作品Free Graded Reading
天井裏の妖婆The Witch in the Attic
Tenjōura no Yōba
by 田中 貢太郎 · Tanaka Kōtarō
JLPT N2Short StoryQuiz ready
A hospital patient sees a witch in the ceiling; other patients die.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnThe wife of painter Kaburaki Kiyokata is hospitalized with puerperal fever. During her stay, she sees a ghostly old woman with a twisted neck who disappears after a staring contest. The nurse later reports that a patient in the next room died while saying 'something came'.
Language difficultyAdvanced · 78/100
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 産褥熱 (さんじょくねつ) | puerperal fever |
|---|---|
| 吊台 (つりだい) | stretcher (for carrying patients) |
| 寒詣り (かんもうで) | winter shrine visit |
| 行者 (ぎょうじゃ) | ascetic practitioner |
| 提灯 (ちょうちん) | paper lantern |
| 非常口 (ひじょうぐち) | emergency exit |
| 小紋 (こもん) | small-patterned kimono |
| 折釘 (おりくぎ) | bent nail |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～かと思うと N1Expresses that one action happens immediately after another, often with surprise. 'Just when I thought... then...'.「おまえさんは、剛情な女だね」と云ったかと思うと、後すさりして隅の方へ往くなり、消えて見えなくなった。
- ～なり N1Classical conjunction meaning 'as soon as' or 'immediately after'. Indicates that one action directly follows another.後すさりして隅の方へ往くなり、消えて見えなくなった。
- ～たところで N1Indicates a point in time or situation when something happens, often unexpectedly. 'Just when (someone did something)...'.やるともなしに天井の方へ眼をやったところで、そこに小紋の衣服を著て髪をふり乱した老婆がいて。
- ～らしい N3Used to express that something is apparently or seemingly the case, based on observation or hearsay. 'Seems like, apparently'.寒詣りらしい白衣の一面に卍を書いた行者らしい男がいた。
- ～ながら N2Indicates two actions are done simultaneously, or a contrasting state. 'While, although'.手にした提灯をぶらぶらさせながら後になり前になりして歩いていた。
- ～そうだ（様態） N4Used to express appearance or seeming based on direct observation. 'Looks like, seems'.老婆が忌いましそうに舌打ちをして。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Puerperal Fever in Early 20th Century JapanPuerperal fever (産褥熱) was a serious and often fatal condition in the early 1900s, especially in hospitals with poor hygiene. This story reflects the fear of illness and death common at the time.
- Kaburaki Kiyokata: A Renowned Painter鏑木清方 (1878–1973) was a famous Japanese painter of the bijinga (beautiful women) genre. His personal life, including his wife's illness, was sometimes woven into his works. This story humanizes the artist through a family anecdote.
- Ghost Stories (Kaidan) in Japanese LiteratureThis text is a classic example of kaidan (怪談), a genre of supernatural tales popular during the Edo and Meiji periods. The juxtaposition of realistic hospital settings with ghostly apparitions creates a chilling effect, typical of Japanese horror.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionSensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipNote the classical verb endings like '往くなり' (classical なり) and '気が注いた' (archaic for 気がついた). Use context to guess meaning.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in Japanese鏑木清方画伯の夫人が産褥熱で入院した時の話である。その夫人が入院した時は夜で、しかもひどく遅かった。夫人はその時吊台で病院に運ばれたが、その途中吊台の覆いの隙から外の方を見ると、寒詣りらしい白衣の一面に卍を書いた行者らしい男が、手にした提灯をぶらぶらさせながら後になり前になりして歩いていた。そして、目的の病院へ着いたが、玄関の扉が締っているので、しかたなく死体を出入する非常口から入った。それから二三日してのことであった。夜半ごろ、何かのひょうしに眼を覚ました夫人が、やるともなしに天井の方へ眼をやったところで、そこに小紋の衣服を着て髪をふり乱した老婆がいて、それが折釘のような首をさしのべて夫人の顔をぎろりと見た。夫人はびっくりしたが、すぐ、こういう際に取るべき伝説に気が注いた。（こいつに負けてはたいへんだ）
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