What JLPT level is 銀座幽霊?

銀座幽霊 is suitable for JLPT N1 level readers (estimated JLPT N1).

How long does 銀座幽霊 take to read?

銀座幽霊 takes about 96 minutes (around 7654 words) to read at a learner's pace.

作品さくひんFree Graded Reading

銀座幽霊The Ginza Ghost

Ginza Yuurei

by 大阪圭吉 · Ōsaka Keikichi

JLPT N1Short StoryQuiz ready

A ghost haunts the bustling streets of Ginza.

About this story

A mysterious ghost story set in Ginza's backstreets involving a tobacco shop owner and an eerie presence.

Read a sample in Japanese

一いちみち幅はば三さん間けんとない横町よこちょうの両側りょうがわには、いろとりどりの店みせ々が虹にじのように軒のきをつらねて、銀座ぎんざ裏うらの明あかるい一団いちだんを形かたちづくっていた。青あおいネオンで「カフェ・青あお蘭らん」と書かかれた、裏うら露ろ路ろにしてはかなり大おおきなその店みせの前まえには、恒川つねかわと呼よぶ小綺麗こぎれいな煙草たばこ店てんがあった。二に階かい建けんで間口まぐち二に間けん足たらずの、細々こまごまと美うつくしく飾かざりたてた明あかるい店みせで、まるで周囲しゅういの店みせ々から零こぼれおちるジャズの音おとを掻かきあつめるように、わけもなくその横町よこちょうの客きゃくを一いち手てに吸すいよせて、ぬくぬくと繁昌はんじょうしていた。その店みせの主人しゅじんというのは、もう四よん十じゅうをとっくに越こしたらしい女おんなで、恒川つねかわ房枝ふさえ――女文字おんなもじで、そんな標札ひょうさつがかかっていた。横町よこちょうの人ひとびとの噂うわさによると、なんでも退職たいしょく官吏かんりの未亡人みぼうじんということで、もう女学校じょがっこうも卒そつえるような娘むすめが一いち人にんあるのだが、色いろの白しろい肉にくづきの豊ゆたかな女おんなで、歳としにふさわしく地味じみなつくりを装よそおってはいるが、どこかまだ燃もえつきぬ若わかさが漲みなぎっていた。

Read the full text with furigana + instant lookups in Yomimaru →

Source

This 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): 「とむらい機関車」国書刊行会
1992（平成4）年5月25日初版第1刷発行

Typed in by 大野晋. Proofread by 川山隆.

Yomimaru has not changed the spelling or the wording.

The furigana are Yomimaru's. In the app it is split into 3 parts.

What you'll learn

A murder occurs in a tobacco shop. The owner Fusae is seen by cafe waitresses killing her employee Sumiko, but later Fusae is found dead in a closet. The medical examiner reveals Fusae died before Sumiko, creating a paradox.

The police investigation begins. Alibis are checked, and Tatsujiro has an alibi. Kimiko's testimony is taken. The police are baffled and consider various theories, including Kimiko being the murderer, but time constraints make it impossible. The case seems unsolvable until a call from a cafe manager claims to have found the ghost's identity.

The cafe manager Nishimura invites the police to the cafe, claiming he will show them the ghost. The chapter sets up the reveal of the solution.

Language difficultyAdvanced · 85/100

Key vocabulary

未亡人みぼうじん	widow
無地むじ	plain (patternless)
押入おしいれ	closet
断末魔だんまつま	death throes; dying words
幽霊ゆうれい	ghost

Grammar points you'll meet

～ては (conditional) N3Indicates repetition or pattern; here it means 'whenever' or 'each time'.
時ときとすると、窓まどの硝子がらす扉とびらへ、あられもない影法師かげぼうしのうつることさえあった。
～ことなしに N1Means 'without doing something'. Used in formal writing.
そのうちの一いち人にんは、交番こうばんへ飛とんでいった。あとの二に人にんがすっかり酔よいもさめはててうろうろしていると、

Cultural notes

GinzaA famous upscale shopping and entertainment district in Tokyo, known for its neon lights, jazz clubs, and vibrant nightlife. The story is set in a side street of Ginza.
Jazz in Post-War JapanJazz music became popular in Japan after World War II, and jazz cafes and bars were common in places like Ginza. The story mentions jazz multiple times, setting the atmosphere.