Step into the dramatic world of Sanshō the Bailiff, a powerful story from Japanese folklore. The tale follows young siblings Anju and Zushiō, who are separated from their parents and sold into servitude under the cruel bailiff Sanshō. Their journey is one of endurance, secret kindness, and a desperate bid for freedom-making it a perfect narrative for learning Japanese through context-rich storytelling.
Dive into this fully interactive B1 Intermediate reading experience, where every word is just a click away. You'll enjoy built-in story audio, instant vocabulary help, and clear lesson notes that guide you through the language. It's a free, self-paced way to improve your Japanese while enjoying a timeless classic.
昔々、安寿と厨子王という姉弟がいました。二人は母と一緒に、父を探す旅に出ました。
「どうしてお母さんと
山椒大夫はとても
「早く働け！と
安寿はいつも弟をかばい、自分の食べ物を分けてあげました。でも、体はどんどん弱っていきました。
ある日、安寿は厨子王に言いました。「あなただけでもここから。私は後から行くから。」
厨子王は「いやだ、姉さんを」と泣きました。しかし、安寿は強く「よ」と言いました。
安寿は、追っ手から弟を守るために、自分が囮になりました。厨子王は涙をこらえて逃げ出しました。
厨子王は、都に着きました。そして、
役人として山椒大夫の屋敷に戻った厨子王は、悪い行いをすべて暴き、奴隷たちを解放しました。
しかし、安寿はもう。厨子王は。
厨子王は母を探し続けました。そして、ある川のほとりで、
「お母さん！」厨子王は
二人はしっかりと、
Once upon a time, there were siblings named Anju and Zushiō. They set out with their mother to find their father.
But on the journey, they were captured by bad people. The mother was sold to an island, and the siblings to the house of Sanshō Dayū.
"Why are we separated from our mother?" cried Zushiō. Anju comforted him, "It's okay, we will meet again."
Sanshō Dayū was a terrifying person. Every day, Anju and Zushiō were forced to do harsh work in the fields.
"Work faster! If you're lazy, you'll be whipped," Sanshō Dayū shouted.
Anju always protected her brother and shared her food with him. But her body grew weaker and weaker.
One day, Anju told Zushiō, "At least you must escape from here. I will follow later."
Zushiō cried, "No, I can't leave my sister behind." But Anju firmly said, "Promise me."
To protect her brother from pursuers, Anju became a decoy. Zushiō held back tears and fled.
After a long journey, Zushiō reached the capital. He grew up and became a fine official.
Returning as an official to Sanshō Dayū's house, Zushiō exposed all the evil deeds and freed the slaves.
However, Anju had already died. Zushiō was deeply saddened.
Zushiō continued to search for his mother. Then, by a riverbank, he found a blind old woman.
"Mother!" shouted Zushiō. She answered through tears, "Is that you, Zushiō?"
They hugged tightly and rejoiced in their reunion. After long suffering, the family was finally together again.
Let's unlock a few key words that drive the story's emotion. These aren't just for folktales-they're highly useful for talking about family, hardship, and resolve in everyday Japanese.
- 姉弟 (きょうだい) - specifically older sister and younger brother. Unlike the general 兄弟 (which can include any gender mix), 姉弟 paints a precise picture of Anju and Zushio's bond.
- 旅に出る (たびにでる) - to set out on a journey. A poetic but common phrase; use 旅に出よう for a suggestion like "let's hit the road."
- 慰める (なぐさめる) - to comfort. Anju often 慰めた her brother. You can use it casually: 友だちを慰めるために、カフェに誘った (I invited my friend out for coffee to cheer them up).
- 囮になる (おとりになる) - to act as a decoy. Though dramatic here, you'll encounter it in news: 警察は囮捜査をした (police conducted a sting operation).
- 再会 (さいかい) - reunion. The emotional climax. An everyday word: 高校の同級生と10年ぶりの再会をした (reunited with a high school classmate after ten years).
The story is full of moments where characters must comfort, urge, or make painful promises. Japanese has a rich toolkit for expressing empathy and encouragement. Let's break down two key patterns.
First, the -てあげる／-てくれる giving verbs. When Anju says 自分の食べ物を分けてあげた (she shared her food), あげる shows giving outward from her. If she received comfort, it would be 慰めてくれた. This subtle choice personalizes actions and shows care.
Second, the -てしまう form adds an emotional layer of regret or unintended consequence. 捕まってしまいました (ended up being captured) conveys the siblings' helplessness. Try it when something goes wrong: 電車に乗り遅れてしまった (I missed the train, and I'm kicking myself).
- When resolving to do something, Anju uses ～なさい: 逃げなさい (Run! It's an order, but with a caring undertone). This is the imperative form but softer than raw commands; often used by parents or close friends.
- The negation 置いていけない (I can't leave you) uses the potential form: いけない = "cannot go". It's a strong emotional refusal, perfect for moments of loyalty.
- Notice 約束よ (It's a promise!) with sentence-ending particle よ. Adding よ turns a statement into a gentle but firm assertion, seeking agreement.
Japanese offers different levels of directness. The story contrasts harsh commands from the villain with urgent but caring requests from Anju. Learning to navigate these adds depth to your spoken Japanese.
Sanshō's shouts: 早く働け！怠けると鞭で打たれるぞ (Work fast! If you're lazy, you'll be whipped!). 働け is the blunt imperative form-aggressive and often rude. The ～と conditional (if you…) followed by a threat is a classic warning pattern. Use it with care; it's highly confrontational.
Anju's urging: 逃げなさい (Run, please). Compared to 逃げろ (the plain command), なさい adds a layer of authority mixed with concern, like a teacher or parent. It's the go-to for firm but not harsh instructions.
Another style: いやだ (No! I don't want to!) is a plain, childlike refusal. Its simplicity carries deep emotion. In modern Japanese, you'd hear やだ in casual settings among friends.
- Plain imperative (働け、逃げろ) → strong, often male, commands; can sound arrogant or angry.
- なさい form (逃げなさい、食べなさい) → gentle command; common from elders or in supportive situations.
- ～て (Work fast! → 早く働いて) → casual request; softer than imperative.
- ～と conditional for warnings: 怠けると… (if you're lazy, …). Structure: [plain action] + と + [consequence].
You've just experienced a powerful tale, but more importantly, you've added some real-world Japanese to your arsenal. The phrases here-offering comfort, making a promise, or refusing to give up-are daily tools.
Now, experiment. The next time a friend is down, try 大丈夫、きっとうまくいくよ (It's okay; it'll work out). When you need to gently push someone, a warm ～なさい (like がんばりなさい) with a smile can work wonders. And if you make a mistake, ～ちゃった／～でしまった (oops, I did it) adds that human touch.
- Write a short encouraging message to an imaginary friend using ～なさい or ～てあげる.
- Turn a direct command ("Finish this!") into a softer request using ～なさい, then into a casual request with ～て.
- Watch for ～てしまう in anime or dramas-it's everywhere once you start listening for it.
山椒大夫 comes from the Japanese / Mori Ōgai tradition and is best known as a historical short story. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on Mori Ōgai, 1915; 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. Sad/violent; older learners only.
If you want to look into the source tradition, start with Wikisource.
If you want to keep going, browse more in our Japanese section and review the Geography Vocabulary in Japanese. After that, try JLPT N3 Japanese Grammar for another useful next step.
