作品Free Graded Reading
百物語Hyakumonogatari: The Hundred Ghost Stories
Hyakumonogatari
by 岡本 綺堂 · Okamoto Kido
JLPT N1Short StoryClassical / archaicQuiz ready
Young samurai challenge the supernatural with a hundred ghost stories on a stormy night.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnIn 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.
Language difficultyAdvanced Intermediate · 65/100
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 百物語 (ひゃくものがたり) | hundred tales; a traditional ghost story gathering |
|---|---|
| 生霊 (いきりょう) | living spirit; ghost of a living person |
| 縊死 (いし) | death by hanging |
| 中老 (ちゅうろう) | middle-aged female attendant in a samurai household |
Grammar points you'll meet
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
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).
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhy did the samurai decide to start the Hyakumonogatari?
- To test if ghosts exist on a suitable rainy night.
- To celebrate the end of the rainy season.
- To scare the younger samurai for fun.
- To honor a deceased lord.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to archaic vocabulary like '中老' and '生霊'—they are key to understanding the plot's ambiguity.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in Japanese今から八十年ほどの昔――と言いかけて、Ｏ君は自分でも笑い出した。いや、もっと遠い昔になるのかも知れない。なんでも弘化元年とか二年とかの九月、上州の或る大名の城内に起った出来事である。秋の夜に若侍どもが夜詰めをしていた。きのうからの雨のふりやまないで、物すごい夜であった。いつの世もおなじことで、こういう夜には怪談のはじまるのが習いである。そのなかで、一座の先輩と仰がれている中原武太夫という男が言い出した。「むかしから世に化け物があるといい、無いという。その議論まちまちで確かに判らない。今夜のような晩は丁度あつらえ向きであるから、これからかの百物語というのを催して、妖怪が出るか出ないか試してみようではないか。」「それは面白いことです。」いずれも血気の若侍ばかりであるから、一座の意見すぐに一致して、いよいよ百物語をはじめることになった。
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Topics & grammar
Topics & grammarShort 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)
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