Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

BodyAuthor: Yokomitsu Riichi

Original Title	御身
Author	横光利一
Genre	Modern Short Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In a quiet household, a young man named Suetsuo navigates the complexities of newfound unclehood when his sister Orika announces her pregnancy. Initially awkward yet hopeful, he grapples with protective instincts during her pregnancy, fearing unseen dangers. The birth of his niece Sachiko fills him with joy, but fragile infancy—marked by health scares like a perilous navel and a vaccination mishap—fuels his anxieties. As Sachiko grows, Suetsuo’s affection deepens into an obsessive tenderness, clashing with her persistent wariness toward him. His attempts to bond oscillate between playful desperation and quiet despair, revealing a poignant struggle between love and rejection. Set against rural landscapes and familial tensions, this tale explores the bittersweet ache of unreciprocated devotion, where every small triumph is shadowed by vulnerability. Suetsuo’s journey—marked by laughter, frustration, and silent yearning—paints a haunting portrait of love’s fragility in the face of life’s unpredictability.