Pathway to Japanese Literature

Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.

Lord Tadanao's ChronicleAuthor: Kikuchi Kan

Original Title	忠直卿行状記
Author	菊池寛
Genre	Historical Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In the shadow of feudal Japan’s power struggles, a young lord’s brilliance and hubris collide. Lord Tadanao, heir to a mighty domain, rides the high of battlefield glory, hailed as “Japan’s Fan Kuai” for his ruthless valor in toppling Osaka Castle. Yet beneath his triumphs lies a fragile ego, nurtured by sycophants and unchallenged authority. When whispers of deceit among his retainers shatter his illusions of invincibility, Tadanao’s world fractures. Obsessed with unmasking truth, he descends into paranoia, wielding cruelty as a weapon against perceived betrayals. His court becomes a theater of violence—spear duels to the death, reckless hunts, and twisted games of dominance—as loyalty curdles into fear. But power’s isolation gnaws deeper than any blade. Once a golden scion of the Tokugawa lineage, Tadanao’s unraveling threatens not just his legacy but the very souls bound to him. Can a man bred to command ever escape the gilded cage of his own making? A searing portrait of ambition’s cost unfolds, where honor and madness dance on the edge of a sword.