Momotaro, the Peach Boy, is perhaps the most famous of all Japanese folktales: a boy born from a giant peach, raised by a loving old couple, who sets off to face the terrible oni with three brave companions, a dog, a monkey and a pheasant.
This audiobook pairs Momotaro with a story you have known since childhood, Aesop's The Tortoise and the Hare. You already know the race. Now hear it, and understand it, in Japanese.
Between the two tales come three short culture chapters, read in simple Japanese just like the stories: the Momotaro song that generations of Japanese children have sung; kibidango, the millet dumplings Momotaro carries, and Okayama, the city that calls itself his hometown; and an answer to the question every learner asks: just what is an oni?
Each of the five readings is taught in seven passes, so your understanding builds one layer at a time:
Story introduction: a short English preview so you know where you're headed
Vocabulary: key words in Japanese, then English, with room to repeat after a native speaker
Slow speed: the full story read slowly and clearly
Line-by-line: each sentence broken into short phrases with English meanings, then rebuilt
Normal speed: the story at natural pace, to hear how much more you catch now
Comprehension questions: answer out loud, then hear a model answer
English version: the whole story in English to confirm you understood it
Japanese narration by native speaker Yumi Boutwell, with English explanations by Clay Boutwell. Learn Japanese with Stories has been helping people learn Japanese since 2002.
No textbook needed and no pages to turn: press play in the car or on a walk and let the repetition do the work. For upper beginners (JLPT N5 to N4) ready to move past word lists into real Japanese.
This 2026 edition replaces the original recording, adding three culture chapters, vocabulary drills and comprehension questions.
