread 1006
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 1045
Harder Unread 978
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 1040
Harder Unread 971
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 1033
Harder Unread 972
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 1020
Harder Unread 958
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 1020
Harder Unread 945
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 1009
Harder Unread 941
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 994
Harder Unread 944
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 993
Harder Unread 930
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 986
Harder Unread 910
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 1052
Harder Unread 949
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 991
Harder Unread 925
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 1072
Harder Unread 977