作品Free Graded Reading
空中に消えた兵曹The Petty Officer Who Disappeared in the Sky
Kūchū ni Kieta Heisō
by 田中 貢太郎 · Tanaka Kōtarō
JLPT N1Short StoryQuiz ready
A petty officer vanishes from a plane mid-flight—a baffling ghost story from the early days of aviation.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnTwo naval aviators, N大尉 and S中尉, experience a terrifying incident when their fellow crew member M兵曹 vanishes mid-flight. Haunted by the disappearance, S中尉 eventually sees M兵曹's ghost on his plane, leading to a crash on the anniversary of the disappearance.
Language difficultyAdvanced · 78/100
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 雁行 (がんこう) | flying in a V-formation |
|---|---|
| エアーポケット | air pocket (turbulence) |
| 機翼 (きよく) | wing (of an aircraft) |
| 著陸 (ちゃくりく) | landing (aircraft) |
| 兵曹 (へいそう) | petty officer (naval rank) |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～やいなや N1As soon as (something happened), ...著陸するやいなや駈けて往って
- ～しいしい N1While doing (one action) repeatedly (with some feeling)Ｓ中尉の身の上を心配しいしい帰って来た
- ～というのであった N2It is said that...; (used to explain a reason or situation)夢中になって著陸したと云うのであった。
- ～かと思うと N3As soon as; no sooner thanと云ったかと思うと、そのままばったりと倒れてしまった。
- ～ことのないように N2So that something does not happen（Example not in text, so skipping）
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Taisho Era Military AviationThe story is set in the Taisho period (1912-1926), when Japanese military aviation was in its infancy. Yokosuka Air Corps was a real unit. Aircraft were fragile and flying was risky, which contributes to the story's atmosphere.
- Naval Ranks: 大尉, 中尉, 兵曹大尉 (Captain) and 中尉 (Lieutenant) are officer ranks in the Imperial Japanese Navy. 兵曹 (Petty Officer) is a non-commissioned officer rank. These ranks reflect the military hierarchy of the time.
- Japanese Ghost Stories (Kaidan)This story follows the tradition of kaidan, Japanese ghost stories that often involve unresolved deaths and vengeful spirits. The disappearance of M兵曹 and his reappearance is a classic trope.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhat caused the two planes to lose sight of each other?
- An air pocket and dense clouds
- Enemy fire
- Mechanical failure
- A ghost
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to the historical context; knowing a bit about Taisho-era Japan helps.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in Japanese大正七八年比のことであった。横須賀航空隊のＮ大尉とＳ中尉は、それぞれ陸上偵察機を操縦してＡ飛行場に向けて長距離飛行を行い、目的地に到著して機翼をやすめるひまもなく、直ちに帰還の途についた。両機は一千米の高度を保ちながら雁行していたが、箱根の上空にさしかかったところで、密雲のために視界を遮られたうえに、エアーポケットに入って機体が烈しい勢いで落下した。そして、二百米ばかりも落下して、やっと危険を脱したので、Ｎ大尉はやや安心して僚機の方を見たが、僚機の姿は見えなかった。Ｎ大尉は己でも危険に遭遇しているので、もしや彼の時にどうかしたのではないかと思ってＳ中尉の身の上を心配しいしい帰って来た。それで著陸するなり、機体の手入れも忘れて西の方ばかり見ていた。と、二十分ばかりして僚機の姿が夕暮の空に見えて来た。Ｎ大尉はほっとして僚機の著陸するやいなや駈けて往って、Ｓ大尉の手を執った。
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