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Ｋの昇天

The Ascension of K

by Motojirō Kajii

A letter asks whether K drowned by accident or rose after his shadow.

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Original language: JapaneseLevel: Intermediate3,600 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.

お手紙によりますとaccording to your letterあなたはyouＫ君の溺死についてabout K's drowningそれがit過失だったろうかwhether it was an accident自殺だったろうかor whether it was a suicide自殺ならばif it was a suicideそれがit何にby what原因しているのだろうwas causedあるいはor不治の病をan incurable diseaseはかなんでin despair over死んだのではなかろうかwhether he diedとthat様さまにin various ways思い悩んでいられるyou are troubledようでありますit seems
From your letter, it seems you're troubled in various ways about K's drowning—whether it was an accident or a suicide, and if a suicide, what caused it, or whether he died from despair over an incurable disease.
そしてandわずかonly / merely一と月ほどabout one monthの間にwithin / duringあのthat療養地health resortのofＮ海岸N Beach / the N coastでat偶然にもby chanceＫ君K (as a male acquaintance)とwith相識ったmet / became acquaintedというようなsuch as / something like一面識もないhaving never met at all私にto meお手紙letter (polite)を(object marker)くださるようになったcame to send (me)のだと思いますI think it is that
And I think it's because, within only about a month, you happened to meet K by chance at that seaside resort, N Beach, and so came to write to me, a person you had never met.
私はI (topic)あなたのお手紙your letter (polite)でby means of / throughはじめてfor the first timeＫ君K (name, familiar suffix)の's (possessive)彼地that placeでin / atのof (linking)溺死drowning (death by drowning)をobject marker知ったlearned / came to knowのですit is that (explanatory)
It was through your letter that I first learned of K's drowning in that place.
私はI (topic)たいそうveryおどろきましたwas surprised
I was very surprised.

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About the book

"K's Ascension" (subtitled "K's Ascension—or K's Drowning") is a short story by Kajii Motojirō, told in letter form. It narrates how a young man named K, on a moonlit shore at night, is led upward by his doppelgänger, which emerges from his own shadow cast by the full moon. Centered on the mystical themes of the split self and the soul's ascent, this fantastic, mystery-like tale is also a popular work of moon-themed fantasy literature often included in anthologies.

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.

地引網を捲く轆轤 Customs

A beach seine is a traditional fishing method on Japan's coasts: after a boat casts the net, a group of people on shore haul it in together. Here「轆轤」refers to the winch on shore that winds in the net ropes, casting a clear shadow on the sand in the moonlight.

療養地のＮ海岸 History

At the time there was no effective medicine for tuberculosis, so patients customarily went away for long periods of convalescent care, usually choosing a mild coastal area or highland. Replacing real place names and personal names with Latin letters such as「Ｎ」and「Ｋ」was a common practice in fiction of the period.

シューベルトの「海辺にて」 Allusion

Schubert's "Am Meer" (By the Sea), the twelfth song in Schwanengesang (D 957). The text is a poem by Heine, composed in 1828.

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: Kの昇天 (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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