作品Free Graded Reading
悪魔祈祷書The Devil's Prayer Book
Akuma Kitōsho
by 夢野 久作 · Yumeno Kyūsaku
JLPT N1Short StoryClassical / archaicQuiz ready
A mysterious prayer book that might be a gateway to the devil.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnA used bookstore owner in Kyoto engages a professor in conversation, sharing stories about his life, rare book finds, and shoplifting incidents, culminating in a chilling account of a purported 'Devil's Bible' manuscript.
Language difficultyAdvanced · 85/100
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 珍らしい (めずらしい) | rare, unusual |
|---|---|
| ダシヌケ (だしぬけ) | suddenly, abruptly |
| 御贔屓 (ごひいき) | patronage, favor |
| 月琴 (げっきん) | moon-shaped Chinese lute |
| 万引 (まんびき) | shoplifting |
| 外道祈祷書 (げどうきとうしょ) | heretical prayer book |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～てちゃ敵わない N1Cannot stand/endure (casual, dialectal form of ～てはかなわない)こうダシヌケに降り出されちゃ敵いません。
- ～ものだ N3It is the nature of things; used to express general truths or reminiscence.古本屋なんて商売は、あんまり明るくちゃ工合が悪う御座いますナ。
- ～てしまう N4Expresses completion or regret for an action done unintentionally.とうとう古本屋になっちまいましてね。
- ～でしかない N2Is nothing but; emphasizes that something is only that.一切の医術の初まりは堕胎術と毒薬の研究でしかなかったのである。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Kansai-ben DialectThe bookseller uses Kansai dialect (e.g., や, げす, ヘエヘエ), which is characteristic of the Kyoto/Osaka region and carries a friendly, informal tone.
- Used Bookstore Culture in JapanThe monologue reveals intricacies of running a second-hand bookstore, including using fake customers (sakura) to attract real customers, common in smaller shops.
- Christianity and Rare Books in JapanThe 'Devil's Bible' story references the historical arrival of Christianity in Japan, the Shimabara Rebellion (Amakusa Shiro), and the rarity of Western manuscripts in Japan.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhat technique does the bookseller mention using to attract customers?
- Hiring a fake customer (sakura) to browse books.
- Playing loud music to draw people in.
- Offering free tea to all visitors.
- Displaying rare books in the window.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to context clues for dialectal expressions like 'げす' and 'ヘエヘエ' which are filler words.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in Japaneseいらっしゃいまし。お珍らしい雨で御座いますナアどうも……こうダシヌケに降り出されちゃ敵いません。いつも御贔屓になりまして……ま……おかけ下さいまし。一服お付けなすって……ハハア。傘をお持ちにならなかった。ヘヘ、どうぞ御ゆっくり……そのうち明るくなりましょう。どうもコンナにお涼しくなりましてから雷鳴入りの夕立なんて可笑しな時候で御座いますなあ。まったく……まだ五時だってえのに電燈を灯けなくちゃ物が見えねえなんて……店ん中に妖怪でも出そうで……もっとも古本屋なんて商売は、あんまり明るくちゃ工合が悪う御座いますナ。西日が一パイに這入るような店だと背皮がミンナ離れちゃいますからね。ヘヘヘ……。失礼ですが旦那は東京のお方で……ハハア。東京の大学からコチラへ御転任になった。○○科にお勤めになっていらっしゃる……成る程。コンナ時候のいい時は大してお忙がしく御座んせんで……ヘヘ。恐れ入りやす。
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