Pathway to Japanese Literature
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Row of TreesAuthor: Shimazaki Tōson
| Original Title | 並木 |
|---|---|
| Author | 島崎 藤村 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In the heart of a rapidly modernizing Tokyo, Aikawa, a weary office worker nearing forty, grapples with the monotony of translating foreign documents in a stifling corporate labyrinth. Bound by duty to support his aging mother, he stifles his restless spirit, haunted by the sense of a life slipping into obscurity. When his old friend Hara arrives from rural Kanazawa—a man equally adrift yet clinging to nostalgic dreams of pastoral simplicity—their reunion becomes a mirror reflecting shared disillusionment. As they wander Hibiya Park’s tree-lined paths, their conversations drift between memories of youth and the jarring transformations around them: towering buildings, bustling crowds, and a society surging toward an uncertain future. Aikawa’s simmering ambitions—to teach, publish, or break free—clash with Hara’s tentative plans for a quiet library life, both men confronting the weight of time and unfulfilled potential. Amidst sweltering August heat and fleeting encounters with vibrant youth, their introspection unveils a poignant struggle to reconcile fading ideals with a world leaving them behind. |
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