Quick Reads
Quick reads rotate, check back for new ones!
蜘蛛の糸
Aozora Bunko
The Buddha looks down from Paradise into Hell and notices a thief who once did a single good deed. A story by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke.
📄 5 pages
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偉人の顔より〝ピカチュウ〟⁉︎＝ブラジル社会に根づく世代間文化
Brasil Nippou
A Brasil Nippou article on how Pokémon became part of everyday culture in Brazil across generations.
📄 3 pages
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トロッコ
Aozora Bunko
An eight-year-old boy is fascinated by the carts used to build a railway near his village. A story by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke.
📄 7 pages
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私が体験した不思議な出来事４選です
Hatena Blog
A blogger describes four unexplained experiences from their life.
📄 4 pages
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おもしろい猫さんはいますが、変な猫さんはいません。
Ameba Blog
A cat-care advisor writes about understanding cats' behavior instead of calling it strange.
📄 2 pages
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一房の葡萄
Aozora Bunko
A boy at a school in Yokohama who loves to paint longs for a classmate's set of Western paints. A story by Arishima Takeo.
📄 10 pages
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日記がおもしろい人はすごい
note
A note writer reflects on how hard it is to write a diary that's interesting to read.
📄 2 pages
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落語 寿限無（じゅげむ）
YouTube
A narrated introduction to Jugemu, the rakugo story about parents asking a priest to name their newborn.
📄 4 pages
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【EnjoyHome】寄川未結 / 落語「寿限無」
YouTube
A performer tells Jugemu, the classic rakugo story about a couple choosing a name for their baby.
📄 4 pages
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落語「小噺（こばなし）」こども落語 薫風亭文鳥(石坂大志）の分かりやすく、面白い、短いお話を３つで楽しんでください！！
YouTube
A children's rakugo performer tells three short comic stories (kobanashi).
📄 6 pages
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上方落語家・みんなで小噺数珠つなぎプロジェクト part１
YouTube
Kamigata rakugo performers take turns telling short jokes, recorded while their theater was closed during COVID.
📄 1 page
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成人式の前撮りの日…しんみりどころか、笑った話
note
A parent writes about their son's Coming-of-Age Day photo shoot, with a four-panel comic.
📄 2 pages
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【夜の心理学】AIに「私の口癖」を教えたら、隠された本心とストレス度がバレて笑った話
note
A note blogger asks an AI what their habitual phrases say about their mood and stress.
📄 4 pages
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はじめまして。人生のまさかを、笑える話に。
note
An introduction post from a Tokyo-born writer in their fifties who has started publishing humorous essays on Kindle.
📄 4 pages
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【世界の雑学イラスト集】うんちく博士の豆知識.12
Ameba Blog
An illustrator's blog series of world trivia, presented by the character Professor Trivia.
📄 2 pages
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日常が面白い♬
Ameba Blog
A small-business owner's blog post about shipping orders and a visit to a new chocolate shop.
📄 2 pages
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最近のネットで流行ってる「くだらないけどクスッと笑える」バズネタまとめ
Hatena Blog
A roundup of recent lighthearted internet trends and viral posts.
📄 2 pages
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僕が笑ったスレッドタイトルをご紹介
Hatena Blog
A blogger shares 2channel thread titles they found funny, with a comment on each.
📄 5 pages
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学校大爆笑！こんな子います！面白エピソード！
Hatena Blog
A collection of short, funny exchanges between kids and teachers at school.
📄 3 pages
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名探偵コナンの雑学・豆知識７選！どこかで役に立つかも？
Hatena Blog
A blog post collecting seven pieces of trivia that come up in Detective Conan. Contains series spoilers.
📄 7 pages
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物凄くどうでもいい知識を調べてみる その2
Hatena Blog
A blogger shares a list of trivia they looked up, none of which claims to be useful.
📄 4 pages
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折田先生像
Wikipedia
A statue at Kyoto University known for the student pranks and parodies it has attracted.
📄 12 pages
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アーグルトン
Wikipedia
Argleton, a town that appeared on Google Maps in England but didn't actually exist.
📄 4 pages
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0ルピー紙幣
Wikipedia
The zero-rupee note, an imitation banknote used in India to protest demands for bribes.
📄 4 pages
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ISO 3103
Wikipedia
ISO 3103, the international standard method for brewing tea for sensory testing.
📄 2 pages
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F・D・C・ウィラード
Wikipedia
Chester, a Siamese cat credited under a pen name as an author of physics papers.
📄 2 pages
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激おこぷんぷん丸
Wikipedia
A Japanese slang expression for being extremely angry, and how it spread online.
📄 11 pages
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ケチャップは野菜
Wikipedia
The 1981 US controversy over whether ketchup could count as a vegetable in school lunches.
📄 6 pages
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パウル (タコ)
Wikipedia
Paul, an octopus at a German aquarium who became known for predicting football match results.
📄 9 pages
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国道339号
Wikipedia
National Route 339, a 129 km highway running up the Tsugaru Plain in Aomori Prefecture.
📄 11 pages
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首なし鶏マイク
Wikipedia
An American rooster that lived for 18 months after being decapitated in 1945.
📄 3 pages
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エミュー戦争
Wikipedia
The 1932 military operation to reduce the emu population in Western Australia.
📄 6 pages
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100年電球
Wikipedia
A light bulb at a fire station in Livermore, California, that has been burning since 1901.
📄 4 pages
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ごん狐
Aozora Bunko
Gon, a young fox living alone in the woods, spends his days playing pranks on the nearby village. A story by Niimi Nankichi.
📄 8 pages
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鼻
Aozora Bunko
A priest has spent his life quietly embarrassed by his extremely long nose. A short story by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke.
📄 9 pages
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提灯に釣鐘
note
A blogger recounts going day-drinking with their husband, two days after a lunch in Tokyo with an ex.
📄 3 pages
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【雑記】授賞式をみてきた話と東京1泊２日の旅
note
A note blogger's account of attending the Japan Cook Book Awards ceremony, plus an overnight trip to Tokyo.
📄 10 pages
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走れメロス
Aozora Bunko
A shepherd sets out to confront a tyrannical king. A short story by Dazai Osamu.
📄 15 pages
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コメ価格“値下がり”見通し強まる
YouTube
A news report on the falling outlook for rice prices in Japan and the government's response.
📄 1 page
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手袋を買いに
Aozora Bunko
When winter reaches the forest, a mother fox decides her cub needs mittens. A children's story by Niimi Nankichi.
📄 6 pages
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カピバラ
Wikipedia
The capybara, the largest living rodent, found around rivers and wetlands in South America.
📄 6 pages
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雪だるま
Wikipedia
Snowmen in Japan, why they're shaped like daruma dolls, and how they're known in other countries.
📄 5 pages
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招き猫
Wikipedia
The maneki-neko, the beckoning cat figurine: where it came from and what its different colors are said to mean.
📄 7 pages
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