作品Free Graded Reading
雪霊続記Snow Spirit Chronicles
Setsurei Zokki
by 泉 鏡花 · Izumi Kyōka
A haunting tale of snow spirits and eerie winter encounters.
About this story
About this storyA traveler stranded by a snowstorm recalls a bittersweet memory and a forbidden destination.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in JapaneseSource
SourceThis 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): 「鏡花全集 卷二十一」岩波書店
1941（昭和16）年9月30日第1刷発行
1975（昭和50）年7月2日第2刷発行
Typed in by 土屋隆. Proofread by 門田裕志.
Yomimaru changed the spelling to modern kana and modern kanji, replaced classical grammar and some archaic words with modern ones, and rephrased some sentences, keeping their meaning.
The furigana are Yomimaru's. In the app it is split into 3 parts.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnThe narrator is stranded in a snowstorm and decides to visit a former lover, O米さん, despite the danger. He struggles with indecision but ultimately sets out.
The narrator battles through the blizzard, experiencing hallucinations and near-death. He sees a blue fire that reminds him of hydrangeas and past illness. He encounters a large dog that leads him to a building.
The narrator follows the dog into a school, where he sees the ghosts of a teacher and fifteen students who died in a snow march. They reenact their final moments, and the dog turns into a lion-dog statue before disappearing. The narrator collapses and is rescued the next morning.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 機會 (きかい) | opportunity |
|---|---|
| お米さん (おこめさん) | affectionate name for a woman, likely a waitress/proprietress |
| 虎杖 (いたどり) | Japanese knotweed; also a place name |
| 雪難之碑 (せつなんのひ) | memorial to snow disaster victims |
| 吹雪 (ふぶき) | snowstorm, blizzard |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～がおのづから～ N1Literary expression meaning 'naturally, of itself'. Used to describe something happening spontaneously.機會がおのづから來ました。
- ～やうに (ように) N3Means 'like, as if'. Used for similarity or metaphor.淡雪の消えるやうな
- ～まい N1Negative volitional, expressing the speaker's intention not to do something, or a conjecture that something will not happen.尚ほ堪へられまい
- ～たて N3Indicates something has just been done. Often used with verbs in ます-stem + たて.プスリと鑿で穿つて
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- 雪難之碑A stone monument commemorating the victims of a snow disaster, often found in snowy regions of Japan. It represents communal memory of tragedy.
- 雪中行軍A military march through snow, used for training. The story references a tragic incident where a group of teachers and students died during such a march.
- 紫陽花 (ajisai)Hydrangea, a flower associated with rainy season and often with nostalgia, memory, and impermanence in Japanese literature. It appears as a symbolic image in the protagonist's vision.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhy did the narrator originally travel to the area?
- To visit his hometown on the Nakasendō line
- To meet O米さん in Itadori
- To attend a funeral
- To escape from Tokyo
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to the intricate imagery and metaphorical language; visualizing the scene helps.
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
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