藤十郎の恋
by Kan Kikuchi
A kabuki star feigns love for a married woman to perfect a role.
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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 tells of the celebrated actor Sakata Tojuro, who feigns courtship of a married woman to prepare for an adultery role on stage; the opening paints spring in the capital under the Genroku era and the rivalry between Tojuro and Nakamura Shichichiro from Edo. It reads like a slowly unfolding period tableau, with detailed scenery giving way to a quiet sense of tension between the performers.
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.
Oharame were women from the Ōhara area north of Kyoto who carried firewood and unstripped logs into the city to sell, a familiar peddler figure in early modern Kyoto. Here their street cries evoke a spring day in the city.
The final day of a run of kabuki or other performances, a term originating in Noh. Here it describes the Mandayū troupe closing with the end of its booking, in contrast with the Hanzaemon troupe, which continued performing.
A term for actors who specialised in playing lechers or lovers in Edo-period plays set in the pleasure quarters, paired with keirai-goi (visiting the quarters) pieces. Here it means that Tōjūrō had long been typecast in such roles.
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.
Do I need to pay or sign up?
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What level is it?
This one is marked “Advanced”. 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.