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How to use

Designed to help you progress once you’re comfortable with the basics. Use it as supplementary material alongside your studies.

Pick a school grade or JLPT level and do this each day:

  1. Handwrite the passage in a notebook.
  2. Read the passage out loud.
  3. Understand the meaning of the passage (if you need help, check the English translation).
  4. Take note of the grammar points (try understanding them in Japanese first; if you need help, refer to the English translation).
N3高1 · High School 1September 13, 2026

いしがきのしゅうりからみえたえどのちえ

せんげつ、ながさきけんのふるいおしろで、くずれかけたいしがきのしゅうりがおこなわれた。いしのつみかたをしらべたところ、えどじだいのしょくにんがじしんにつよいくふうをしていたことがわかった。いしといしのあいだにちいさないしをはさみ、ゆれをきゅうしゅうしやすくしていたのだ。このくふうはながいとしつきにわたってしられておらず、こんかいのしゅうりであらためてはっけんされた。たんとうしたしょくにんは、むかしのぎじゅつをまなんだうえで、これからのしゅうりにもいかしたいとかたった。

文法

  • 「〜(た)ところ」は、ある動作どうさをした結果けっか、予想よそう外がいのことが分わかったり、次つぎの出来事できごとにつながったりすることを表あらわす表現ひょうげん。
  • 「〜にわたって」は、時間じかんや範囲はんいが広ひろく続つづいていることを表あらわす表現ひょうげんで、「長ながい期間きかんや広ひろい範囲はんい全体ぜんたいに及およぶ」という意味いみを持もつ。
  • 「〜(た)上うえで」は、ある動作どうさを先さきに行おこない、それを踏ふまえて次つぎの行動こうどうをすることを表あらわす表現ひょうげん。
English

The Edo-Era Wisdom Revealed by a Stone Wall Repair

Last month, repairs were carried out on a crumbling stone wall at an old castle in Nagasaki Prefecture. When workers examined how the stones had been stacked, they discovered that Edo-period craftsmen had devised a way to make the wall resistant to earthquakes. By wedging small stones between the larger ones, they had made it easier for the wall to absorb shaking. This technique had gone unknown for many years, and it was only rediscovered during this repair project. The craftsman in charge said that, having learned this old technique, he wants to make use of it in future repairs as well.

  • "~たところ" means 'when one did ~', used to describe that performing an action led to an unexpected discovery or the next development, often in narrative or report style.
  • "~にわたって" means 'over the course of ~' or 'throughout ~', expressing that something extends across a long period of time or a wide range.
  • "~た上で" means 'after doing ~' or 'having done ~, and based on that', expressing that one takes a certain step first and then acts based on it.
All High School 1 paragraphs