作品Free Graded Reading
闇汁図解Illustration of the Dark Stew
Yamijiru Zukai
by 正岡 子規 · Masaoka Shiki
A hilarious account of friends making a bizarre stew.
About this text
About this textA group of friends prepare and enjoy a mysterious 'dark stew' in a lively, chaotic gathering.
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): 「ほとゝきす 第三卷第二號」ほとゝきす發行所
1899（明治32）年11月10日発行
Typed in by 京都大学電子テクスト研究会入力班（大石尺）. Proofread by 京都大学電子テクスト研究会校正班（大久保ゆう）.
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 describes the events of a 'Dark Soup Party' held in Meiji 32, from the initial gathering and preparation to the chaotic eating and eventual departure. The account is filled with humorous observations about the participants and their behaviour.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 闇汁 (やみじる) | dark soup; a party where ingredients are thrown into a pot in the dark |
|---|---|
| くすくす | giggling, snickering |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～を以て N1A classical/literary phrase meaning 'by means of' or 'using something as a tool'.一、準備出來る迄に一會催すべしとの議出づ。座上柿あり、柿を以て題とす。
- ～ぬ（古典打消し） N1Classical negative ending (modern Japanese ～ない). Often used in literary writing.物無く句無し。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- 闇汁会 (Dark Soup Party)A Meiji-era social event where participants each bring ingredients and throw them into a large pot in the dark. The resulting stew is eaten together. It was inspired by a Chinese poem and became a popular pastime among literary circles.
- 鳴雪翁 (Meisetsu?)Nakamura Meisetsu (鳴雪) was a haiku poet and a student of Masaoka Shiki. He was known for his wit and humor. In this text, he provides comic relief with his remarks.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhat event is described in this text?
- A formal tea ceremony
- A dark soup party (闇汁会)
- A poetry reading
- A cooking competition
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to classical verb endings like ～ぬ, ～たまふ, ～す (for する).
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
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