What JLPT level is 奥様探偵術?

奥様探偵術 is suitable for JLPT N1 level readers (estimated JLPT N1).

How long does 奥様探偵術 take to read?

奥様探偵術 takes about 35 minutes (around 2833 words) to read at a learner's pace.

作品さくひんFree Graded Reading

奥様探偵術The Lady Detective's Technique

Okusama Tanteijutsu

by 夢野久作 · Yumeno Kyūsaku

JLPT N1Short StoryQuiz ready

A housewife uses clever detective tricks to solve funny mysteries.

About this story

A suspicious wife uses detective methods to investigate her husband's behavior.

Read a sample in Japanese

あるところに一いち人にんのオクサマがありました。その奥様おくさまは次つぎのような場合ばあいに、キット御ご主人しゅじんに喰くってかかられました。胸倉むなぐらを取とって小突こづきまわされました。「もう出でて行いく」と紋もん切せつ型がたを言いわれました。引ひっくり返かえって足あしをバタバタされました……かも知しれませんでした。……御ご主人しゅじんのお帰かえりが晩ばんい時とき…………御ご主人しゅじんの身体しんたいか、持物もちものか、お召めし物ぶつのどこかが酒さけ臭くさい時とき…………会社かいしゃに電話でんわをかけて、出張しゅっちょうが嘘うそだとわかった時とき…………料理りょうり屋やの勘定かんじょう書しょが袂たもとや紙屑かみくず籠かごから出でて来きた時とき…………女おんなの手紙てがみか、又または、女おんなの手てらしい男おとこ名前なまえの手紙てがみが来きた時とき…………近所きんじょの行いきつけの床屋とこやで髪かみを刈かられなかった時とき…………会社かいしゃの近ちかくのタクシーで帰かえられなかった時とき…………どこかに女おんなの髪かみ毛けがくっついていた場合ばあい（御ご自分じぶんのかも知しれないと思おもわれた時ときでも念ねんのため）…………御ご主人しゅじんの着物きものに、新あたらしい、違ちがった畳たたみ目めが付ついていたとき…………御ご主人しゅじんが忘わすれ物ものを発見はっけんしながら、強つよいて探さがそうとされなかった時とき……

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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): 「夢野久作全集3」ちくま文庫、筑摩書房
1992（平成4）年8月24日第1刷発行

Typed in by 柴田卓治. Proofread by 江村秀之.

Yomimaru changed the spelling to modern kana and modern kanji, and replaced classical grammar and some archaic words with modern ones.

The furigana are Yomimaru's.

What you'll learn

A suspicious wife who frequently accuses her innocent husband of infidelity receives advice from a widow friend that he is actually provoking her jealousy. After impulsively divorcing him, he marries the widow, who turns out to have been his accomplice all along.

A refined and sophisticated madam uses psychological tactics to detect her husband's affairs, remaining calm and smiling while subtly manipulating him. She ultimately drives her husband to nervous exhaustion and inherits his fortune, later wondering if she was responsible.

A Frau whose husband is a notorious playboy remains devoted to him. After she finally explodes in anger, he slaps her and leaves. She feels this act made her truly submit to him with unconditional love.

Language difficultyAdvanced · 75/100

Key vocabulary

オクサマ	madam, wife (loanword from English 'madam')
喰くってかかる	to attack verbally, to quarrel
胸倉むなぐら	collar (of a jacket), front of the chest
待合まちあい	assignation house (place for secret meetings)
心理的探偵しんりてきたんてい	psychological detective work

Grammar points you'll meet

～かも知れません N4May/might be; indicates possibility
引ひっくり返かえって足あしをバタバタされました……かも知しれませんでした。
～てしまう N4To do something completely or regrettably
無理むりやりに離婚りこんの手続てつづきをしてしまわれました。
～ことにする N4To decide to do something
お茶碗ちゃわんを差さし出だしながら、思おもわず態度たいどを勿体もったいぶったり…
～たところで N1Even if; no matter what (suggesting futility)
なぞいうものは、もはや明治めいじ大正たいしょう時代じだいの遺物いぶつとなりかけている……

Cultural notes

遊廓 (ゆうかく) and 待合 (まちあい)Traditional red-light districts and assignation houses from the Meiji and Taisho eras, which by the 1930s were being replaced by modern venues like bars and cafes.
茶屋遊び (ちゃやあそび)Visiting a tea house for entertainment, often with geisha or private parties, a common pastime for wealthy men in prewar Japan.
第三等訊問法 (だいさんとうじんもんほう)Reference to the 'third degree' interrogation method, indicating the influence of Western detective fiction and police methods in 1930s Japan.