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September 23, 2026

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 23, 2026

ひがんとおはぎ

くがつにじゅうさんにちはしゅうぶんのひで、ひるとよるのながさがほぼおなじになる。このじきは「ひがん」とよばれ、せんぞのはかをおとずれるひとがおおい。こんねんはしごとがいそがしく、じっかにかえれそうになかったが、おもいきってやすみをとり、ひさしぶりにそふのはかまいりにいってきた。そぼがつくってくれたおはぎをたべながら、かぞくそろってすごすじかんのたいせつさをあらためてかんじた。そぼは、おはぎのまるいかたちには、かぞくのえんがまるくつづくようにというがんいがこめられているのだとはなしていた。

文法

  • 「〜そうにない」は、話はなし手ての様子ようすや状況じょうきょうから判断はんだんして、そのことが実現じつげんしそうもない、可能性かのうせいが低ひくいことを表あらわす表現ひょうげん。
  • 「〜ように」は、望のぞみや願がんいの内容ないようを表あらわし、その後あとに「という」を続つづけることで、他たの人ひとの思おもいや言葉ことばを間接的かんせつてきに伝つたえる表現ひょうげんになる。
  • 「〜と話はなしていた」は、他たの人ひとが実際じっさいに言いった内容ないようを、後あとから思おもい出だして伝つたえる表現ひょうげんで、過去かこの発言はつげんを報告ほうこくするときに使つかう。
English

The Equinox Week and Ohagi

September 23rd is the autumnal equinox, when the length of day and night become almost the same. This period is called 'higan,' and many people visit their ancestors' graves during it. This year I was busy with work and it didn't seem like I'd be able to go home, but I decided to take some time off and visited my grandfather's grave for the first time in a while. Eating the ohagi my grandmother made while spending time together as a family, I once again felt how precious that time was. My grandmother told me that the round shape of ohagi carries the wish that the family's bonds continue on, unbroken, like a circle.

  • ~そうにない means 'it doesn't seem likely that ~', expressing that based on the speaker's observation of the situation, something appears unlikely to happen or be realized.
  • ~ように expresses the content of a wish or hope, and when followed by という, it conveys someone else's wish or words indirectly, meaning 'so that ~' or 'with the hope that ~'.
  • ~と話していた means '(someone) had said that ~', used to report what another person actually said, recalling their past statement.
All JLPT N3 paragraphs