Trees of Happiness
Masaru stands at a crossroads. On the one hand, life is going well. His career at the Tokyo securities firm where he works is solidly on track. But his private life is less fulfilled. One day, he experiences an unexpected change that allows him to better understand the people around him and help them to grow. But can he do the same for himself?
Much of this story takes place in a professional environment, providing excellent exposure to work vocabulary that may feel challenging for some. Scenes outside the office will feel easier. Weaving together work, family, fantasy, and current societal issues, this story will make you think. (Ongoing, 103 episodes)
Episode 1
Masaru Hirose starts his day hearing a familiar voice.
Notes: This episode contains a note on a set of common words whose adverb form can behave as nouns, a note on a way that parents sometimes pick names for their children, and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers |  |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 4530 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 764 |
Episode 2
Masaru's mother weighs in on the topic at hand.
Notes: This episode contains a note on a common naming pattern for female given names, one on a pattern that means "to take care to do," and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 1452 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 186 |
Pro
Episode 3
Masaru reflects on his daily life.
Notes: This episode contains a note on a word that means that a similarity is almost perfect, one on a challenging kanji, and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 899 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 100 |
Pro
Episode 4
Masaru starts his workday.
Notes: This episode contains notes on two pairs of words that can be written using the exact same kanji but are used differently, a breakdown of a tricky sentence, and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 545 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 60 |
Pro
Episode 5
Masaru's capable secretary briefs him on his day.
Notes: This episode gives us our first taste of some of the business-world vocabulary we'll be seeing in certain episodes. Don't be overwhelmed! Our notes will help you to break it down.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 443 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 47 |
Pro
Episode 6
Masaru asks Akemi for supplemental information.
Notes: This episode contains a note that looks at a word that literally means "legal person," a suffix that allows you to say how you want information broken down, and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 384 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 47 |
Pro
Episode 7
The narrator tells us about Akemi's reputation among the other secretaries.
Notes: This episode has a note that takes up a word that means "let alone...; to say nothing of...", one on a word that means "anyway," and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 372 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 43 |
Pro
Episode 8
Masaru's skills as a negotiator lead to wins on both sides.
Notes: This episode contains notes explaining the organizational structure of Japanese companies, one on a verb that means "to serve as," and more. Also, if you're feeling overwhelmed by the office vocabulary, we're on the home stretch for this scene. Hang in there!
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 310 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 36 |
Pro
Episode 9
Masaru returns home for some precious rest.
Notes: This episode contains a note on the word hazu, one on a sentence that uses the "noni of lament," and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 275 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 36 |
Pro
Episode 10
Masaru's mind races for a plan.
Notes: This episode contains a note on a pattern that means that something is left in a certain state (window left open, TV left on, etc.), a word that signals that an "even (hypothetically) if..." sentence is coming, and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 247 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 29 |
Pro
Episode 11
Masaru makes his move.
Notes: This episode contains a note about the kurai that demonstrates an extent, one that explains two different meanings of a word that means "to roll; to tumble," and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 259 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 31 |
Pro
Episode 12
Masaru prepares to come face-to-face with the intruder.
Notes: This episode contains a note on why mimetic words are sometimes written partially in katakana and partially in hiragana, one on a use of the word hitotsu to mean "even one," and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 261 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 24 |
Pro
Episode 13
Masaru peers into the closet in confusion.
Notes: This episode contains a note on the word nante, one on a suffix that means the speaker is searching their memory, and one on a word that means a feeling that something is off.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 234 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 25 |
Pro
Episode 14
In a trance, Masaru presses forward.
Notes: This episode contains several long notes, including one that breaks down a tricky sentence, one on a suffix that means "(verb) is possible," and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 252 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 22 |
Pro
Episode 15
Masaru looks with disbelief on the scene before him.
Notes: This episode contains a note on an alternate way of joining two adjectives, and one on the sometimes beguiling word saki.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 326 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 28 |
Pro
Episode 16
Questioning his own sanity, Masaru presses onward.
Notes: This episode contains a note on an expression that literally means "to be possessed," one on the difference between two words that mean "wall," and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 286 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 20 |
Pro
Episode 17
Masaru investigates the plots he sees behind the gates.
Notes: This episode contains a note on a phrase that literally means that one has "well come," one on a verb that originally meant "to drive livestock," and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 118 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 12 |