白髪鬼
by Kidō Okamoto
A sceptical lawyer recounts an eerie case involving white hair.
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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 is narrated by a lawyer named S, who claims not to believe in ghost stories yet recalls a strange white-haired incident from his youth that he still cannot explain. The first-person account begins with everyday details of boarding-house life and a chance meeting at a night market, building a quiet sense of suspense.
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.
Refers to the "Tori no Ichi" (Rooster Market) held on rooster days each November, centred on shrines such as Ōtori Shrine and Washi Shrine, where stalls sell lucky charms like the kumade, praying for prosperous business and good fortune. There can be two or three rooster days in a year, called in order hatsutori, ni no tori and san no tori; the text refers to the night of the first rooster day.
A bamboo rake-shaped lucky charm sold at the Tori no Ichi, symbolising "raking in" wealth and good fortune. The more elaborately decorated, the higher the price; it is regarded as a token of good luck for businesses. After bargaining and striking a deal, buyer and seller clap hands together in celebration—a famous custom dating back to the Edo period.
In the Edo period, the checkpoints set up at the entrances to the gates of Edo Castle were called "mitekomi"; Yotsuya Mitekomi was one of them, located in present-day Yotsuya 1-chōme, Shinjuku ward, Tokyo. After the Meiji era the castle gate was demolished, but the name survived as a place name, and it was a landmark of the city at the time.
About the author
Kidō Okamoto (October 15, 1872 – March 1, 1939) was a Japanese author and playwright whose real name was Keiji Okamoto; he was born in the Shiba Takanawa district of Minato Ward, Tokyo. His best known work is the shin kabuki play Bancho Sarayashiki.
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 “Intermediate”. 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.