What JLPT level is 平山婆?

平山婆 is suitable for JLPT N3 level readers (estimated JLPT N3).

How long does 平山婆 take to read?

平山婆 takes about 10 minutes (around 585 words) to read at a learner's pace.

作品さくひんFree Graded Reading

平山婆The Old Woman of Hirayama

Hirayama Baba

by 田中貢太郎 · Tanaka Kōtarō

JLPT N3Short StoryQuiz ready

Dead relatives keep appearing in the cupboard, no matter where the family moves.

About this story

A young wife sees the ghosts of her deceased in-laws in a closet, leading to a tense confrontation.

Read a sample in Japanese

福岡ふくおか県けん嘉穂かほ郡ぐん漆生うるしお村むらに平山ひらやまと言いう処ところがあって、そこに坑夫こうふの一家いっかが住すんでいた。家族かぞくは坑夫こうふの息子むすこ夫婦ふうふとその両親りょうしんの四よん人にんであった。明治めいじ末まつ季き頃ごろ、その両親りょうしん夫婦ふうふ、即すなわちお爺じいさんとお婆ばあさんが、ちょっとした病気びょうきで僅わずかの間まに死しんでしまった。ところで、その爺じいさんと婆ばあさんが死しんでから間まもない時ときのこと、そこの息子むすこの細君さいくんが何なにかの用事ようじで壁かべ厨くりやを開あけたが、開あけるなり、「わ」と言いって外そとへ飛とび出だした。庭にわでは息子むすこが薪たきぎを割わっていた。息子むすこはその声こえに驚おどろいて、「何なんだ、どうしたのだ」と言いって聞きいたが、細君さいくんは真まっ青さおな顔かおをして震ふるえているばかりで何なにも言いわなかった。そこで息子むすこが又また聞きいた。「おい、どうしたのだ、何なにかあったのか」「お爺じいさんとお婆ばあさんがおった」と言いって、細君さいくんは家いえの中なかを恐おそろしそうに見みた。息子むすこはばかばかしかった。「ばかだなあ、死しんでしまった者ものが、どうしておる、神経しんけいだよ」「神経しんけいじゃないよ、ほんとだよ、嘘うそと思おもえば行おこなって見みるがいい」

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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): 「伝奇ノ匣6　田中貢太郎日本怪談事典」学研Ｍ文庫、学習研究社
2003（平成15）年10月22日初版発行

Typed in by Hiroshi_O. 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. In the app it is split into 2 parts.

What you'll learn

A miner and his wife are haunted by the ghosts of his parents, who appear sitting in a closet after their deaths. The husband initially dismisses the wife's fears but then sees the ghosts himself. The haunting becomes village gossip, and they try to escape by moving, but the ghosts follow.

Language difficultyIntermediate · 55/100

Key vocabulary

坑夫こうふ	miner
壁厨かべずし	closet (built into a wall)
物脅ものおびえ	frightened look, timidity
みっともない	shameful, disgraceful
ぱっと	suddenly, in a flash

Grammar points you'll meet

～てしまう N4Indicates completion or regret of an action. Here it's used for 'disappeared completely'.
と云いうと二に人にんの姿すがたはぱっと消きえてしまった。
～さえすれば N3"If only ...", used to emphasize condition. Here: "every time they opened the closet".
それから昼ひるでも夜よるでも、壁かべ厨くりやを開あけさえすれば、二に人にんの坐すわっている姿すがたが見みえた。
～ばかりで N3"only, just" - indicates that nothing else happens besides that. Here: "just sitting and doing nothing".
ただ坐すわっているばかりで何なにもしなかった。
～と云う N2Historical/classical equivalent of という. Used in narrative for 'called' or 'said'.
福岡ふくおか県けん嘉穂かほ郡ぐん漆生うるしお村むらに平山ひらやまと云いう処ところがあって、
～せられる (使役受身) N1Causative-passive form, here せられては from する. Implies 'being made to do' something unpleasant.
そんなことをせられては、みっともない

Cultural notes

平山婆 (Hirayama-baba)A local name given to the haunting in the story. 'Baba' (婆) means old woman or hag, but here it refers to the pair of ghosts. In Japanese folklore, hauntings often get named after the location (平山) and the apparition type (婆).
炭坑文化 (Coal Mining Culture)The story is set in a coal mining village (炭坑地) in Fukuoka, which was a major coal mining region. Mining families often lived in company housing (炭坑住宅). Ghost stories were common among miners as entertainment and folklore.
壁厨 (Wall Closet)A traditional built-in closet in Japanese homes, often used for storing futons. In folklore, closets and storage spaces are common places for spirits to appear, as they are liminal spaces between the inside and outside of the home.