作品Free Graded Reading
（和）茗荷The Myoga
Myouga
by 三遊亭 円朝 · San'yūtei Enchō
茗荷を食べると忘れっぽくなる？宿の主人が客に仕掛ける愉快な罠！
About this story
About this storyAn innkeeper plots to feed myōga to guests to make them forgetful, based on a folk belief.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in JapaneseSource
SourceThis 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): 「明治の文学 第3巻 三遊亭円朝」筑摩書房
2001（平成13）年8月25日初版第1刷発行
Typed in by 門田裕志. Proofread by noriko saito.
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
What you'll learnAn innkeeper devises a plan to serve myoga to a guest to make him forgetful, but the guest repeatedly returns for forgotten items and ultimately forgets to pay.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 茗荷 (みょうが) | Japanese ginger (myoga) |
|---|---|
| 槃特 (はんどく) | Handoku (a disciple of the Buddha known for poor memory) |
| 托鉢 (たくはつ) | mendicancy, alms-begging (by monks) |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～てしまう N4Expresses completion of an action, often with regret or unintended result.翌朝になると早々に彼の客人は立つて了つた。
- ～そうだ (hearsay) N4Indicates hearsay; 'I heard that...'其の槃特が相果てゝから之を葬ると、其墓場へ生えたのが茗荷だと云ふ事だ。
- ～から (reason) N5Indicates reason or cause; 'because'.されば「名を荷ふ」と書いて「めうが」と読ませる、だから茗荷を喰へば馬鹿になる。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Myoga and ForgetfulnessIn Japanese folklore, it is believed that eating myoga (Japanese ginger) causes forgetfulness. This story humorously plays on that belief. The name myoga (茗荷) is said to derive from '名を荷う' (carry a name), referencing the Buddhist disciple Handoku who wore a nameplate. When he died, myoga grew from his grave, thus linking the plant to memory loss.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhat does the innkeeper hope will happen if the guest eats myoga?
- The guest will become smarter.
- The guest will forget things.
- The guest will remember his name.
- The guest will leave immediately.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to the dialogue tags (主, 客, 妻) to follow who is speaking.
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
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