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Bottled Hell

by Kyūsaku Yumeno

Three bottles washed ashore hold letters from two island castaways.

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Original language: JapaneseLevel: Intermediate3,585 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.

拝呈Respectfully submitted時下these days益々increasingly御清栄your good health and prosperity奉慶賀候I am glad to hear (respectful closing)
Respectfully submitted. In these days, I am glad to hear of your increasing good health and prosperity.
陳者As for the matter (formal opening)予てよりfor some time past御通達のof the official notice潮流研究用とas being for tide research覚しきappearing to be赤封蝋附きのwith red wax seals麦酒瓶beer bottles拾得次第as soon as found届告仕る様to report島民一般にto all islanders申渡置候処we had instructed, and now此程recently本島南岸にon the south shore of this island別小包の如きlike separate small packages樹脂封蝋附きのwith resin seals麦酒瓶がbeer bottles三個three漂着致し居るをhad washed ashore発見届出申候we discovered and hereby report
As for the matter: regarding the beer bottles with red wax seals, which we had been told were for tide research, we had told all island people to report any found. Now, on the south shore of this island, we have found three beer bottles with resin seals, like separate small packages, washed ashore, and we report this.
右はthe above (items), topic marker何れもall of them約半里about half a ri乃至or (up to)一里余を隔てたるseparated by over one ri個所にat locations或はsome砂に埋もれburied in sand又はor / others岩の隙間にin cracks of rocks固く挟まれ居りたるwere tightly wedgedものにてbeing things (and)よほど以前にquite long ago漂着致したるものらしくseem to be things that drifted ashore (humble)中味もthe contents too御高示の如きlike that which you kindly showed官製端書とは相見えずdid not look like official postcards雑記帳の破片様のlike pieces of a notebookものらしく候seem to be (humble)為めtherefore, because御下命の如きas you ordered漂着のof the drift ashore時日等のtime, date, etc.記入はentering/recording不可能とimpossible被為存候we humbly think (humble)
All of these were at places about half a ri to over one ri apart, some buried in sand, others tightly caught in rock cracks. They seem to have washed ashore long ago. The contents did not look like the official postcards you described, but like pieces of a notebook. Therefore, as you ordered, we believe it is impossible to record the time and date of their arrival.
然れ共however尚still何かのsome御参考referenceと存じthinking that三個ともall three封瓶のままstill sealed in their bottles村費にてat village expense御送附申上候we send (humble)間so何卒please御落手相願度we would like you to accept them此段得貴意候we ask for your kind understanding敬具respectfully yours
However, thinking it may still be of some reference, we send all three by village expense, still sealed in their bottles. Please accept them. Respectfully yours.

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About the book

The text opens as a formal letter from an island village office reporting three drift bottles found on the shore, then presents the letter inside the first one: a brother and sister, learning that a rescue ship has come for them, resolve to embrace and leap to their deaths from a cliff, leaving the bottle as their last message. The reading moves from dry bureaucratic prose to a desperate, tearful confession, and the contrast is quietly disturbing.

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.

拝呈　時下益々御清栄、奉慶賀候 Style

The opening passage is formulaic epistolary language in the sōrō style (using set phrases such as 「候」, 「申候」, and 「敬具」). From the Taishō era to the early Shōwa era, official documents sent by government offices to private organisations commonly used this classical written style, which contrasts with the colloquial style of the girl's writing that follows.

神様の足凳 Allusion

「足凳」 means footstool, and alludes to the Bible, Isaiah 66:1: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool." The two of them use this term to refer to the cliff on the island.

About the author

Yumeno Kyūsaku (4 January 1889 – 11 March 1936) was a Japanese author whose pen name roughly means "a person who always dreams"; his real name was Sugiyama Yasumichi. He wrote detective novels and also worked as a Zen priest, post office director and sub-lieutenant, and is known for his avant-gardism and surrealistic, wildly imaginative and bizarre narratives.

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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Yes. The library holds the opening section of the public-domain original, taken from 青空文库.

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