作品Free Graded Reading
手紙A Letter
Tegami
by 坂本 竜馬 · Sakamoto Ryoma
A real letter from legendary samurai Sakamoto Ryoma, full of personality and history.
About this text
About this textSamurai Sakamoto Ryoma writes to his sister about reuniting with his friend and their vow to avoid meaningless war.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in JapaneseWhat you'll learn
What you'll learnThe author reports on his recent meeting with Kura, where they vowed to avoid futile battles. He praises Kura's battlefield courage and shares news of friends and family. The letter closes with postscript inquiries about various people.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 被遊 (あそばされ) | honorific auxiliary expressing that the subject (respected person) does something |
|---|---|
| 滞留 (たいりゅう) | stay; sojourn |
| 矢石 (やいし) | arrows and stones (weapons); battle |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- 候 (sōrō) N1Classical polite auxiliary verb attached to verbs and adjectives, marking polite or humble speech. Equivalent to modern ます/です in some contexts, but more formal.蔵ハ八九度も戦場に弾丸矢石ををかし候得ども、手きずこれなく
- 被 (aru) + verb N1Classical honorific prefix or passive auxiliary. Used to show respect to the subject performing the action.時々の事ハ外よりも御聞被遊候べし。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Edo-Period Letter WritingThis letter (fumi) follows the formal conventions of the Edo period, including seasonal greetings (here autumn), humble and honorific language, and a list of inquiries about mutual acquaintances. The closing 'kashiko' and postscripts reveal the social hierarchy and personal relationships among samurai.
- Samurai Code and Battlefield HonorThe writer praises Kura for his bravery in battle, standing firm under fire while others flee. This reflects the bushido ideal of courage and composure. The vow to avoid 'pointless battles' (tsumaranu tatakai) hints at the changing attitudes toward war in the late Edo period.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionThe author and Kura promised to start more battles in the future.
- True
- False
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipThis text uses classical Japanese (bungo). Focus on recognizing that the auxiliary verb 候 (sōrō) marks politeness and often appears at sentence endings.
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
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