Welcome to the Week 2 
国宝 (上) Book Club !
Start Date: 2025-11-20T15:00:00Z
国宝 (上) Reading Book Home Thread
| Week | Start Date | Pages | No. of Pages | % | Chapter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | November 15 | 9–47 | 39 pages | 11% | Ch 1 |
| Week 2 | November 22 | 48–86 | 39 pages | 21% | Ch 2 |
| Week 3 | November 29 | 87–126 | 40 pages | 30% | Ch 3 |
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All Dialect vocab/Yakuza slang from chapter 2:
い-adjectives end with か instead of い. (さむい＝さむか ; ～ない ＝～なか)
～たい＝だよ
なんしよっとや？= なにしている
そげん＝そんなに
こげん＝こんなに
げな= そうだ
シマ＝島＝ turf (not worth knowing, it appears twice in this book)
This chapter was awesome!
(It was definitely easier than Ch.1. But, Ch.3 will be tad bit more difficult than Ch.2)
The author really knows how to play with our expectations. Just like 徳次, we fall for the “I won’t avenge my father” trap, so when it actually happened, my jaw dropped.
One thing to note, 喜久雄’s tattoo isn’t finished 
. This marks him as Yakuza, but not a fully-fledged one. So, will he finish the tatoo and embrace his yakuza lineage?!
Also, I didn’t expect 喜久雄 to betray 徳次! My theory is that he did it to join him after his revenge lmao. I had to interpret it this way, because I didn’t want 喜久雄 to be a bad guy 
I’m super excited to know what’s going to happen next!!
権五郎’s last moments. For such a well-respected and loved man, dying alone is tragic.
喜久雄はまじまじと権五郎の顔を見つめました。自分の父親が死ぬことが全く悲しくありませんでした。ただ、自分の父親が何かに負けて人生を終えることが悔しくて、涙があふれてまいります。
容態を急変させた権五郎が亡くなるのはこの六時間後のことで、その四十一年の賑やかだった生涯の終わりを、結局、誰もいない病室で迎えたそうでございます。
マツ and 千代子’s relationship (千代子 =喜久雄’s mother)
（喜久雄が）こっそりとマツのあとについて行ったものか、もう会えなくなるからとマツに抱かれて行ったものか、その記憶のなか、苦しそうな千代子の背中を摩りながら、マツはこう話しかけているのであります。
「千代子さん、頑張らんば。せっかく原爆にも負けずに生き残ったとよ。病気なんかに負けてどうするね」と。
Definitely ! When the knife was mentioned, I thought it was just payback for 尾崎… now, is 尾崎 on the payroll for the 宮地 clan ? And what was that at the end ? Quite the cliffhanger !
Ooh… I hadn’t thought of that !
My first thought while reading was that he intended to run away and join the circus kabuki troupe
And this, at the end : 人生には勝つときもあれば、負けるときもございます。それは十五の喜久雄にとても分かっております。ただ、自分の父親がその人生の最後を負けで終わるなど、到底、息子には我慢ならないことなのでございます。
I have a question for you : when talking about 辰’s previous life, the author uses 鳶 and 鳶職. How did you understand that ? In the literal, usual way for humans (construction worker, or in the less literal meaning of thief (though I’m not sure 鳶職 has this meaning). Or a little voluntary ambiguity ? It’s nice touch to see real, animal 鳶 showing up at the end (at least it helps with practicing the kanji !)
I’m really looking forward to next week !
There’s also シノギ (gang money maker) right after シマ
The author really made it look like he was going for 尾崎! I feel like he always plays with our expectations, in the best and worst ways possible haha.
Also, since I’ve been watching some Kabuki for some chapters, I can say pretty confidently that the way narration is written sounds exactly like 口上. (when an actor explains with a kabuki voice and in very formal Japanese the play that’s going to start, or when introducing name succession (襲名), etc.)
Omg yes! I’m adding it asap.
The 漢検漢字辞典 defines 鳶職 as:
①土木・建築工事で高い所の仕事を専門にする人。とび。
And 鳶 as:
③「鳶口」「鳶職」の略。
So 鳶 is a contraction of 鳶職. And, 鳶職 only means “(high-altitude) construction worker” (no mention of “thief”)
I didn’t expect 鳶 to actually appear at the end 
. I guess they were a symbol of 喜久雄’s mindset as a “predator”
I’m so excited to read next week comments!
