作品Free Graded Reading
腹のへった話A Story of an Empty Stomach
Hara no Heta Hanashi
by 梅崎 春生 · Umezaki Haruo
The most delicious boxed lunch ever, born from a day of extreme hunger.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnThe author introduces the principle that hunger is the best seasoning and then recounts a personal memory from his middle school summer trip to Taiwan. After a miserable boat ride and a long train journey without food, he becomes extremely hungry and finally buys a simple train station bento that tastes incredibly delicious. He reflects on how his teenage self-consciousness kept him from buying multiple bentos, but that may have made the meal even more memorable.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 弁当 (べんとう) | bento, box lunch |
|---|---|
| 船酔い (ふなよい) | seasickness |
| 食い盛り (くいざかり) | growing appetite (period of high food consumption during adolescence) |
| 自意識 (じいしき) | self-consciousness |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～までもなく N1Expresses 'it goes without saying' or 'needless to say'.申すまでもなく、食物をうまく食うには、腹をすかして食うのが一番である。
- ～わけがない N2Expresses that something is impossible or unlikely, meaning 'there's no way that...'.おなかがすかないわけがない。
- ～たびに N3Means 'every time' something happens.停車するたびに、車窓から首を出すのだが
- ～てしまう N4Indicates completion of an action, often with a nuance of regret or finality.一箇の汽車弁当を、私はまたたく間に、ぺらぺらと平らげてしまったと思う。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Ekiben (駅弁) CultureEkiben (train station bento) is a quintessential Japanese cultural experience, where each station offers unique local specialties in a boxed meal. The author's memory of a simple ekiben being incredibly delicious highlights the cultural importance of eating on trains and the nostalgia associated with it.
- Taiwan under Japanese RuleThe story is set in the 1930s-40s, when Taiwan was a Japanese colony. The author's travel to Hualien and use of a 'hashike' (landing craft) reflects the limited infrastructure at the time. This context adds historical depth to the journey.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhy didn't the narrator eat dinner before boarding the boat from Hualien?
- He was not hungry.
- He knew the boat would rock and he would get seasick.
- He wanted to save money for a bento later.
- He had no time because he was late.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to the contrast between the initial general statement and the personal anecdote to understand the essay's structure.
Read a sample in Japanese
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