作品Free Graded Reading
電灯と浦島The Electric Light and Urashima
Denkō to Urashima
by 槙村 浩 · Makimura Kō
What if Urashima Taro saw an electric light? Hilarity ensues.
About this story
About this storyUrashima Taro is unimpressed by electric lights because he saw brighter ones at the Dragon Palace.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in JapaneseSource
SourceThis 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): 「槇村浩全集」平凡堂書店
1984（昭和59）年1月20日発行
Typed in by 坂本真一. Proofread by 雪森.
Yomimaru changed the spelling to modern kana and modern kanji.
The furigana are Yomimaru's.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnThe speaker imagines showing an electric light to the legendary figure Urashima Taro, expecting surprise. However, Urashima reveals that he saw far more magnificent lights in the Dragon Palace eons ago, dismissing the modern bulb as dim and shabby.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 浦島 | Urashima Taro, a legendary fisherman |
|---|---|
| 電気 | electricity; electric light |
| 龍宮 | Dragon Palace (underwater palace from legend) |
| 百億色 | hundred billion colors |
| ボロボロ | shabby, worn-out; dim (of light) |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～から N5Indicates reason; 'because'.
わしは何とも思はないきいてビックリオーヤ〳〵
- ～たら N4Conditional form; 'if' or 'when'.
電気を見せたら「オーヤオヤ」
- ～わけがない unknownExpression meaning 'there is no reason that...' or 'it's impossible that...'
電気を知ったわけがない
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Urashima TaroA famous Japanese folk tale about a fisherman who visits the Dragon Palace and returns to find centuries have passed. The poem plays with this story, imagining Urashima reacting to modern electricity.
- Old Kana UsageThe text uses historical kana orthography (e.g., 考へた for かんがえた, 分らない for わからない). This reflects early 20th-century writing conventions.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhat does the speaker initially assume about Urashima Taro?
- That he would be amazed by an electric light.
- That he invented electricity.
- That he had seen electric lights before.
- That he would be sad to see a light.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipNotice the repeated use of ハテナ (question mark) to indicate confusion.
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
同級More at N4
- Real Japanese news written for N4Yominews · free, furigana on every kanji
- Short Japanese stories at N4Yomibunko · graded texts, free
- N4 grammar with example sentences57 points · free study cards
- The JLPT N4 kanji and vocabulary listStudy guide · what to know
- How to read a JLPT passage under timeStudy guide · reading strategy
Fresh reads in your inbox
A short monthly note when we add new graded stories. No spam.
