Makoto Magazine Series #88: Teary-Eyed Samurai and Misunderstood Mustard

For Beginners to Lower Intermediates: Make it Rain... Knowledge!

This issue of Makoto takes you back to the early Shōwa era—an intense period of political change and cultural flux—while also reminding you why listening closely in Japanese is, well, life-or-death. (No pressure.)

Whether you're crying at a drama, choking on a grammar slip-up, or just dripping with new vocab, this issue will soak you in language learning goodness.

Here's what's brewing in this issue:

☔ Vocabulary spotlight on 脂がのる (to hit your stride... or get deliciously fatty)
☔ The delicate drip of うるうる—when your eyes well up, but you still power through
☔ Etymology spotlight on 息の根を止める (No, she didn't actually kill the guy...)
☔ Grammar Time! with ないで (Don't do it! Or do, but don't...you know?)
☔ Reading practice: a deceptively simple "ii desu" and a deeper dive into the early Shōwa years (Pre-war Japan, anyone?)
☔ Kanji Spotlight on 白 (pure as driven snow... or maybe just your cat)
☔ Haiku by Takahama Kyoshi—where the sky can't decide on its mood
☔ Prefecture Spotlight: Nara—deer, daibutsu, and the dawn of Japan's capital
☔ Anime Quote of the Month: Silver-tongued Gintoki from Gintama reminds us to live beautifully until the end

Whether you're crying from a touching anime or from the stress of trying to distinguish "息を止める" from "息の根を止める," this issue has your back (and your breath).

Clay & Yumi

Details:

🎧 Native audio for every story
📚 Fun with jokes, riddles, history, and real-life Japanese
🆓 Always includes sound files + flashcards!

In this Issue:

• Laughs, Jokes, and Cringe-Worthy Language Mistakes
• Vocabulary: 脂がのる
• Etymology: 息の根を止める
• Onomatopoeia: うるうる
• Grammar Time: ないで
• Haiku: 高浜虚子
• Kanji Spotlight: 白
• Prefecture Spotlight: Nara
• Anime Phrase of the Month: Gintama
• Japanese Readers: "ii desu" (Beginner) + Shōwa Era Turbulence (Intermediate)

🛒 Buy now and get beautifully drenched—in Japanese!