九龍虫The Kowloon Bug

About this text

A woman recounts her experience with a medicinal insect called Kurōmushi prescribed by a doctor to combat fatigue.

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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): 「青眉抄・青眉抄拾遺」講談社
1976（昭和51）年11月10日発行

Typed in by 鈴木厚司. Proofread by 小林繁雄.

Yomimaru has not changed the spelling or the wording.

The furigana are Yomimaru's.

What you'll learn

The narrator visits a dentist who, despite appearing frail, treats many patients without fatigue. The dentist reveals his secret: a small box swarming with Kuryu insects, a tonic insect that the narrator takes and breeds. After initial reluctance, the narrator tries them and feels less tired. The insects multiply rapidly on a diet of chestnuts, ginseng, and longan.

Key vocabulary

九龍虫くりゅうちゅう	Kuryu insect (a type of beetle used in Chinese medicine for vitality)
蛹さなぎ	pupa, chrysalis
お医者いしゃさん	doctor (polite form)
うじゃうじゃ	swarming, crawling all over
ひりりっと	with a sharp, tingling sensation
参まいる	to be exhausted, to be beaten

Grammar points you'll meet

• ～てみる N4Try doing something to see the result.

  二に週間しゅうかんほどしてから覗のぞいてみたら九きゅう龍りゅう虫ちゅうの蛹さなぎがいくつも出来できていた。

• ～てくれる N4Someone does something for me/us.

  九きゅう龍りゅう虫ちゅうという虫むしで、なかなか精力せいりょくのつく薬くすり虫ちゅうだとその医者いしゃは説明せつめいしてくれた。

• ～そうだ (appearance/hearsay) N4Looks like (based on appearance) / I hear that (hearsay).

  そのお医者いしゃさんは見みたところそれほど丈夫じょうぶそうにもないのに、毎日まいにちのおびただしい患者かんじゃを扱あつかって少すこしも疲労ひろうを感かんじないと言いう。

• ～のに (contrast) N3Although, despite (used to express contrast).

  そのお医者いしゃさんは見みたところそれほど丈夫じょうぶそうにもないのに、毎日まいにちのおびただしい患者かんじゃを扱あつかって少すこしも疲労ひろうを感かんじないと言いう。

• ～ておく N4To do something in advance or for future use.

  椎しいの実み、龍りゅう眼め肉にく、栗くり、人参にんじんなどを買かって来きてあたえてみた。

Cultural notes

• 九龍虫 (Kuryu insect)九龍虫 (literally 'nine dragon insect') is a type of beetle traditionally used in Chinese and Japanese folk medicine. It is believed to boost vitality and stamina, often consumed alive or dried. The insects are bred on nutritious foods like ginseng, longan, and chestnuts, which are themselves considered healthful.
• Ne Zumi San (ねずみ算式に増える)The phrase 'ネズミ算式に増える' means 'to increase at a rate like rat reproduction' — idiomatically, 'to multiply like rabbits'. It refers to rapid, exponential growth.
• Traditional Foods for VitalityThe text mentions 椎の実 (shii nuts), 龍眼肉 (longan), 栗 (chestnuts), and 人参 (ginseng or carrot) as foods fed to the insects. In Chinese medicine, these are considered to boost energy (Qi) and nourish the body. Longan is believed to calm the mind, and ginseng is a classic adaptogen.

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