作品Free Graded Reading
疑獄元兇The Chief Culprit of the Prison Scandal
Gigoku Genkyō
by 宮沢 賢治 · Miyazawa Kenji
A prosecutor's intense inner battle during a corruption trial, blurring reality and hallucination.
About this story
About this storyA tense interrogation unfolds between a prosecutor and a suspect in a legal confrontation.
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): 「【新】校本宮澤賢治全集 第十二巻 童話5［＃「5」はローマ数字、1-13-25］・劇・その他 本文篇」筑摩書房
1995（平成7）年11月25日初版第1刷発行
Typed in by 砂場清隆. Proofread by noriko saito.
Yomimaru changed the spelling to modern kana and modern kanji, and replaced some archaic words with modern ones.
The furigana are Yomimaru's.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnA prosecutor reflects on the etiquette and tension of a courtroom encounter with a young opponent. He struggles with internal anxiety, recalls Zen temples to regain composure, and resolves to maintain his stance despite the opponent's intense stare.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 検事 (けんじ) | prosecutor |
|---|---|
| 会釈 (えしゃく) | bow, greeting |
| 勲績 (くんせき) | meritorious service |
| 君子 (くんし) | gentleman, man of virtue |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～と雖ど N1Even though; even if. Classical conjunction expressing concession.いかなる明文制裁と雖ど、それが布かるゝ社会に於て、遵守し得ざるに至ったときは、その法既に悪法である
- ～に於て N1In; at; on. Formal location marker.それが布かるゝ社会に於て
- ～得る N3Can; able to. After verb stem.容易に了解するかも知れん。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Zen Temples and MeditationThe narrator recalls temples like Kennin-ji (建仁寺), Tokugen-ji (徳玄寺), and Seigen-ji (清源寺), using them as anchors to calm his mind during the tense confrontation. This reflects a practice of meditative focus.
- Emperor Wu of Liang and BodhidharmaThe narrator references the famous Zen koan between Emperor Wu of Liang and Bodhidharma, where Bodhidharma replies 'Not knowing' (不識) to the emperor's question about his identity. This illustrates the narrator's attempt to transcend logical thought.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhat does the prosecutor do to calm his nerves during the standoff?
- He recites a poem about the mountains.
- He visualizes the names of Zen temples.
- He takes deep breaths.
- He looks away from the opponent.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipFocus on the narrator's emotional progression rather than fully understanding every classical allusion.
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
同級More at N1
Fresh reads in your inbox
A short monthly note when we add new graded stories. No spam.
