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。
No matter how many times I come here, I always 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 the floorboards, there's a small mechanism that makes a sound when you step on them. All the corridors in the castle are built this way, so no one can approach without being noticed.
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 ninjas 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, this is my fourth time here, so 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 pretty much covered this area. So, how about 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. I'd love to go! Want to come with me?
あ、明日授業ないし、行こう、行こう！
Oh, we don't have classes tomorrow, so 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, maybe today wasn't the best day to go... I don't know.
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, and then just a short ferry ride. It'll definitely clear up by lunchtime.
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。
They think you have 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 actually do have some crackers. Ah, they're chewing on my clothes! Hey, 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。
It's still raining, and the tide is out. I didn't think this through... I bet it's just mud under the torii gate instead of the beautiful sea.
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！
Oh, stop complaining! Let's shelter from the rain in that big building over there!
ここ、何？お寺みたいだけど、中、何もないね。
What is this place? It 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. It's actually unfinished. I forgot why, but apparently it's been like this for hundreds of years. People seem to really like it here.
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 has let up a bit. Let's go see the torii gate. But the ground is so muddy...
見て見て！手伸ばしたら届くよ、触れる！
Look, look! If you reach out, 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 should we do next? We could get some 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! I heard the view from the top 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？
Looks like the ropeway is closed. I wonder why. But it says here it's a two-hour walk. Shall we hike up?
うん、行こう、行こう。上の景色、本当にきれいだから。
Yeah, let's do it! The view from the top is really 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。
Haha, we 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 has been such a wonderful day. I'm so glad we came, really!