ビール会社征伐The Beer Company Subjugation

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What you'll learn

The narrator, a journalist, recalls a hilarious scheme where his newspaper's staff, desperate for beer, challenges a beer company to a tennis match. Despite having almost no tennis skills, they manage to get drunk on free beer after losing every game.

Key vocabulary

Grammar points you'll meet

• ～て来る N4Indicates an action that comes from the past towards the present, often used for emotions or situations that arise.
  今思い出しても腹の皮がピクピクして来る
• ～と言うものか N1An expression meaning 'one might say' or 'it's as if', used to add emphasis or rhetorical question.
  そのうちに窮すれば通ずるとでも言うものか、一等呑助の警察廻り君が名案を出した。
• ～と一般 N1An expression meaning 'just like' or 'in the same way as', often used to compare two similar things.
  モトモトテニスらしいものが出来るのは、正直のところ一滴も酒の飲めない筆者の一組だけで、ほかは皆、支那の兵隊と一般、テニスなんてロクに見た事もない連中が吾も吾もと咽喉を鳴らして参加するのだから、
• ～て遣ろう N1A colloquial expression suggesting 'let's do (something) for someone', often with a boastful tone.
  「あの××麦酒に一つ庭球試合を申込んで遣ろうじゃないか」

Cultural notes

• Beer Company Sponsorship in Early 20th Century JapanThe story mentions a beer company sponsoring a tennis team, reflecting the practice of companies using sports for advertising. The newspaper staff's ploy to get free beer from the company mirrors the mutual benefit of publicity.
• Genyōsha (玄洋社)The story references 玄洋社張り (in the manner of the Genyōsha), a famous ultranationalist society from Fukuoka known for its heavy drinking and strong character. This gives context to the newspaper staff's drinking culture.
• Political Parties and Newspapers in Taishō/Shōwa EraThe story mentions the political parties Rikken Seiyūkai and Minseitō, which were dominant in the 1920-30s. Newspapers often had party affiliations, and the Kyushu Nichinichi Shimbun (九州日報) was a real paper aligned with the Minseitō.

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Topics & grammar

Short Storycomedysurvivalingenuityhumorousnostalgicaozora bunko〜てくるte kuru · come to / start to (toward speaker)