Chatsumi tea picking starts in spring. "The earliest tea picking in Japan" was held on January 6, in the city of Kizugawa, Kyoto Prefecture, an area known for its tea production. At the tea field of the specialist store Fukujuen, new buds inside a greenhouse were carefully picked. Tea leaves are harvested on the first workday every year. This is done in hopes of avoiding illness and living a healthy life.

Japanese original

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, Wednesday and 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.