What JLPT level is 天狗岩の殺人魔?

天狗岩の殺人魔 is suitable for JLPT N1 level readers (estimated JLPT N1).

How long does 天狗岩の殺人魔 take to read?

天狗岩の殺人魔 takes about 61 minutes (around 4912 words) to read at a learner's pace.

作品さくひんFree Graded Reading

天狗岩の殺人魔The Tengu Rock Murderer

Tenguiwa no Satsujinma

by 山本周五郎 · Yamamoto Shūgorō

JLPT N1Short StoryQuiz ready

A tengu rock becomes the scene of a murder mystery.

About this story

A nephew interrupts his uncle with sensational news about a murderer, but the uncle dismisses it.

Read a sample in Japanese

いよいよこの村むらへも殺人さつじん鬼おに「伯父おじさん大変たいへんだ、凄すごい記事きじですぜ」扉とびらを蹴け放ほかすような勢ぜいでとび込こんで来きた祐吉ゆうきちは、新聞しんぶんを片手かたてに振ふ廻まわしながら、「殺人さつじん鬼おに権けん六ろく！　当地とうちへ潜入せんにゅうせり、銀行ぎんこう家か宮みや橋きょう多平たへい氏し脅迫きょうはくさる、脅迫きょうはく状じょうには五ご千せん円えんを要求ようきゅうしあり、当地とうち住民じゅうみんは恐怖きょうふ動揺どうようを来きたし、警察けいさつ当局とうきょくもまた非常ひじょう警戒けいかいに任にんじたり」「うるさい、うるさい！」平野ひらの大造たいぞう氏しは手てを振ふって制せいした。「いま京太郎きょうたろうから研究けんきゅう問題もんだいの説明せつめいを聞きいて居いるところじゃ、そんな下くだらぬ新聞しんぶん記事きじなどは止とめにしろ」「だって殺人さつじん鬼おに権けん六ろくと云いえば……」「黙だまれ、おまえは毎ごとも盗難とうなん事件じけんだの殺人さつじんだのと、まるで探偵たんていのような事ことにしか興味きょうみを持もたんじゃないか、そんな事ことで立派りっぱな医者いしゃに成なれると思おもうか、少すこしは京太郎きょうたろうを見習みならうが宜むべい、呆あきれた奴やつだ」「じゃア黙だまりますよ」祐吉ゆうきちはむっとして、部屋へやの隅すみの長椅子ながいすへどかっと体からだを投出なげだした。

Read the full text with furigana + instant lookups in Yomimaru →

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): 「山本周五郎探偵小説全集　第一巻　少年探偵・春田龍介」作品社
2007（平成19）年10月15日第1刷発行

Typed in by 特定非営利活動法人はるかぜ. Proofread by 良本典代.

Yomimaru has not changed the spelling or the wording.

The furigana are Yomimaru's.

What you'll learn

Yuukichi bursts in with news about a serial killer, but his uncle scolds him. Kyoutarou visits and discusses his research. Later, Kyoutarou rushes in claiming he saw a murder in a chestnut grove.

The group goes to the crime scene and finds a body under a large pine tree. Yuukichi finds a notebook with cryptic entries like 'carving Mister Tengu' and 'carving the eastern grave'. The man dies, and police arrive.

The next morning, Yuukichi goes to the police and then meets a suspicious man who claims to be a friend of Kyoutarou's. Yuukichi investigates and learns that the man is a moneylender. He becomes suspicious of Kyoutarou's involvement.

Language difficultyIntermediate · 65/100

Key vocabulary

殺人鬼さつじんき	murderer, killer
脅迫状きょうはくじょう	threat letter
手帖てちょう	notebook, memo pad
天狗岩てんぐいわ	Tengu rock (a large rock shaped like a mythical creature)
遺産いさん	inheritance, legacy

Grammar points you'll meet

～てしまう N4Indicates completion of an action, often with a sense of regret or finality.
殺ころして了りょうった。
～かもしれない N4Expresses possibility; 'might be'.
殺人さつじん鬼おにかもしれない。
～たところ N3Just after doing something; 'when (something happened)'.
京太郎きょうたろうが立去たちさるところだ。
～という N4Quoting or defining; 'called', 'that'.
殺人さつじん鬼おに権けん六ろくという男おとこだ。
～させる N4Causative form; 'make/let someone do'.
源助げんすけに金きんをやって天狗岩てんぐいわの根元ねもとを削けずらせた。
～たる N1Formal attributive form of である; 'as (a person of status)'.
医者いしゃたる者しゃ、そんな事ことで立派りっぱな医者いしゃに成なれると思おもうか。

Cultural notes

天狗岩 (Tengu Rock)In Japanese folklore, tengu are mythical creatures often associated with mountains and forests. A 'tengu rock' is a rock formation that resembles a tengu. Here, it is a key location in the story.
南伊豆 (Minami Izu)A scenic peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture known for its beautiful coastlines and hot springs. It was a popular resort area for wealthy people from Tokyo and Osaka in the early 20th century.
探偵癖 (Detective Habit)This refers to the protagonist's tendency to investigate matters like a detective. Such a character trait is common in Japanese mystery novels, especially those influenced by Western detective fiction.