What JLPT level is 鬼桃太郎?

鬼桃太郎 is suitable for JLPT N1 level readers (estimated JLPT N1).

How long does 鬼桃太郎 take to read?

鬼桃太郎 takes about 26 minutes (around 2059 words) to read at a learner's pace.

作品さくひんFree Graded Reading

鬼桃太郎The Demon Momotaro

Oni Momotaro

by 尾崎紅葉 · Ozaki Koyo

JLPT N1Short StoryClassical / archaicQuiz ready

What if the demons of Momotaro got revenge? A dark, thrilling twist on a classic.

About this story

From the oni's viewpoint, a story of humiliation and vengeance after Momotaro's raid on Onigashima.

Read a sample in Japanese

昔々、翁は山へ柴刈りに、媼は洗濯の川で、拾った桃の実の中から生まれ出た桃太郎、猿、雉子、犬を引率してこの鬼ヶ島に攻めて来て、累世の珍宝を分捕りし、勝ち誇らせて帰らせたこと、この島の末代までの恥辱である。ああ、願わくは武勇に優れた鬼がいればいいのに、その力を借りてでもこの遺恨を晴らしたいと、時の王鬼が島中に触れを下し、誰であれ日本を征伐し、桃太郎奴の若衆の首と、分捕られた珍宝を携えて帰る者は、この島の王にすべきとあったので、血気にはやる若い鬼たち、ひこひこと額の角をうごめかし、自分こそ功名を立てようと思わない者はないけれども、いずれも桃太郎の技量に懲りて、我こそはと名乗り出る者もいなかった。ここに阿修羅河のほとりに世を忍んで、わびしく住み慣れている夫婦の鬼がいた。もとは鬼ヶ島の城門の衛司であったが、桃太郎攻め入りの時にあえなくも鉄の門扉を打ち砕かれ、敵軍の乱入に

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What you'll learn

The chapter begins with the history of Onigashima's shame after Momotaro's victory. The oni king seeks a champion to defeat Momotaro, and a former gatekeeper and his wife, after a long exile, use a magical prayer to birth Kurumomotaro from a bitter peach. Kurumomotaro is granted an iron staff by the king and sets out with a dragon, a baboon, and a wolf, but the journey goes awry when the dragon's navigation fails, leading to the companions' deaths and Kurumomotaro's fall into the sea.

Language difficultyExpert · 95/100

Key vocabulary

苦桃太郎 (くももたろう)	Bitter Peach Taro (protagonist, a demon boy)
毒竜 (どくりゅう)	poison dragon
王鬼 (おうき)	king of the oni (demon king)
累世 (るいせい)	generations
衛司 (えいし)	guard, gatekeeper

Grammar points you'll meet

～なり（断定） N1Classical copula 'da' or 'de aru', often used in literary texts to mean 'is'.
鬼ヶ島の城門の衛司にてありけるが
～けり（過去・詠嘆） N1Classical auxiliary indicating past tense or exclamation, often used in narrative to provide a literary tone.
いずれも桃太郎が技掚に懲り、我はと名乗出づるものもあらざりけり
～ずんば N1Classical conditional negative, meaning 'if not ~', equivalent to '～なければ'.
この遺恨霽さばやと
～たる（連体形） N1Classical attributive form of 'tari' (to be), used to modify nouns, often meaning 'being ~'.
武勇勝れたる鬼のあれかし
～かし（願望・念押し） N1Classical sentence-ending particle expressing wish or strong desire, equivalent to '～たいものだ' or '～てほしい'.
武勇勝れたる鬼のあれかし

Cultural notes

Momotaro FolktaleMomotaro (桃太郎) is a famous Japanese folktale about a boy born from a peach who goes to Onigashima (Demon Island) with animal friends (monkey, pheasant, dog) to defeat demons and bring back treasure. This story is a dark parody where the oni are the protagonists and seek revenge.
Oni (Demons) in Japanese CultureOni are mythical creatures often depicted as ogres or demons with horns, wild hair, and fierce expressions. They live in Onigashima and are typically antagonists in folklore. This story reimagines them as sympathetic figures.
Classical Japanese Literary StyleThe text is written in a classical style (bungotai) used in pre-modern Japanese literature. It features archaic grammar, vocabulary, and syntax, making it challenging even for advanced modern learners. It resembles the style of works like 'The Tale of the Heike' or 'Konjaku Monogatari'.