Tundra swans, known as "winter messengers," have flown to the area around the Sai River in the city of Azumino, Nagano Prefecture, where they have come to spend the winter. Tundra swans first came to Azumino, at the foot of the Northern Alps, in December 1984. Since then, they have come every winter. By October 28, 21 birds had arrived. They are searching for food near the water and swimming peacefully.

Note: The March 6 installment of this series reported on the Tundra swans that left Azumino and headed north. Search for keywords "Easy" and "Tundra" within this site.

Japanese original

The easy Japanese news is taken from the Mainichi Shogakusei Shimbun, a newspaper for children. This is perfect material for anyone studying Japanese who has learned hiragana and katakana. We encourage beginners to read the article in English followed by Japanese, or vice versa, to test their comprehension.

A fresh set will be published every Monday to Friday at 4 p.m., Japan time. Click/tap here for past installments.

Intermediate learners who do not need English assistance can directly access the Mainichi Shogakusei Shimbun site here . Furigana (hiragana) is added to all kanji in the text.