納豆合戦
by Kan Kikuchi
Boys play a trick on an old natto seller, told for young readers.
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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.
About the book
The text opens with the morning call of the natto seller, as the author recalls playing a prank on a blind old woman who sold natto when he was a schoolboy, and feeling ashamed of it ever since. It reads like an adult telling young readers a story from his own childhood, in a plain, remorseful tone, just as the prank begins to unfold.
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.
In the Meiji and Taishō periods, nattō vendors selling on the streets of Tokyo were mostly women and the elderly. In the early morning they carried poles with loads of nattō wrapped in straw bundles (藁苞), peddling them through the streets. Their drawn-out cries of "Natto, natto!" were an everyday morning sound in Tokyo at the time.
藁苞 (straw bundle): a small wrapping woven from rice straw. Nattō was sold wrapped in these small straw bundles; since straw is breathable, it aided fermentation and preservation. Sold in two sizes by weight—one sen and two sen—it was an extremely cheap everyday food at the time.
About the author
Kan Kikuchi (December 26, 1888 – March 6, 1948) was a Japanese author and publisher who came to prominence with the plays Madame Pearl and Father Returns. He founded the publishing company Bungeishunjū and its monthly magazine, the Japan Writer's Association, and both the Akutagawa and Naoki Prizes, and also served as head of Daiei Motion Picture Company (currently Kadokawa Pictures).
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
Is this the original text?
Yes. The library holds the opening section of the public-domain original, taken from 青空文库.
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What level is it?
This one is marked “Beginner”. Every word is glossed, so you can keep reading even with a small vocabulary.
Can I use another gloss language?
English and Chinese glosses are prepared in advance; signed-in readers can generate other languages.