What JLPT level is 鴨猟?

鴨猟 is suitable for JLPT N1 level readers (estimated JLPT N1).

How long does 鴨猟 take to read?

鴨猟 takes about 6 minutes (around 452 words) to read at a learner's pace.

作品さくひんFree Graded Reading

鴨猟Duck Hunting

Kamo Ryō

by 芥川竜之介 · Akutagawa Ryūnosuke

JLPT N1Short StoryQuiz ready

A failed duck hunt leads to humorous excuses and a makeshift solution.

About this story

The narrator recalls a duck hunting trip in Tokyo Bay with a group of literary friends, including the famous writer Kido. Despite being accompanied by seasoned hunters, the day ends with not a single duck caught, much to the amusement of one companion. The story humorously depicts the failed expedition and the camaraderie among the men.

Read a sample in Japanese

大町おおまち先生せんせいに最後さいごにお目めにかかったのは、大正たいしょう十じゅう三さん年ねんの正月しょうがつに、小杉こすぎ未醒みせい、神代くましろ種亮たねすけ、石川いしかわ寅吉とらきちの諸君しょくんと品川しながわ沖おきへ鴨かも猟りょうに往った時ときである。何なにでも朝あさ早はやく本所ほんじょの一いちノ橋きょうの側がわの船宿ふなやどに落合おちあい、そこから発動はつどう機き船せんを仕立したてさせて大川おおかわをくだったと覚おぼえている。小杉こすぎ君くんや神代くましろ君くんは何いずれも錚々たる狩猟しゅりょう家かである。おまけに僕ぼく等とうの船ふねの船頭せんどうの一いち人にんも矢や張ばり猟りょうの名人めいじんだということである。しかしかかる禽獣きんじゅう殺戮さつりく業ぎょうの大家おおやが三さん人にんも揃そろっている癖くせに、一いち羽わもその日ひは鴨かもは獲えれない。いや、鴨かもたると鵜うたるを問とわず品川しながわ沖おきにおりている鳥とりは僕ぼく等とうの船ふねを見みるが早はやいか、忽ちたちまち一斉いっせいに飛とび立たってしまう。桂月けいげつ先生せんせいはこの鴨かもの獲えれないのが大おおいに嬉うれしいと見みえて、「えらい、このごろの鴨かもは字じが読よめるから、みんな禁猟きんりょう区域くいきへ入はいってしまう」などと手てを叩たたいて笑わらっていた。しかもまた、何なんだか頭巾ずきんに似にた怪あやしげな狐きつね色しょくの帽子ぼうしを被こうむって、口髭くちひげに酒さけの滴しずくを溜ためて傍若無人ぼうじゃくぶじんに笑わらうのだから、それだけでも鴨かもは逃にげてしまう。

Read the full text with furigana + instant lookups in Yomimaru →

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): 「大川の水・追憶・本所両国　現代日本のエッセイ」講談社文芸文庫、講談社
1995（平成7）年1月10日第1刷発行

Typed in by 向井樹里. Proofread by 砂場清隆.

Yomimaru changed the spelling to modern kana and modern kanji, and replaced some archaic words with modern ones.

The furigana are Yomimaru's.

What you'll learn

The narrator recalls a duck hunting trip in 1924 with several friends. Despite being experienced hunters, they fail to shoot any ducks because the birds fly away upon seeing their boat. Keigetsu-sensei is amused and jokes about the ducks reading signs for prohibited areas. Later, Keigetsu-sensei realizes he promised his child two ducks, so they buy two ducks caught with birdlime from a nearby shop.

Language difficultyAdvanced · 75/100

Key vocabulary

錚々そうそうたる	distinguished, prominent
禽獣殺戮業きんじゅうさつりくぎょう	business of killing birds and animals
禁猟区域きんりょうくいき	hunting prohibited area
頭巾ずきん	hood
黐もち	birdlime (sticky substance used to catch birds)

Grammar points you'll meet

～が早いか N1As soon as; the moment something happens, something else occurs immediately after.
品川しながわ沖おきにおりている鳥とりは僕ぼく等とうの船ふねを見みるが早はやいか、忽ちたちまち一斉いっせいに飛とび立たってしまう。
～たる N1Used to indicate that someone is a certain type of person; often translated as 'as a ...' or 'being ...'.
いる癖くせに、一いち羽わもその日ひは鴨かもは獲えれない。いや、鴨かもたると鵜うたるを問とわず
～しまう（しまつだ） N1Used to express a result that is regrettable or disappointing; often means 'end up' or 'in the end'.
こういうような仕つかまつ末すえで、その日ひはただ十じゅう時間じかんばかり海うみの風かぜに吹ふかれただけで、鴨かもは一いち羽わも獲えれずしまった。
～と見えて N2It seems that; apparently. Used to infer a situation based on observable evidence.
桂月けいげつ先生せんせいはこの鴨かもの獲えれないのが大おおいに嬉うれしいと見みえて
～だらけ N3Covered in; full of (often used for negative connotations).
その黐もちだらけの二に羽わの鴨かもを古こ新聞しんぶんに包つつんで持もって帰かえった。

Cultural notes

Taisho Era Duck HuntingThe story is set in 1924 (Taisho 13), when duck hunting was a popular pastime among Japanese intellectuals and artists. The mention of a motorboat (発動機船) and hunting experts reflects the modernizing trends of the time.
Hunting with Birdlime (黐)黐 (mochi) is a sticky substance traditionally used to catch birds by applying it to branches or traps. In the story, the ducks are caught with birdlime rather than guns, which was an alternative method.