What JLPT level is 鼻に基く殺人?

鼻に基く殺人 is suitable for JLPT N1 level readers (estimated JLPT N1).

How long does 鼻に基く殺人 take to read?

鼻に基く殺人 takes about 40 minutes (around 3223 words) to read at a learner's pace.

作品さくひんFree Graded Reading

鼻に基く殺人Murder Based on the Nose

Hana ni Motozuku Satsujin

by 小酒井不木 · Kosakai Fuboku

JLPT N1Short StoryQuiz ready

A bizarre murder solved by clues from a nose.

About this story

A woman tends to her sick dog while awaiting her brother, but the title hints at a murder mystery.

Read a sample in Japanese

「もうじき、弘ちゃんが帰ってくるから、そうしたら、病院へつれて行ってもらいなさい」由紀子は庭のベンチに腰かけて、愛犬ビリーの眼や鼻をガーゼで拭ってやりながら、人の子に物言うように話すのであった。「ほんとうに早くなおってよかったわねえ、お昼には何をごちそうしてあげましょうか」ビリーはまだ、何となく物うげであった。彼は座ったまま尾をかすかに振るだけであった。呼吸器を侵されて、一時は駄目かと思われるほどの重病から、ようやく恢復したこととて、美しかった黒い毛並も色を失って、紅梅を漏れる春の陽に当った由紀子の白いきめを見た拍子に、一層やつれて見えるのであった。「これでいい。どれ、見せて頂戴、まあ、綺麗になったこと」拭き終った由紀子は、こう言いながらガーゼを捨てて、エプロンのポケットから、ビスケットを取り出してビリーに与えた。

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What you'll learn

Yukiko cares for her dog Billy and goes to her brother Hiroshi's room to fetch medicine. There, she discovers a 'Crime Diary' detailing how Hiroshi murdered a man named Kondo Susumu by turning a light bulb into a bomb. After reading, Hiroshi returns and explains that the diary is a therapeutic outlet to prevent him from actually killing.

Language difficultyAdvanced · 80/100

Key vocabulary

物うげ (ものうげ)	languid, listless
漸く (ようやく)	finally, at last
拍子 (ひょうし)	moment, instant; in the act of

Grammar points you'll meet

～こととて N1Because of; given that. Expresses reason, often formal or literary.
呼吸器を侵されて、一時は駄目かと思われるほどの重病から、漸く恢復したこととて、美しかった黒い毛並も色を失って、
～拍子に N1At the moment of; just when. Indicates that an action or event occurs simultaneously with another.
紅梅を洩れる春の陽に当った由紀子の白いきめを見た拍子に、一層やつれて見えるのであった。

Cultural notes

Crime Diary as Safety ValveIn Japanese literature, the concept of writing down dark thoughts as a therapeutic release is a recurring motif. Hiroshi's 'crime diary' serves as a safety valve to prevent him from actually committing crimes, reflecting a psychological coping mechanism.
Traditional Japanese House and PrivacyThe story highlights the lack of privacy in traditional Japanese homes, where rooms are separated by sliding doors (fusuma) and family members can easily intrude. Hiroshi's obsessive measures to protect his room (like drawing lines) show a desire for personal space.