JOI Support staff and manager.
My Travels in Japan Japanese Reading Practice
Learn Japanese with a Travel Essay about Places in Japan
Have you ever traveled within Japan? In this blog post, Yokozuka-sensei shares some places she has visited in Japan, including historic ruins, castles, shrines, temples, and hot springs.
With furigana provided, this essay is a helpful resource for learners who want to practice reading natural Japanese while learning vocabulary related to travel and sightseeing.
It is also a good chance to think about places in Japan you have visited, or places you would like to visit someday.
Enjoy reading and listening to natural Japanese through this gentle travel essay.
▶What You’ll Learn
Read Natural Japanese in Context:My Domestic Travels in Japan
私の国内旅行
By YOKOZUKA Noriko
私はレッスンで、みなさんに旅行の話を聞くことがあります。今回は、私が日本国内で行ったことのある場所の中から、いくつかご紹介してみたいと思います。
まずは遺跡です。代表的な遺跡の中では吉野ケ里遺跡、三内丸山遺跡に行きました。遺跡では、当時の人々の様子を想像しながら、のんびりと見て回るのが好きです。
お城も好きです。小田原城、岐阜城、松本城などいくつか行きました。城の中に入って、急な階段を上っていき、城の上から外を眺めるのが好きです。夕方、城の外から城全体をぼーっと眺めて過ごすのがもっと好きです。
神社仏閣もたくさん行ったのでここに書ききれませんが、今月は三峯神社に行く予定です。
温泉もあちこち行きますが、今まで行った中で谷川温泉が最高によかったです。温泉も人によって合う合わないがあるので、自分に合った温泉が見つけられるといいですね。
まだまだ行ってみたいところがたくさんあります。四国にはまだ足を踏み入れたことがないので、ぜひ行ってみたい。九州も時間をかけて巡りたい。屋久島、高千穂峡は外せないでしょう。
これらの場所に行ったことがある人はいますか?
行きたいところがたくさんありすぎて困ってしまいますね。
Learn Japanese Listening with Video Lesson
Watch Yokozuka sensei unpack “My Domestic Travels in Japan,” with clear native pronunciation to sharpen your listening skills.
Learn Japanese Kanji with Furigana Reading Help
私の国内旅行
私はレッスンで、みなさんに旅行の話を聞くことがあります。今回は、私が日本国内で行ったことのある場所の中から、いくつかご紹介してみたいと思います。
まずは遺跡です。代表的な遺跡の中では吉野ケ里遺跡、三内丸山遺跡に行きました。遺跡では、当時の人々の様子を想像しながら、のんびりと見て回るのが好きです。
お城も好きです。小田原城、岐阜城、松本城などいくつか行きました。城の中に入って、急な階段を上っていき、城の上から外を眺めるのが好きです。夕方、城の外から城全体をぼーっと眺めて過ごすのがもっと好きです。
神社仏閣もたくさん行ったのでここに書ききれませんが、今月は三峯神社に行く予定です。
温泉もあちこち行きますが、今まで行った中で谷川温泉が最高によかったです。温泉も人によって合う合わないがあるので、自分に合った温泉が見つけられるといいですね。
まだまだ行ってみたいところがたくさんあります。四国にはまだ足を踏み入れたことがないので、ぜひ行ってみたい。九州も時間をかけて巡りたい。屋久島、高千穂峡は外せないでしょう。
これらの場所に行ったことがある人はいますか?
行きたいところがたくさんありすぎて困ってしまいますね。
English translation for understanding
My Domestic Travels in Japan
In my lessons, I sometimes ask everyone about their travels. This time, I would like to introduce a few places I have visited within Japan.
First, there are archaeological sites. Among the famous ones, I have been to the Yoshinogari Historical Park and the Sannai Maruyama Site. At ruins like these, I like to walk around leisurely while imagining what people’s lives were like at that time.
I also like castles. I have visited several, including Odawara Castle, Gifu Castle, and Matsumoto Castle. I like going inside the castle, climbing the steep stairs, and looking out from the top. But I like it even more when I spend time in the evening gazing absent-mindedly at the whole castle from outside.
I have also visited many shrines and temples, so I cannot write about them all here, but this month I am planning to visit Mitsumine Shrine.
I also go to hot springs here and there, but among all the places I have visited so far, Tanigawa Onsen was the best. Hot springs suit different people in different ways, so I hope you can find one that suits you well.
There are still many places I would like to visit. I have never set foot in Shikoku, so I definitely want to go there. I would also like to take my time traveling around Kyushu. Yakushima and Takachiho Gorge are places I certainly cannot miss.
Has anyone been to any of these places?
There are so many places I want to visit that it is hard to choose.
This week’s key vocabulary
遺跡 – ruins; archaeological site
のんびりと – leisurely; relaxedly
眺める – to look at; to gaze at
ぼーっと – absent-mindedly; blankly
神社仏閣 – shrines and temples
あちこち – here and there; all over
足を踏み入れる – to step into; to set foot in
巡る – to go around; to visit various places
~は外せない – cannot miss; must not skip
Meet the Teacher
Japanese Language Teacher
After studying abroad in Beijing, I decided to become a Japanese teacher and have enjoyed spending time with many students in Japanese lessons. Currently, I am in charge of intermediate levels and above. In my lessons, my basic goal is to help students improve their vocabulary and syntax to acquire a wider and richer range of expression in Japanese, which will in turn help them refine their conversational skills.
My aim is to support Intermediate students to progress up to the advanced level, and from there, for those advanced students to progress up to a super advanced level! I look forward to welcoming everyone who likes to learn Japanese in a fun (but reliable) way. Let's enjoy learning together!
Experience and Qualifications
- Graduated from Niigata University Graduate School of Law (Master of Laws)
- Completed a Japanese language teacher training course while in graduate school.
- Involved in a Japanese language volunteer in the community.
- Engaged in Japanese language education at Japanese language schools in Takasaki, Utsunomiya, and Korea
- Taught Japanese language special courses for foreign students
- Started teaching at Japonin(JOI) in 2008.
Join Yokozuka sensei's class and start learning Japanese today!