Japanese by Example
Learning through examples in manga

Skilled mirror maker with 職人

Vocabulary Explanation: Skilled artisan with 職人

Manga panel from 怪盗セイント・テール showing example of Skilled mirror maker with 職人.
怪盗セイント・テール » Volume 3 » Page 148

Following the theft of the Mirror of Queen Rosa, Sawatari writes an article for the school paper accusing Saint Tail. As Asuka Jr. demands proof from Sawatari, a notification appears from Saint Tail, announcing her intent to steal the stolen mirror. Later, Asuka Jr. goes to Sawatari to learn about the mirror’s backstory.

佐渡(さわたり):
「そのむかしローザ王女(おうじょ)は街(まち)の鏡(かがみ)職人(しょくにん)の若者(わかもの)と恋(こい)におちたんだ」
“Long ago, Princess Rosa fell in love with a young mirror maker from the town.”

Key Points

  1. 職人(しょくにん) means a skilled craftsperson here

    • 職人(しょくにん) does not just mean “worker”; it means a trained artisan with a specialized craft

    • 鏡(かがみ)職人(しょくにん) means a person whose trade is making mirrors, so mirror maker is the most natural gloss in this scene

  2. 街(まち)の鏡(かがみ)職人(しょくにん)の若者(わかもの) is one long noun phrase

    • The sentence describes one person: a young man who is a mirror artisan from the town

    • The core statement is ローザ王女(おうじょ)は … 若者(わかもの)と 恋(こい)におちた

  3. そのむかし and んだ give it a story-telling tone

    • そのむかし means long ago and immediately gives the line a fairy-tale or legend-like opening.

    • The ending おちたんだ is おちた + のだ in casual speech. Here it adds an explanatory, narrative tone, like the speaker is telling the backstory.