Pathway to Japanese Literature
Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.
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| Original Title | 南蛮寺門前 |
|---|---|
| Author | 木下 杢太郎 |
| Genre | Fantasy & Sci-Fi |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In twilight Kyoto, Nanban Temple’s shadowed gate looms—a nexus of whispers and dread. Pilgrims pause at its threshold, unnerved by crows flocking to its glowing eaves and children’s taunts of a monstrous abbot within. A blind sister hears phantom waves; her sibling spies impossible visions through cracked doors. Meanwhile, young Tsunemaru vanishes into the temple’s maw, lured by tales of winged fish and a land where the dead dwell. His mother’s panic ignites a gathering storm: monks clash over heresy and enlightenment, a disguised missionary preaches paradise, and an old samurai’s blade spills blood in defense of tradition. Strange music swells from within—hymns meld with dissonant chants as the gate seals shut, trapping seekers in its enigma. Beneath autumn’s crimson sky, faiths collide and realities warp, beckoning the bold to unravel Nanban’s secrets—where salvation and damnation blur like twilight itself. |
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