What JLPT level is 無題（十）?

無題（十） is suitable for JLPT N2 level readers (estimated JLPT N2).

How long does 無題（十） take to read?

無題（十） takes about 2 minutes (around 169 words) to read at a learner's pace.

作品さくひんFree Graded Reading

無題（十）Untitled (Ten)

Mudai (Juu)

by 宮本百合子 · Miyamoto Yuriko

JLPT N2Article

A brief, poetic snapshot of a rainy day and childhood memory

About this text

After heavy rain, a serene evening brings back childhood memories.

Read a sample in Japanese

三さん四よん日にち梅雨つゆのように降おりつづいた雨あめがひどい地震じしんのあと晴はれあがった。五ご時じすぎて夕方ゆうがたが迫せまっているのに　雀すずめがチク　チ　チチと楽たのしそうに囀さえずり、まだ濡ぬれて軟やわらかく重おもい青葉あおばは眼めに沁しみる程ほど　蒼々そうそうとして見みえる。どこでホーホケキョと鶯うぐいすの声こえがする。遠とおくの欅けやきの梢こずえや松まつの梢こずえのあたり　薄うすすり青あおっぽい靄がこめている。まだポトリ　ポトリ　雨あめのしずくがトタン屋根やねにしたたっているが、前まえの瓦かわら屋根やね越えつに見みえるよその排気はいき筒とうはしずかにゆるやかにまわって、蠅はえが　巻まき上あげた簾すだれのところで　かたまってとびまわっている。柿かきの花はなが目めにとまった。見みるととなりの庭にわの土どの上うえに　いくらかその花はなが落おちている、梅雨つゆの頃ころの子供こどものときを思おもい出だす。水みずたまり、柿かきの花はなが浮うかんでいる、ところ。

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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): 「宮本百合子全集　第十八巻」新日本出版社
1981（昭和56）年5月30日初版発行
1986（昭和61）年3月20日第2版第1刷発行

Typed in by 柴田卓治. Proofread by 磐余彦.

Yomimaru has not changed the spelling or the wording.

The furigana are Yomimaru's.

What you'll learn

After three or four days of rain like the rainy season and a severe earthquake, the sky clears. The narrator describes the late afternoon scene: sparrows chirping, vivid green leaves, a distant uguisu call, mist around treetops, dripping water, a spinning exhaust pipe, flies around a rolled-up bamboo blind, and persimmon flowers on the ground, which evoke childhood memories of the rainy season.

Language difficultyIntermediate · 55/100

Key vocabulary

梅雨つゆ	rainy season (in early summer)
囀さえずり	chirping, singing (of birds)
眼めに沁しみる	to be vividly striking to the eyes
ホーホケキョ	the call of the Japanese bush warbler (uguisu)

Grammar points you'll meet

～のように N4Indicates similarity to something; 'like' or 'as if'.
三さん四よん日にち梅雨つゆのように降おりつづいた雨あめ
～がする N4Indicates perception of a sound, smell, or feeling.
どこでホーホケキョと鶯うぐいすの声こえがする。
～を思い出す N4To recall or remember something.
梅雨つゆの頃ころの子供こどものときを思おもい出だす。

Cultural notes

梅雨 (Tsuyu) – The Rainy SeasonJapan experiences a distinct rainy season from early June to mid-July, characterized by persistent rain and high humidity. This period is known as 梅雨, which literally means 'plum rain' because it coincides with the ripening of plums. The rain often brings a lush green landscape and is a common motif in Japanese literature and poetry.
ホーホケキョ – The Call of the UguisuThe Japanese bush warbler (uguisu) is famous for its distinctive call 'ho-ho-kekyo,' often heard in spring and early summer. It is a beloved bird in Japanese culture, frequently appearing in haiku and songs. Its call is considered a harbinger of spring, though it can be heard through the rainy season.
柿の花 (Persimmon Flowers)Persimmon trees bloom in late spring to early summer, producing small, pale yellow flowers. The flowers are often associated with the rainy season. Persimmons themselves (the fruit) are a common symbol of autumn, but the flowers evoke nostalgia for childhood summers in Japan.