天草四郎の妖術Amakusa Shiro's Sorcery

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What you'll learn

Introduction of Amakusa Shiro's background and his encounter with an old magician in Nagasaki.

Shiro follows the old man persistently through the countryside until nightfall.

The old man performs a stunning magic trick, creating a bridge of breath to the moon and a duplicate of himself.

Key vocabulary

Grammar points you'll meet

• ～てしまう N4Indicates completion, often with a nuance of regret or finality.
  縄が一匹の蛇と成ってヌッと鎌首を持ち上げたものです。
• ～たことがある N5Indicates past experience.
  或時四郎は父に連れられて長崎へ行ったことがございます。

Cultural notes

• 切支丹 (Christianity in Japan)Christianity (Kirishitan) was introduced to Japan in the 16th century but was later banned and persecuted. The Shimabara Rebellion was largely driven by Christian peasants. The text uses the term 切支丹 (archaic spelling) to refer to the faith.
• 天草一揆 (Shimabara Rebellion)A major uprising (1637-1638) led by Amakusa Shiro, involving mostly Christian peasants against the Tokugawa shogunate. The rebellion ended with the fall of Hara Castle and mass deaths. The novel centers on this event.

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Topics & grammar

Short Storyhistoricalfolklorebeautysupernaturalpoeticphilosophicalaozora bunko〜たことがあるta koto ga aru · have done before (experience)〜てしまうte shimau · ended up (regret)