What JLPT level is 顎十郎捕物帳?

顎十郎捕物帳 is suitable for JLPT N1 level readers (estimated JLPT N1).

How long does 顎十郎捕物帳 take to read?

顎十郎捕物帳 takes about 88 minutes (around 7042 words) to read at a learner's pace.

作品さくひんFree Graded Reading

顎十郎捕物帳Agujūrō's Casebook

Agujūrō Torimonochō

by 久生十蘭 · Hisao Jūran

JLPT N1Short StoryQuiz ready

A bumbling detective's hilarious casebook, a perfect mystery-comedy blend.

About this story

In Edo-era Tokyo, a lazy detective named Agujūrō dreams of visiting his uncle for money.

Read a sample in Japanese

馬うまの尻尾しっぽ「はて、いい天気てんきだの」紙魚しみくいだらけの古こ帳面ちょうめんを、部屋へやいっぱいにとりちらしたなかで、乾いぬい割われた、蝿はえのくそだらけの床柱とこばしらに凭もたれ、ふところから手ての先さきだけを出だし、馬鹿ばか長ながい顎あごの先さきをつまみながら、のんびりと空そらを見みあげている。ぼろ畳たたみの上うえに、もったいないような陽ひざしがいっぱいにさしこみ、物もの干ひのおしめに陽炎かげろうがたっている。あすは雛ひなの節句せっくで、十じゅう軒けん店てんや人形にんぎょう町まちの雛ひな市しはさぞたいへんな人出ひとでだろうが、本郷ほんごう弓ゆみ町まちの、ここら、めくら長屋ながやでは節句せっくだとて一向いっこうにかわりもない。露ろ路ろ奥おくの浪人ろうにんものは、縁えんへ出でて、片かた襷たすきで傘かさの下張したばりにせいを出だし、となりの隠居いんきょは歯はぬけ謡うたい。井戸端いどばたでは、摺すり鉢はちの蜆しじみッ貝かいをゆする音おとがざくざく。「……どうやら、今日きょうの昼食ちゅうしょくも蜆しじみ汁じるになりそうだの。……いくら蜆しじみが春はるの季題きだいでも、こう、たてつづけではふせぎがつかねえ……ひとつ、また叔父おじのところへ出でかけて、小遣こづかいにありついてくべえか。

Read the full text with furigana + instant lookups in Yomimaru →

Source

This text comes from Aozora Bunko (青空文庫), the volunteer-run library of Japanese writing that is out of copyright. See this work on Aozora Bunko

Base edition (底本): 「久生十蘭全集　4［＃「4」はローマ数字、1-13-24］」三一書房
1970（昭和45）年3月31日第1版第1刷発行

Typed in by tatsuki. Proofread by 門田裕志、小林繁雄.

Yomimaru changed the spelling to modern kana and modern kanji, and replaced classical grammar and some archaic words with modern ones.

The furigana are Yomimaru's.

What you'll learn

Agujūrō, a lazy but clever clerk, hears from informant Hyōrori about a series of horse tail cuttings by a man named Watanabe Riemon, who left a strange death poem. Agujūrō suspects more to the case.

At Hanayo's, they examine luxurious Goro fabric and discover a hidden plover (miyakodori) pattern, leading them to suspect the fabric might be locally made, not imported.

A dead nun is found in the canal. Agujūrō notices details like no mud on her sandals but fish scales, suggesting she was brought by boat. His uncle pretends to dismiss him but secretly orders an investigation.

Language difficultyAdvanced · 75/100

Key vocabulary

馬うまの尻尾しっぽ	horse tail
呉絽ごろ	a type of silk fabric from China
比丘尼びくに	Buddhist nun
都鳥みやこどり	a bird pattern (plover) on fabric

Grammar points you'll meet

～ても N4Indicates 'even if' or 'whether...or not'. Used in 'どうしても' meaning 'no matter what'.
どうしても、こうしても、ありゃしません。
～そうだ (hearsay) N4Indicates hearsay; 'そうだ' attached to a sentence means 'I hear that...'
なんでも、上総かずさで名なのある和学わがく者しゃの裔だそうで……
～ながら N4Means 'while' doing an action. Here, '苦笑しながら' means 'while smiling bitterly'.
顎あご十じゅう郎ろうは、苦笑くしょうしながら、「そんなところで足あしぶみしていないで、まア、お歩あるきなさい」

Cultural notes

雛の節句 (Hina Matsuri)The Doll Festival celebrated on March 3rd, featuring displays of dolls and offerings. The text mentions preparing for it.
呉絽 (Goro)A luxurious silk fabric imported from China during the Edo period, highly prized for its texture. The text describes its popularity and high cost.