夏の葬列Summer Funeral Procession

About this story

A man revisits a coastal town from his wartime childhood, leading to a haunting encounter.

Read a sample in Japanese

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): 「夏の葬列」集英社文庫、集英社
1991（平成3）年5月25日第1刷
1991（平成3）年11月15日第3刷

Typed in by kompass. Proofread by きゅうり.

Yomimaru has not changed the spelling or the wording.

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

What you'll learn

A man returns to a coastal town where he was evacuated during WWII. He recalls a traumatic event where he pushed a girl, Hiroko, during an air raid, believing he caused her death. On the present day, he sees a funeral procession and learns that the deceased is actually Hiroko’s mother, who went mad after her daughter was killed in that same raid. The man realizes he is not directly responsible for Hiroko's death, but is haunted by the irony and lasting impact of the past.

Key vocabulary

疎開児童そかいじどう	evacuated child
葬列そうれつ	funeral procession
艦載機かんさいき	carrier-based aircraft
柩ひつぎ	coffin
防空壕ぼうくうごう	air-raid shelter
皮肉ひにく	irony

Grammar points you'll meet

• 〜たことがない N5Indicates that someone has never experienced something.

  彼かれは一いち度どもこの町まちをたずねたことがない。

• 〜てしまう N4Indicates completion of an action, often with a sense of regret.

  駅前えきまえの風景ふうけいはすっかり変かわってしまっている。

• 〜ように N3Used to express 'as if' or 'like'.

  突然とつぜん、彼かれは化石かせきしたように足あしをとめた。

• 〜かもしれない N4Express possibility 'might' or 'maybe'.

  くれるかもしれない

Cultural notes

• 疎開 (そかい)During World War II, many children from major cities were evacuated to rural areas to avoid bombing. These children were called 疎開児童. They often lived with host families or in group shelters. This story's protagonist was one such child.
• 国民学校 (こくみんがっこう)From 1941 to 1947, Japanese elementary schools were renamed 国民学校 (National Schools) as part of the wartime national mobilization. The text mentions '当時は国民学校といったが' to indicate the historical context.
• 葬列の習慣Traditional Japanese funerals involve a procession (葬列) from the home or funeral hall to the cemetery. The coffin is carried on the shoulders of pallbearers, and family and friends follow. In rural areas, such processions were common even during wartime.

Try a comprehension question

Topics & grammar