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Honshu Crossing: An Irritable Walking JourneyAuthor: Oshikawa Shunrō
| Original Title | 本州横断 癇癪徒歩旅行 |
|---|---|
| Author | 押川 春浪 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In the sweltering summer of early 20th-century Japan, a band of spirited travelers embarks on an audacious trek across Honshu’s untamed heart. Led by a convalescing narrator and a boisterous “Bearded General,” the group—a painter, a photographer, and a reporter among them—braves tempests, landslides, and searing heat, driven by disdain for indolence and a thirst for adventure. Their journey begins under an ill omen: a droplet of blood materializes mysteriously, hinting at unseen perils. \nAs they traverse remote mountains and flooded valleys, they clash with apathetic villagers, conniving boatmen, and feeble porters whose greed and lethargy mirror societal decay. Nights bring eerie encounters—a tent fire, an abandoned shrine haunted by a gargantuan Tengu mask, and tremors shaking their resolve. The travelers’ camaraderie is tested by grueling races up vertiginous slopes and desperate scrambles for water, their endurance fueled by sweat-soaked rice balls and bitter shochu. \nAmidst breathtaking vistas and absurd misadventures, the expedition becomes a metaphor for a nation grappling with modernity’s discontents—a tale of resilience against nature’s wrath and human frailty, where every step pulses with danger, humor, and the unyielding spirit of exploration. |
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