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Storybook https://gemini.google.com/share/d98f1ee7a758 Check Noriko's website https://www.japanesewithnoriko.com/ 1) Discussion and Reflection Questions Why do you think Ken tried to keep working even though he wasn’t feeling well?Do you think Sato’s words made Ken stop and think about his health?Why do you think Ken felt a little relieved after deciding to take time off and rest?Even when work is busy, what kind of mindset do you think is necessary to prioritize your health?In the long run, how do you think “pushing yourself to keep working” and “taking proper time to rest” affect your work differently?In your country or workplace, is it easy to take time off when you’re not feeling well? Why or why not?What do you think we can learn from Ken’s experience about balancing health and work?2) vocabulary list 先日 / せんじつ / the other day, recently風邪をひく / かぜをひく / to catch a cold熱が出る / ねつがでる / to develop a fever喉 / のど / throat体中 / からだじゅう / throughout the body主人公 / しゅじんこう / main character会社員 / かいしゃいん / company employee涼しい / すずしい / cool, refreshing大切 / たいせつ / important昼休み / ひるやすみ / lunch break薬 / くすり / medicine具合 / ぐあい / condition, state of healthそれどころか / それどころか / on the contrary, far from thatだんだん / だんだん / gradually画面 / がめん / screen顔色 / かおいろ / complexion, facial color頑張る / がんばる / to do one's best集中する / しゅうちゅうする / to concentrate結局 / けっきょく / in the end, eventually状態 / じょうたい / condition, state結果 / けっか / result気づく / きづく / to notice, realize携帯電話 / けいたいでんわ / mobile phone手に取る / てにとる / to pick up, take in one's hand連絡する / れんらくする / to contact目を閉じる / めをとじる / to close one's eyes穏やか / おだやか / calm, peaceful二日後 / ふつかご / two days later無理をする / むりをする / to overdo it, push oneself届ける / とどける / to deliver

Storybook https://gemini.google.com/share/3d98bee4baf8 Check Noriko's website https://www.japanesewithnoriko.com/ Grammar points ～のに：Although / Even though Use ～のに when the result is different from what you expected. It often expresses surprise, disappointment, or dissatisfaction. 毎日（まいにち）勉強（べんきょう）しているのに、漢字（かんじ）を覚（おぼ）えられません。Even though I study every day, I can’t remember kanji. 薬（くすり）を飲（の）んだのに、まだ頭（あたま）が痛（いた）いです。Although I took some medicine, I still have a headache. このレストランは高（たか）いのに、いつも混（こ）んでいます。Even though this restaurant is expensive, it is always crowded. Questions Ken had to work even though it was his day off. What do you think is important for maintaining a good balance between work and personal time?Ken realised, “Work is important, but having time to rest like this is important too.” What do you think are the benefits of making time to rest when you have a busy life?If you regularly have to work on your days off, how do you think it might affect your daily life and your mood?What does your ideal day off look like? How is it different from a typical workday?

Storybook https://share.gemini.google/TMwBAGhp0DEC Check Noriko's website https://www.japanesewithnoriko.com/ Questions Emma is going on her first onsen trip. What surprised or impressed her during the experience? How do you think her feelings changed throughout the trip?At an onsen, it is considered good etiquette not to use your smartphone and to wash your body before entering the bath. What role do you think these rules play in making the experience comfortable and enjoyable for everyone?At a ryokan, you can experience many aspects of traditional Japanese culture, such as yukata, tatami, tea, and onsen. What do you think makes staying at a ryokan appealing to visitors from other countries?When you feel tired from everyday life, what helps you relax your mind and body in the same way that an onsen might?Grammar points 1. ～てもいい：Permission / It is OK to... Use ～てもいい to say that someone is allowed to do something. 浴衣（ゆかた）でレストランに行（い）ってもいいです。You can go to the restaurant wearing a yukata. 温泉（おんせん）の中（なか）で話（はな）してもいいです。It is OK to talk in the hot spring. このタオルを使（つか）ってもいいです。You can use this towel. Use ～なくてもいい to say that someone does not need to do something. タオルは持（も）って行（い）かなくてもいいです。You do not need to bring a towel. 浴衣（ゆかた）を着（き）なくてもいいです。You do not have to wear a yukata. 予約（よやく）しなくてもいいです。You do not need to make a reservation. Use ～たほうがいい to give positive advice and ～ないほうがいい to advise someone not to do something. 体（からだ）を洗（あら）ってから入（はい）ったほうがいいです。You should wash your body before entering. 水（みず）を飲（の）んだほうがいいです。You should drink some water. 長（なが）い時間（じかん）、温泉（おんせん）に入（はい）らないほうがいいです。You shouldn’t stay in the hot spring for a long time.

先生（せんせい） — teacher夏休み（なつやすみ） — summer vacation旅行（りょこう） — trip, travel最初（さいしょ） — first, at the beginning二つ目（ふたつめ） — the second one初めて（はじめて） — for the first time今までに（いままでに） — until now, so far何回（なんかい） — how many times有名（ゆうめい） — famousイメージする — to imagine川（かわ） — river美術館（びじゅつかん） — art museumランドマーク — landmark建物（たてもの） — building昔（むかし） — long ago, in the past登る（のぼる） — to climb目的（もくてき） — purpose, goal一緒に（いっしょに） — together夫（おっと） — husband招待する（しょうたいする） — to invite料理（りょうり） — cuisine, cooking晩御飯（ばんごはん） — dinnerブランド — brand興味（きょうみ） — interestファッション — fashionアート — art特別展示（とくべつてんじ） — special exhibition素晴らしい（すばらしい） — wonderful, amazing幸せ（しあわせ） — happinessインスピレーション — inspiration毎日（まいにち） — every day忙しい（いそがしい） — busy残念ながら（ざんねんながら） — unfortunately熱波（ねっぱ） — heat wave暑すぎる（あつすぎる） — to be too hot来年（らいねん） — next year固有名詞 スペイン（すぺいん） — Spainアリカンテ — Alicanteフランス（ふらんす） — Franceパリ — Parisエッフェル塔（えっふぇるとう） — Eiffel Towerセーヌ川（せーぬがわ） — Seine Riverルーブル美術館（るーぶるびじゅつかん） — Louvre Museumモナリザ — Mona Lisaドナ — Donnaスコットランド — Scotlandペルー（ぺるー） — Peruフランス人（ふらんすじん） — French personフォンダシオン ルイ・ヴィトン — Fondation Louis Vuittonルイ・ヴィトン — Louis Vuitton

Places & Food アリカンテ — Alicanteスペイン — Spain海岸（かいがん）— Coast / Seashoreビーチ — Beach白い砂浜（しろい すなはま）— White sandy beachパエリア — Paellaシーフード — Seafoodタコ — Octopusイカ — Squidティント・デ・ベラーノ — Tinto de Veranoビール — BeerJLPT N4–N3 Vocabulary 夏バテ（なつバテ）— Summer fatigue夏バテ気味（なつバテぎみ）— Feeling a little exhausted from the summer heat海水浴（かいすいよく）— Swimming at the beach滞在中（たいざいちゅう）— During one's stay砂浜（すなはま）— Sandy beach続く（つづく）— To continue / Stretch on散歩（さんぽ）する — To take a walk気持ちがいい（きもちがいい）— To feel pleasant注文する（ちゅうもんする）— To order観光する（かんこうする）— To go sightseeingのんびりする — To relax / Take it easy宿泊先（しゅくはくさき）— Accommodation泊まる（とまる）— To stay (at a hotel, etc.)借りる（かりる）— To rent昼寝（ひるね）する — To take a nap涼しい（すずしい）— Cool (comfortable)小説（しょうせつ）— Novelエッセイ — Essay旅行中（りょこうちゅう）— During a trip日焼け（ひやけ）する — To get a suntan日焼け止めクリーム（ひやけどめクリーム）— Sunscreen帽子をかぶる（ぼうしをかぶる）— To wear a hat

語彙リスト うどん — Udonざるうどん — Cold udon served with dipping sauceそうめん — Somen noodlesざるそば — Cold soba noodles冷やし中華（ひやしちゅうか）— Cold ramen saladぶっかけうどん — Udon with toppings and sauce poured overめんつゆ — Noodle dipping sauceトッピング — Topping食欲（しょくよく）— Appetite熱波（ねっぱ）— Heatwaveエアコン — Air conditioner暖かさ（あたたかさ）— Warmth食欲が出る（しょくよくがでる）— To have an appetite食欲がない（しょくよくがない）— To have no appetite冷たい（つめたい）— Cold (to the touch/food)温かい（あたたかい）— Warm濃いめ（こいめ）— Slightly strong (flavor)野菜がたっぷり — Full of vegetablesさっぱりしている — Light and refreshing麺料理（めんりょうり）— Noodle dishヘルシー — Healthy食べすぎる — To eat too much元気になる — To feel better / become healthyデザイン — Design

Check my website https://www.japanesewithnoriko.com/ イギリス, United Kingdom (UK) スペイン, Spain アリカンテ, Alicante 日本, Japan 台湾, Taiwan オーストリア, Austria チェコ, Czech Republic 中級, ちゅうきゅう, Intermediate level 旅行, りょこう, Trip / Travel 毎年, まいとし, Every year 帰る, かえる, To return 夫婦, ふうふ, Married couple 南, みなみ, South 比べる, くらべる, To compare 楽しみ, たのしみ, Something to look forward to ワクワクする, To feel excited ドキドキする, To feel excited / nervous ずいぶん前, ずいぶんまえ, Quite a long time ago 飛行機, ひこうき, Airplane チケット, Ticket 予約する, よやくする, To make a reservation 宿泊先, しゅくはくさき, Accommodation 準備, じゅんび, Preparation 荷物, にもつ, Luggage スーツケース, Suitcase 荷物を詰める, にもつをつめる, To pack a suitcase 必要, ひつよう, Necessary 日焼け止め, ひやけどめ, Sunscreen 短パン, たんパン, Shorts 帽子, ぼうし, Hat サングラス, Sunglasses 水着, みずぎ, Swimsuit 予定を立てる, よていをたてる, To make plans 詳しく, くわしく, In detail 細かく, こまかく, In detail / Thoroughly 計画, けいかく, Plan 行く場所によって違う, いくばしょによってちがう, It depends on where I go 美術館, びじゅつかん, Art museum 事前に, じぜんに, In advance 結構, けっこう, Quite / Fairly 計画ゼロ, けいかくゼロ, No plans at all 決める, きめる, To decide のんびりする, To relax / Take it easy 散歩する, さんぽする, To take a walk 宿泊先に戻る, しゅくはくさきにもどる, To return to the accommodation 昼寝, ひるね, Nap 部屋, へや, Room 特別, とくべつ, Special 朝起きる, あさおきる, To wake up in the morning ぶらぶらする, To wander around 山, やま, Mountain 海, うみ, Sea 都会, とかい, Big city / Urban area

Check my website https://www.japanesewithnoriko.com/

check my website https://www.japanesewithnoriko.com/

My Birthday Story: Hello everyone, this is Noriko from Nihongo Story Time. I’m a Japanese teacher who teaches Japanese online.I have many different projects. This podcast is Nihongo Story Time, a beginner podcast where I speak a little slowly. I also have another Nihongo Story Time on Substack, where you can read Japanese blogs and essays. And I have my main podcast, Japanese with Noriko, where recently I’ve been talking about more difficult topics for intermediate and advanced learners. I also have my website, Japanese with Noriko. There are so many things, so I’m busy every day. How are you everyone? Today’s story is about me. When is your birthday? When your birthday comes, do you feel excited?Do you feel happy? I actually really like birthdays. I’m an older woman now.I’m not young anymore. But I still like birthdays. When my husband and family say “Happy Birthday,” it still makes me happy. My birthday is in May. In 2026, this year, I turned 53 years old. I’m getting old now. Maybe half of my life is already over. But actually, I didn’t feel sad about it. That weekend, I celebrated a lot. First, my husband and I went to a restaurant for dinner.It’s one of my favorite restaurants in Liverpool. We ate delicious food there. I think I drank cocktails too. And presents.A present for myself. I bought many books. I love reading books. Recently, whenever I have free time, I go for a walk, read books, go for another walk, and read more books. Honestly, I don’t really want to look at social media very much.I don’t want to watch YouTube too much. Actually, I still watch it, but much less than last year. Instead, I use that time for reading. For my birthday, I bought many books from Amazon Japan. That made me very happy. How do you celebrate your birthdays? Some people say:“I don’t really care about birthday celebrations.”“I don’t need presents.”“I don’t want to celebrate.” And that’s okay too. That’s all for today. See you again. 誕生日（たんじょうび） — birthday お祝い（おいわい） — celebration わくわくする — to feel excited ドキドキする — to feel nervous/excited 若い（わかい） — young 人生（じんせい） — life 暗い気持ち（くらいきもち） — gloomy feeling 週末（しゅうまつ） — weekend お食事（おしょくじ） — meal / dining プレゼント — present / gift 読書（どくしょ） — reading 暇な時間（ひまなじかん） — free time 散歩（さんぽ） — walk / stroll 実は（じつは） — actually 去年（きょねん） — last year 読書タイム（どくしょタイム） — reading time 別にいい — I don’t mind / it’s okay 大丈夫（だいじょうぶ） — okay / fine

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Storybook Noriko's Bio Links https://bio.site/japanesewithnoriko Enjoying my content? Support my work by buying me a coffee. Thank you! ☕️ https://buymeacoffee.com/nihongostorytime シンガポール, Singapore イギリス, UK / United Kingdom チャンギ空港, チャンギくうこう, Changi Airport チキンライス, Chicken Rice ラクサ, Laksa チリクラブ, Chili Crab 主人公, しゅじんこう, Protagonist / Main character 一人旅, ひとりたび, Solo travel 気持ちがいい, きもちがいい, To feel good / Pleasant 有名, ゆうめい, Famous お土産, おみやげ, Souvenir にぎやか, Lively / Bustling 南国, なんごく, Tropical country / Southern country 驚く, おどろく, To be surprised 散歩, さんぽ, Stroll / Walk 一生懸命, いっしょうけんめい, With all one's effort 上手になる, じょうずになる, To become skillful / To improve 晩御飯, ばんごはん, Dinner 目を輝かせる, めをかがやかせる, One's eyes sparkle 最高, さいこう, The best 生活, せいかつ, Daily life / Living 夜景, やけい, Night view あっという間に, あっというまに, In the blink of an eye / All of a sudden 過ぎる, すぎる, To pass (time) 思い出す, おもいだす, To remember / To recall 微笑む, ほほえむ, To smile 実は, じつは, Actually / As a matter of fact 経験, けいけん, Experience 基づく, もとづく, To be based on