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🇯🇵 Japanese · Fluency Level 1

PART 3 · LESSON 27 OF 30 · 30 MINUTES

The variety theatre

Mrs. Sato takes Ben to Asakusa's variety hall, where one man on a cushion with a fan and a towel tells the bun story: a man scared of steamed buns eats the mountain his friends bring, and is scared of a cup of hot tea next; Ben hears his first punchline.

Audio instruction: English

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THE STORY

The variety hall in Asakusa on a weekday afternoon, Mrs. Sato in her usual seat, Ben beside her. Mrs. Sato is polite with Ben and he with her; the storyteller speaks plainly, in the voices of the story.

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Words and phrases

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ここ が よせ です。 こども の ころ から です。koko ga yose desu. kodomo no koro kara desuThis is the variety hall. Since I was a child.
ざぶとん と せんす だけ です か？zabuton to sensu dake desu kaJust a cushion and a fan?
くち の なか に、 にじゅうにん。kuchi no naka ni, nijūninTwenty people, in his mouth.
「なに が こわい？」 「へび」 「……まんじゅう」。'nani ga kowai?' 'hebi' '...manjū'What are you scared of? Snakes. ...Buns.
やま ほど かったら、 ぜんぶ たべた。yama hodo kattara, zenbu tabetaThey bought a mountain, and he ate them all.
「なに が こわい？」 「こんど は、 おちゃ が こわい」。'nani ga kowai?' 'kondo wa, ocha ga kowai'What are you scared of? This time, hot tea.
なるほど、 それ が おち です ね。naruhodo, sore ga ochi desu neI see, so that's the punchline.
おしょうがつ は、 いちにち じゅう です よ。oshōgatsu wa, ichinichi-jū desu yoAt New Year, it's all day.