作品Free Graded Reading
レンズに現われた女の姿The Figure of a Woman Appearing in the Lens
Renzu ni Arawareta Onna no Sugata
by 田中 貢太郎 · Tanaka Kōtarō
JLPT N2Short StoryQuiz ready
A priest's photo reveals his dead wife—a ghost captured on film!
What you'll learn
What you'll learnA monk visits three photographers in Yokohama, but each cancels due to a 'malfunction.' The police are called and eventually take the photo, which reveals a woman's ghost sitting on the monk's head. The ghost is identified as his late wife, who forbade him from remarrying.
Language difficultyAdvanced · 65/100
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 写真師 (しゃしんし) | photographer |
|---|---|
| 故障 (こしょう) | breakdown, malfunction |
| 奇怪至極 (きかいしごく) | extremely strange |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～たところで N1Even if; even after doing something (often leads to a negative outcome)僧侶はしかたなしに次の写真屋へ往って、レンズの前へ立ってたところで、どうした事かその写真師も、レンズに故障が出来たと云って中止した。
- ～とあって N1Because it is; since it is the case that警察では奇怪至極とあって内務省へ報告した。
- ～てみると N4When trying to do something (discovery)黒い布を被ってみると、後へ女の顔が出て来る。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Ghost Photography in Meiji/Taisho JapanThis story reflects early 20th-century Japanese fascination with spirit photography, a phenomenon where ghosts allegedly appeared in photographs. The reference to the Home Ministry (内務省) indicates the official interest in such paranormal events.
- Posthumous Vengeance (怨霊)The story involves the vengeful spirit of a deceased wife who curses her husband for remarrying, a common theme in Japanese folklore known as 'urami' or grudge spirits. This reflects cultural beliefs about loyalty beyond death.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhy did the photographers refuse to take the monk's picture?
- The camera was broken.
- They saw a ghost behind the monk.
- The monk was too intimidating.
- The photographer was scared.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to repeated verbs like 往って (いって) and 云って (いって) to follow the sequence of events.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in Japanese保土ヶ谷の某寺の僧侶が写真を撮る必要があって、横浜へ行って写真屋へ入り、レンズの前へ立っていると、写真師は機械に故障が出来たからと言って撮影を中止した。僧侶はしかたなしに次の写真屋へ行って、レンズの前へ立ってたところで、どうした事かその写真師も、レンズに故障が出来たと言って中止した。僧侶はよく故障が出来るものだが、どうした事だと独り言を言いながら、又次の写真屋へ行った。そして、又レンズの前へ立ったところで、又機械に故障が出来たと言って謝絶られた。僧侶は業をにやして、「何故そんなに、機械に故障が起こるのだ」と言って詰問すると、写真師は、「あなたは、こうしてみると一人だが、黒い布をかぶってみると、後ろへ女の顔が出て来る」と言った。そこで交渉の結果、警官を呼んで来て、警官の手で撮影してもらい、出来あがったところを見ると、僧侶の頭の上へ髪を振り乱した女が座っていた。
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