Kitsune Fox, a Japanese Reader

Learn Japanese Through the Strange and Fascinating World of Yokai — Volume 4: Kitsune Fox

Fox spirits, nine tails, mysterious stones, secret weddings—and a lot of Japanese along the way.

In this completely revised and expanded edition of Learn Japanese with Yokai! Volume 4, you’ll explore three famous pieces of Japanese fox folklore.

Designed primarily for upper beginners around JLPT N4 and intermediate learners.

The Nine-Tailed Fox
Where did Japan’s belief in magical, shapeshifting foxes come from? Follow the legend from an ancient Chinese text to the brilliant and mysterious Lady Tamamo-no-Mae at the court of Retired Emperor Toba.

The Legend of the Killing Stone
The story continues as the nine-tailed fox escapes to Nasu in Tochigi Prefecture, where soldiers, a Buddhist monk, a deadly stone, and poisonous volcanic gases become tangled together in one of Japan’s best-known fox legends.

The Fox’s Wedding
Why does Japanese call a sunshower—rain falling while the sun is shining—a kitsune no yomeiri, or “fox’s wedding”? 

BUILT FOR JAPANESE LEARNERS

Each reading takes you through several stages so that you gradually remove the training wheels:

Before You Read
Get essential cultural background and preview important vocabulary and grammar patterns.

Sentence-by-Sentence Japanese
Work through the story one sentence at a time, with furigana on every kanji, complete vocabulary breakdowns, and clear grammar and cultural notes.

Japanese-Only Reading
Once you’ve studied the breakdowns, read the complete story again without the explanations.

Review & Practice
Test yourself with true-or-false questions, Japanese comprehension questions, particle exercises, and translation challenges. 

English Summary
Check your comprehension only after giving the Japanese a serious try.

Kanji in Focus
Important kanji receive dedicated study pages with meanings, readings, stroke order, component breakdowns, example words, and memory aids.

FREE AUDIO, DIGITAL EXTRAS, AND APP ACCESS

Every story includes native-speaker audio at two speeds: slow and natural speed.

Your purchase also unlocks bonus learning materials, including Anki vocabulary decks, PDF and EPUB editions, app unlocks, and other updates and extras.