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'Hama-giku'Author: Itō Sachio
| Original Title | 浜菊 |
|---|---|
| Author | 伊藤 左千夫 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | A weary traveler arrives at Kashiwazaki Station on a pitch-dark night, disoriented by the oppressive silence and shadows swallowing fellow passengers. Reluctantly accepting a rickshaw ride from a gaunt, sorrowful driver, he reaches the home of Okamura, an old friend whose once-warm hospitality has curdled into detached formality. The house feels alien—meals served without warmth, conversations laced with icy politeness, and Okamura’s youthful passion replaced by the hollow routines of domestic life. Amidst stifling discomfort, the traveler’s thoughts fixate on Oshige, Okamura’s spirited sister, whose absence haunts every awkward exchange. Memories of her vibrant presence during past visits clash with the chilling reality of her unexplained disappearance. As dawn breaks, unresolved tensions and unspoken regrets linger like the distant roar of ocean waves, leaving the traveler to flee this unwelcoming refuge, questioning the fragility of old bonds and the shadows cast by time’s passage. |
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