Discover the Mischievous Life of Two Rescued Cats

Follow Chii-chan as she tells the true story of her life with a loving 90-year-old grandpa after being rescued and adopted into a Japanese family.

Based on Mariko Sensei’s parents and their two rescued cats, this heartwarming reader follows Chii-chan’s journey from a frightened kitten to a confident and mischievous family member. When another rescued cat, Koro-chan, joins the family, the two cats fill the house with laughter, love, and endless adventures.

Through authentic photographs and an engaging first-person narrative, learners discover everyday Japanese family life, the special bond between grandparents and their pets, and the unique charm of a traditional Japanese home. From climbing into bags and sinks to tearing shoji paper, every page captures the playful personalities of these much-loved cats.

This reader combines humour, authentic family experiences, and rich Japanese language to build reading confidence while introducing learners to everyday life in Japan.

Language Features

Students will practise:

• Reading a first-person narrative using expressive Japanese
• Understanding のとき, Vまえに, and ので
• Reading ～のが好きです to describe likes
• Using ～たり～たり to list actions
• Understanding ～たことがある to describe past experiences
• Reading giving and receiving expressions such as ～てくれる and ～てもらう
• Understanding ～のように, ～ようになる, ～てしまう, and ～ようにする
• Building confidence with richer JLPT N5–N3/N2-style expressions in context

Details: 

Japanese Reader Level: 8
Recommended for: Advanced Learners
Language Focus: First-person narrative using advanced connected sentence patterns, primarily featuring JLPT N5–N4 grammar with selected higher-level expressions introduced naturally in context. 
Vocabulary Theme: Rescued cats, family life, feelings, mischief, home life, and everyday Japanese
Cultural Theme: Japanese family life, rescued pets, elderly companionship, and shoji paper in Japanese

Character Count: 1033
Pages: 21
Product Type: A5 saddle-stitched booklet
ISBN: 978-1-925808-08-7

Perfect For

• Advanced Japanese learners
• JLPT N5–N4 learners
• Secondary school Japanese programs
• Adult learners
• Home learning
• Japanese language classrooms
• Exploring Japanese family life through a heartwarming true story

 Teaching & Learning Resources

Every reader includes free access to our Resource Library.

Included with every reader:

•  Audio recordings narrated by Mariko Sensei
•  English translation
•  Quizlet vocabulary activities

Also available for schools and teachers:

•  Class Sets with Online Flipbooks

💜 A Note from Mariko Sensei

This book is based on my father and the two rescued cats that my parents adopted.

After Chii-chan and Koro-chan came into their home, my parents’ lives became much more joyful, lively, and entertaining. The cats were loved and spoiled, and before long, they seemed to be ruling the house.

This story was written and photographed by my mother. Through the photos, you can see how much love my parents gave to these two cats—and also how much trouble the cats caused! One of my favourite moments is when they destroy the shoji paper. Only cats in Japan can enjoy such a unique kind of mischief.

I hope this reader makes learners smile while helping them build confidence with richer Japanese sentence patterns and a warm, real-life story.

Happy reading!

— Mariko Sensei

📖 Your Next Japanese Reader

Continue building your Japanese reading confidence with these advanced readers:

• うんどうかい (Sports Day — Experience one of Japan’s biggest primary school traditions through authentic photographs and cultural information.
• かかしむら (Scarecrow Village) — Discover one of Japan’s most extraordinary rural communities through rich descriptive Japanese.
• ごみのリサイクル — Challenge yourself with a more detailed factual text about recycling and daily life in Japan.

These Japanese readers are intended for individual use and extensive reading (tadoku).

© Mariko Earle. All rights reserved.