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冬の日

Winter Days

by Motojirō Kajii

As the solstice nears, an ailing young man watches the days thin out.

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Original language: JapaneseLevel: Advanced3,546 characters · ≈ 14 minSource: 青空文库

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Sample: three-line reading

Each word has its meaning in this sentence underneath, and each sentence has a full translation. Read the original and glance down only when you need to.

一one
One
季節はthe season (topic)冬至にto the winter solstice間もなかったwas not long (until); was near
The season was near the winter solstice.
堯の窓からはfrom Yao's window地盤の低いlow-lying (ground)家々の庭や門辺にin the gardens and around the gates of the houses立っているstanding木々の葉がthe leaves of the trees一日ごとday by day剥がれてゆくpeeling off (gradually)様が見えたcould be seen
From Gao's window, he could see the leaves of trees in the gardens and by the gates of the low houses peel off day by day.
ごんごんsesame (with 胡麻)胡麻はthe sesame (topic)老婆のold woman's蓬髪のようにlike unkempt hairなってしまいhad become (regrettably)霜にby frost美しくbeautifully灼けたburned/scorched桜のcherry tree's最後のlast葉がleaves (subject)なくなりwere gone欅がthe zelkova (subject)風にin the windかさかさrustling身をits body (object)震わすshakesごとにeach time隠れていたhad been hidden風景のscenery's部分がparts (subject)現われて来たcame into view
The sesame had become like an old woman's unkempt hair, the last leaves of the cherry tree, beautifully burned by frost, were gone, and each time the zelkova shook its body rustling in the wind, hidden parts of the scenery came into view.

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About the book

"Winter Days" (Fuyu no hi) is a short story by Motojirō Kajii, composed of six fragmentary episodes. It depicts the agitation and despair of a period when his tuberculosis became pronounced and bloody sputum persisted, rendered alongside winter landscapes. It is regarded as one of the most highly evaluated of Kajii's representative works, a peak in his writing.

Cultural notes (selection)

Background a translation can’t carry: social roles, history and allusions. While reading, tap “Note” at the end of a sentence to see them all.

吐く痰は、黄緑色からにぶい血の色 Style

Coughing up blood-streaked sputum is a typical symptom of tuberculosis, which was then an incurable disease. The author, Kajii Motojirō, himself suffered from tuberculosis for many years, and the plight of the sick in his works often carries an autobiographical colouring.

脊椎カリエス History

This means tuberculosis of the spine. At the time there was no effective medicine for it, and it was common among children and young people.

白い土の石膏の床 Customs

This refers to the plaster bed used in treating bone tuberculosis: the patient had to lie flat on the back without moving for long periods, with the body fixed in plaster to prevent the lesion from spreading and the spine from deforming.

About the author

Motojirō Kajii (February 17, 1901 – March 24, 1932) was a Japanese writer of the early Shōwa period known for his poetic short stories, including "Lemon," "In a Castle Town," "Winter Days," and "Beneath the Cherry Trees." His works were praised by fellow writers such as Yasunari Kawabata and Yukio Mishima, and are admired today for their finely tuned self-observation and descriptive power.

Summary prepared with AI from Wikipedia: 冬の日 (小説) (CC BY-SA)

How the glosses are made

Word glosses and sentence translations are generated in context by AI models (DeepSeek and Zhipu GLM), and every word is checked to have a gloss. AI can make mistakes; you can report problems from the book page.

FAQ

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