What JLPT level is 暗い花?

暗い花 is suitable for JLPT N1 level readers (estimated JLPT N1).

How long does 暗い花 take to read?

暗い花 takes about 85 minutes (around 6794 words) to read at a learner's pace.

作品さくひんFree Graded Reading

暗い花Dark Flower

Kurai Hana

by 林芙美子 · Hayashi Fumiko

JLPT N1Short StoryQuiz ready

A dark flower linked to a series of murders.

About this story

A woman's daily bath takes an eerie turn as she overhears a conversation about a serial killer.

Read a sample in Japanese

いつものように、ハンカチーフ一いち枚まいで朝湯あさゆに飛とび込こんだ。どこかのお神かみさんらしい一いち二に度ど、この風呂ふろで出逢であう女おんなが、もう、小太こぶとりな、真白まっしろい躯むくろを石せっけんで流ながしていた。向むこうもつんとしているから、こっちもつんとしている。男おとこ湯ゆの方ほうは馬鹿ばかに森閑しんかんとしていた。房江ふさえは一いち人にんでのびのびとあおむけに湯ゆにつかって、高たかい天井てんじょうを眺ながめていた。熱あつくもなく、ぬるくもない湯ゆ加減かげんで、これが電気でんきで沸わくのかと、房江ふさえはうっとりとなって、まず気持きもちのいい湯ゆ加減かげんに満足まんぞくしているうちに、今朝けさがた別わかれた嫌いやな男おとこのことも、もやもやと心こころのなかから消きえていってしまうのだ。どやどやと硝子がらす戸とが開ひらいて、二に三さん人にん、賑にぎやかな女おんなの声こえが番台ばんだいの方ほうでしたかと思おもうと、間まもなく、背せの高たかい女おんながさっと浅黒あさぐろい躯むくろで仕切しきりの硝子がらす戸とを足あしで押おして入はいって来きた。「空あいてるよっ」あとからも、二に人にんばかり、話はなしのつづきなのか、「殺ころされるのはかなわないけどさあ、何なにだわねえ……ちょっと、興味きょうみがあるわねえ」

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): 「林芙美子全集　第五巻」文泉堂出版
1977（昭和52）年4月20日発行

Typed in by しんじ. Proofread by 阿部哲也.

Yomimaru changed the spelling to modern kana and modern kanji, replaced classical grammar and some archaic words with modern ones, and rephrased some sentences, keeping their meaning.

The furigana are Yomimaru's. In the app it is split into 2 parts.

What you'll learn

Fusae goes to the public bath in the morning, where she meets other women who chat about a recent abduction case. After the bath, she returns to her apartment and is surprised by her mother's visit. Her mother wants to discuss moving the family to Tokyo, but Fusae resists, revealing her past and current life as a prostitute.

Language difficultyAdvanced · 85/100

Key vocabulary

ハンカチーフ	handkerchief
小太こぶとり	plump
森閑しんかん	silence
もやもや	vague unease
かどわかす	abduct

Grammar points you'll meet

～やうに (archaic ように) N1Archaic form of ように, meaning 'like' or 'as if'.
いつものやうに、ハンカチーフ一いち枚まいで朝湯あさゆに飛とび込こんだ。
～てゐる (archaic ている) N1Archaic form of ている, indicating ongoing state or action.
小太こぶとりな、眞まこと白しろい躯むくろを石せっけんで流ながしてゐた。
～つもりだ (intention) N4Expresses intention to do something.
電報でんぽうでも打うつて來るつもりだつたが、急きゅうに話はなしがあつて來たンだで
～とする (try to) N3Indicates an attempt or decision to do something.
思おもひつきり脚あしを高たかくあげてみたりして遊あそんでゐる。
～てしまう (completion with regret) N4Expresses that an action is completed, often with regret or finality.
すつかり人じんが變つてしまつた。

Cultural notes

Post-war Bathhouse CulturePublic bathhouses (銭湯) were common places for socializing and cleaning, especially before private baths became widespread. The novel depicts women using the bathhouse in the early morning, highlighting its role in daily life.
Prostitution in Post-war JapanAfter WWII, many women turned to prostitution to survive. The story depicts Fusae as a street prostitute, reflecting the social issues of the time.
Family Obligations and Rural-Urban MigrationThe mother's visit represents the tension between traditional family expectations and the harsh realities of urban life. The discussion about moving to Tokyo illustrates the challenges of rural-urban migration.