"Funabashi pears" produced in the city of Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, were shipped for the first time this season on July 28. At a farm harvesting the "Kosui" variety, children learned how to pick the pears. This year, there was concern about the growth of the pears due to less rain and hot weather, but they have grown well in size and sweetness. Shipping of other varieties like "Hosui" and "Akizuki" will continue through late September.

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.