Reach out and touch it
This is the plain transcript. Open the interactive version → furigana, audio, word-by-word gloss, grammar notes, and take over a role by typing.Aki and Yume are students at Kyoto University. Today they are visiting Nijo Castle, the former shogun palace.
ここ、何度来ても本当にすごいと思う。何回見ても飽きない。
This place — no matter how many times I come, I really think it's amazing. I never get tired of looking at it.
そうでしょ？アキにそんなに気に入ってもらえて嬉しい。
Right? I'm glad you like it so much, Aki.
床板の下に小さな仕掛けがあって、踏むと音が鳴るんです。お城中の廊下がこうなっているので、誰も気付かれずに近づくことはできないんですよ。
Under each floor plank there's a small mechanism — when you step on one, it makes a sound. All the corridors in the castle are built this way, so no one can approach without being heard.
あの、すみません。天井のあの穴は、何のためにあるんですか？
Um, excuse me. What's that opening in the ceiling for?
ああ、それはですね…忍者が天井から入ってくるためです。床は踏めませんからね。
Ah, that — well… that's for the ninja to enter through. They can't step on the floor, you see.
いやー、本当によかった。でも実はここに来るのは四回目でさ、そろそろ日本のほかの場所も見てみたいんだよね。
Yeah, that was really great. But actually it's my fourth time here — I'm starting to want to see other parts of Japan too.
奈良も姫路も、この辺はもう一通り回ったよね。じゃあ、宮島は？もう行ったことある？
Nara, Himeji — you've made the rounds of this area already. So, Miyajima? Have you been there yet?
まだなんだ。すごく行ってみたい！一緒に行かない？
Not yet, actually. I really want to go! Want to come with me?
あ、明日授業ないし、行こう、行こう！
Oh, we've got no classes tomorrow — let's go, let's go!
The next morning. Heavy rain, low cloud sitting over Kyoto's hills. They're on the platform at Kyoto station, waiting for the shinkansen to Hiroshima.
うーん、日が悪かったかな…どうだろう。
Hmm, was today a bad day to go… I dunno.
大丈夫、大丈夫。電車で二時間あって、そのあと船で少しだけだから、お昼までにはきっと晴れるよ。
It'll be fine, it'll be fine. We've got two hours on the train, then just a short ride by boat — by lunch it'll definitely clear up.
Stepping off the ferry, the island is full of deer. Two come close, sniffing at Aki's sleeve.
あの子たち、食べ物持ってると思ってるよ。
Those little ones think you've got food.
確かに持ってる、せんべい。あ、服かじってる！もう、あっち行って！
I do have food — senbei. Ah, they're chewing my clothes! Go away!
まだ雨だし、潮も引いてる。ちゃんと考えてなかったな…。鳥居の下、綺麗な海じゃなくて泥なんだろうな。
Still raining, and the tide's out. I didn't think this through… Under the torii — mud instead of beautiful sea, I bet.
もう、ぐちぐち言わないで！あの大きい建物で雨宿りしよう！
Come on, stop grumbling! Let's shelter from the rain in that big building!
ここ、何？お寺みたいだけど、中、何もないね。
What's this place? Looks like a temple, but there's nothing inside.
千畳閣だよ。実は未完成なんだ。理由は忘れちゃったけど、もう何百年もこのままなんだって。みんな好きみたい、これ。
It's Senjokaku. Actually unfinished. I forget the reason, but apparently it's been like this for hundreds of years already. People love it, this place.
雨、ちょっと弱くなったね。鳥居まで行ってみよう。でも下、ぐちゃぐちゃだなあ…
The rain's eased up a bit. Let's try going to the torii. But the ground… it's all squelchy.
見て見て！手伸ばしたら届くよ、触れる！
Look, look! If you reach out, you can reach it — you can touch it!
これからどうする？ここで海鮮食べてもいいし、山に登ってもいいよ。ロープウェイあるし。
What do we do next? We could eat seafood here, or head up the mountain. There's a ropeway.
行こう！上からの景色めっちゃすごいんだって。広島も湾全体も見えるよ！
Let's go! Apparently the view from up there is incredible. You can see Hiroshima and the whole bay!
ロープウェイ、閉まってるみたい。なんでだろう。でもここに、徒歩で二時間って書いてあるよ。歩いて登ろうか？
The ropeway looks like it's closed. I wonder why. But it says here, two hours on foot. Shall we hike?
うん、行こう、行こう。上の景色、本当にきれいだから。
Yeah, let's go, let's go. The view up there really is beautiful.
Two hours later. They reach the summit of Mt. Misen. The clouds have closed in completely. White in every direction. No view. They're alone on the wet wooden viewing platform.
あはは、何も見えない！だからロープウェイ閉まってたんだね。
Ahaha, can't see a thing! So *that's* why the ropeway was closed.
ユメ、今日本当に素敵な一日だったね。来てよかったよ、ほんとに！
Yume, today's really been a beautiful day. I'm so glad we came — really.