鬼The Demon

About this story

A narrator ponders the poverty of a gifted but prodigal writer, challenging societal stereotypes about money and talent.

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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): 「聴雨・蛍　織田作之助短篇集」ちくま文庫、筑摩書房
2000（平成12）年4月10日第1刷発行

Typed in by 桃沢まり. Proofread by 松永正敏.

Yomimaru has not changed the spelling or the wording.

The furigana are Yomimaru's.

What you'll learn

The narrator reflects on Tsuji Jūkichi, a writer known for being stingy, but slowly reveals his chaotic financial management.

The narrator elaborates on Tsuji's extreme sloppiness: he neglects personal matters, let's money expire, and his lifestyle is chaotic.

Tsuji finally agrees to remarry, but his workaholic tendencies cause problems, and a currency reform complicates his finances.

Key vocabulary

貧乏びんぼう	poverty, poor
抜目無ぬけめない	shrewd, sharp, not missing a trick
ちゃっかり	shrewdly, opportunistically
高利貸こうりがし	moneylender (charging high interest)
ズボラ	slovenly, careless, negligent

Grammar points you'll meet

• ～でならない N2Indicates that a feeling is so strong it cannot be helped; 'cannot help but feel'.

  不思議ふしぎでならなかった。

• ～くらい～はない N3Used to indicate that something is the most extreme; 'there is nothing as ~ as'.

  顔かおも洗あらわずに結婚式けっこんしきを挙あげるのは、君きみぐらいのものだ。

• ～たことがある N5Indicates experience of doing something; 'have done something before'.

  第だい一いち字引じびきというものを持もっていない。引ひくのが面倒めんどうくさいので、買かわぬらしい。

• ～てみる N4Indicates trying to do something; 'try doing'.

  仕事しごとをへらしてみたところで同おなじことだよ。

• ～てしまう N4Indicates completion of an action, often with a nuance of regret or finality.

  窓口まどぐちで原稿げんこうを訂正ていせいしていた。

Cultural notes

• Post-War Currency ReformThe story references the 'Financial Emergency Measures' and 'old currency' (旧券) vs 'new currency' (新券). This refers to the 1946 currency reform in Japan, where old yen notes were frozen and new yen issued to combat inflation.
• Black Market (闇市)During and after WWII, black markets flourished. The text mentions buying cigarettes and sugar on the black market, and later selling '証紙' (stamps used to validate old currency).
• Literary World in Early ShowaThe story describes the competitive nature of the literary world, with writers taking on multiple jobs (scenarios, radio plays, etc.) to earn money. The protagonist's workaholic attitude reflects the pressures on writers.

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