百物語Hyakumonogatari: The Hundred Ghost Stories

Read a sample in Japanese

What you'll learn

In a feudal castle, young samurai gather for a Hyakumonogatari ghost story session. During the ritual, many see a white woman hanging, but the apparition later vanishes. The mystery deepens when a real maid named Shimakawa is found alive, but two months later she hangs herself, leaving the true nature of the vision unresolved.

Key vocabulary

Grammar points you'll meet

• ～かどうか N4whether or not; used to express uncertainty about two alternatives.
  妖怪が出るか出ないか試してみようではないか。
• ～てしまう N3to finish doing something; often implies regret or completion.
  打ち捨ててはおけないと、人々も今更のように騒ぎ出して、
• ～てくる N4to come to do something; indicates movement towards the speaker or change in state.
  奥家老下田治兵衛もそれを聞いて眉をしわめた。

Cultural notes

• Hyakumonogatari (百物語)A traditional Japanese storytelling game where participants tell one hundred ghost stories, extinguishing a candle after each tale. It was believed that a supernatural event would occur after the final story.
• Samurai and Ghost StoriesIn the Edo period, samurai often gathered to tell ghost stories as a form of entertainment, especially on rainy nights. The story reflects the cultural fascination with the supernatural and the concept of ikiryō (living spirits).

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Topics & grammar

Short Storyghost storysuperstitioncourageeeriesuspensefulaozora bunko〜かどうかwhether or not〜てくるcome to / start to (toward speaker)〜てしまうended up (regret)