A personified yak in traditional Japanese clothing stands puzzled in a bamboo grove, holding a comb and rope, its shaggy fur and horns contrasting with the bright clean cartoon style.

In a Grove: B1 Intermediate Japanese Story with Audio

This B1 Intermediate retelling of 藪の中 keeps the plot clear for learners while still giving the story some atmosphere and momentum.

This version teaches Japanese through English and includes clickable word help inside the story, full story audio, and lesson notes after the reading. It is free to use on Yak Yacker and is designed to feel natural, readable, and manageable for learners.

藪の中
Story audio

ある日、がの中で、のを見つけました。すぐにに知らせました。

警察は、人から。でも、みんなのが違っていました。

木こりは言いました。「昼ごろ、でを見つけました。侍は胸にがあり、はありませんでした。とが落ちていました。」

お坊さんは言いました。「昨日、侍と妻がでをしていました。二人はに見えました。」

警察は、・を。多襄丸は話しました。

「あの侍は、私が。妻をんです。侍に『がある』とをついて、に。」

「それから、侍を。妻が来たとき、彼女はをあげましたが、私は『は』と言いました。」

「すると妻が言いました。『二人の男が、に行く』と。女だと思いました。」

「侍のを、。侍は。でも、で、ついに私のが勝ちました。」

ところが、の話は違いました。彼女は。

「夫は、多襄丸に、私を見るがんです。まるで、私をもののように見ていました。」

「私は、夫のを。そして、夫ので、自分を殺してほしいと頼みました。でも夫は。気がつくと、私の手に短刀があり、夫は死んでいました。自分でのかもしれません。」

さらに、侍のがを通して話しました。その声はでした。

「多襄丸は、妻を。その後、妻は『夫を』と言いました。多襄丸は、『女だ』と言って、私を見ました。妻は走り去りました。」

「多襄丸は、私のを去りました。私は、妻の短刀で、を刺し、しました。」

結局、のまったく話がありました。誰がを言っているのか、誰にもわかりません。の真実は、いまもです。

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English Version

One day, a woodcutter found a samurai's dead body in a bamboo grove. He immediately notified the police.

The police questioned various people. But everyone's story was different.

The woodcutter said, "Around noon, I found the body in the bamboo grove. The samurai had a chest wound, and there was no sword. A rope and a comb were on the ground."

The priest said, "Yesterday, I saw a samurai and his beautiful wife traveling on horseback. They looked like ordinary travelers."

The police captured the bandit, Tajomaru. Tajomaru spoke, laughing.

"I killed that samurai. I wanted his wife. I lied to the samurai, saying there was treasure, and lured him into the bamboo grove."

"Then I tied up the samurai. When his wife came, she screamed, but I said, 'I will spare your life.'"

"Then the wife said, 'Let the two men fight, and I will go with the winner.' I thought she was an interesting woman."

"I untied the samurai and we fought. He was strong. But at the twenty-third stroke, my sword finally prevailed."

However, the wife's story was different. She was crying.

"My husband, tied up by Tajomaru, looked at me with cold eyes. It was as if he saw me as something dirty."

"I untied my husband and asked him to kill me with his dagger. But he remained silent. When I came to, there was a bloody dagger in my hand, and my husband was dead. Perhaps I stabbed him myself."

Moreover, the samurai's spirit spoke through a medium. His voice was sorrowful.

"Tajomaru violated my wife. Then, my wife said, 'Kill my husband!' Tajomaru was shocked, said 'What a frightening woman!' and looked at me. My wife screamed and ran away."

"Tajomaru untied me and left. I took the dagger my wife dropped and stabbed myself in the chest, committing suicide."

In the end, there were three completely different stories. No one knows who is telling the truth. The truth within the grove remains within the grove.

Words from the Shadows: Key Vocabulary

The story is packed with evocative terms. Let's pull a few key words into the light so you can spot them in other tales or everyday conversation.

Many of these are essential for describing scenes, people, and actions, especially in historical or dramatic settings.

  • 木こり (woodcutter): A person who chops wood. Example: 木こりは毎日森へ行きます。(The woodcutter goes to the forest every day.)
  • 縄 (rope) & 櫛 (comb): Both appear as clues. 縄で縛る (to tie with rope); 髪を櫛でとかす (to comb hair) - everyday items that become evidence.
  • 短刀 (short sword): A compact blade, often used for close combat or ritual. 侍は短刀を帯びていた。(The samurai carried a short sword.)
  • 巫女 (medium/shrine maiden): In Shinto, a person through whom spirits speak. 巫女は霊の言葉を伝えた。(The medium conveyed the spirit's words.)
Telling Tales: Reported Speech and Perspective

Japanese reporting style uses ～と言いました (said) or ～と話しました (told) after direct quotes. In this story, each character's testimony is introduced with their own voice, making the narrative feel like a live interview.

Pay attention to the shift in formality: the woodcutter and monk use polite ～ます forms, while the bandit uses casual, blunt speech. This reflects personality and social standing.

  • 直接話法: Quote directly with 「…」＋と言った. E.g., 「侍が死んでいた」と木こりは言った。('The samurai was dead,' said the woodcutter.)
  • 間接話法: If needed, soften with ～と言っていた (was saying).
  • Note: The wife's story uses ～ました ending, showing her polite distress, while the bandit's ～だ ending sounds rough and confident.
Unreliable Narration: The Grammar of Doubt

The story's core is uncertainty: three versions, no final truth. Japanese has handy tools for expressing doubt and speculation, which you'll see sprinkled throughout.

Master these patterns to sound more native when you're not 100% sure about something-or when retelling a story with room for interpretation.

  • ～かもしれない (might have): 自分で刺したのかもしれません (I might have stabbed him myself). Use when proposing a possibility without certainty.
  • ～ようだ／～みたいだ (seems like): まるで私を汚いもののように見ていました (he looked at me as if I were filthy). Indicates an impression or appearance.
  • ～らしい (I heard/it seems): Can be used for hearsay or conjecture. E.g., 真実は藪の中らしい (The truth is, they say, in the grove).
  • ～のだろうか (I wonder if): 誰が本当のことを言っているのだろうか (I wonder who's telling the truth). Good for pondering questions.
Beyond the Grove: Embrace the Ambiguity

Akutagawa leaves us with '藪の中' (in the grove), a phrase that's become shorthand for an unsolvable mystery. It's a reminder that language-and life-is full of multiple truths.

Next time you read or listen to Japanese stories, notice how a single word or grammatical choice can shift your trust in the narrator. And if you're feeling bold, try retelling a simple event from three different viewpoints-just for fun!

Story History and Background

藪の中 comes from the Japanese / Akutagawa tradition and is best known as a short story. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on Akutagawa, 1922; public domain, so the wording here is simplified for modern learners rather than copied from one old edition.

Older printings, translations, and retellings of this story can vary quite a bit. The original audience was usually adult/general, but this version is adapted for B1 Intermediate learners studying Japanese. Multiple unreliable narrators; difficult but excellent.

If you want to look into the source tradition, start with Wikisource.

Keep Going With Japanese

If you want to keep going, browse more in our Japanese section and review the Geography Vocabulary in Japanese. After that, try Japanese Question Words for another useful next step.

More Japanese to explore