作品Free Graded Reading
女給The Waitress
Jokyū
by 細井 和喜蔵 · Hosoi Kazuo
JLPT N1Short StoryQuiz ready
The harsh life of a waitress in early 20th-century Japan.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnToeko Shibata decides to become a waitress to earn more money for her husband's medical treatment. She works at several restaurants, each time facing exploitation, poor working conditions, and moral dilemmas. After being assaulted and fired multiple times, she becomes increasingly aware of the systemic oppression of female workers and calls for reform.
Language difficultyExpert · 85/100
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 女給 (じょきゅう) | waitress |
|---|---|
| お銭入 (おぜにいれ) | money purse |
| アンカ | heater (hot water bottle or similar) |
| 煎餅蒲団 (せんべいぶとん) | thin, hard futon (like a rice cracker) |
| 差込 (さしこみ) | stabbing pain |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～ざるを得ない N2Cannot avoid, have no choice but to彼女はやむを得ず女給を続けざるを得なかった。
- ～てしまう N4Completes an action, often with regret取り返しのつかぬ間違が起って了った。
- ～ことにする N4Decide to do something彼女は女給になろうと思う。
- ～を問わず N2Regardless of, irrespective of彼女は英語をわきまえぬ自分に、洋食の名前が直ぐ覚えられるかしらんというような心配があった。
- ～てならない N2Cannot help feeling, extremely唯なんとなく尻こすばゆいような気がしてならなかった。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Waitresses in Early 20th Century JapanWaitresses (女給) were often poorly paid and subject to exploitation, including pressure to serve alcohol and engage in flirtation. This story highlights the systemic issues of low wages, long hours, and abuse, which were common in the industry.
- Medical Care for the PoorAccess to proper medical care was a luxury. Toeko's husband relies on a charity clinic, but his condition worsens, reflecting the inadequacy of public healthcare for the working class in early 1900s Japan.
- Labour Unions for WomenThe text explicitly calls for women in service industries to form unions to fight for better conditions, reflecting the early feminist and labour movements in Japan.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhy does Toeko decide to become a waitress?
- Her husband needs expensive medical treatment.
- She is bored with factory work.
- She wants to enjoy a glamorous lifestyle.
- She is forced by her husband.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipFocus on the social critique: the narrative is not just a story but a commentary on exploitation.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in Japanese柴田登恵子――といって置く。彼女が社会運動の為め黒表にのって就職口にも事欠くようになった処へ、かてて加えて持病の慢性膓加答児でべったり床に就いて了った良人を、再び世の中へ出そうという殊勝な考えから、その日その日に収入の有る料理屋働きを思い立ったのは去る一月なかばのことである。二人がほんの雨露をしのぐに足るだけの三畳のバラック、そこは羽目板や屋根裏の隙間から容赦もなく荒風が入って、ただ一枚きりの煎餅蒲団ではどうにもこらえ切れぬ寒さを僅かなアンカの暖で辛うじて避けようとする良人の病床へ、恰も遺恨があって戦いを挑むかのようにじゃけんに衝きあたるのであった。その惨めな部屋の中で、まだ若い良人は土よりも蒼い顔をしてキリキリッと歯を咬みしめつつ間歇的に襲って来る差込に苦悶している。赤十字社の臨時病院で診て貰ってはいるのだが、少しもいい方へ向わないのである。
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