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Herring Fishing GroundAuthor: Shimaki Kensaku
| Original Title | 鰊漁場 |
|---|---|
| Author | 島木 健作 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In a snowbound Hokkaido town, Genkichi—a destitute tenant farmer—staggers toward a herring fishery, his boots frayed and stomach hollow. Desperation drives him: he’s gambled away his family’s last rice reserves, abandoning them to starvation. The fishery offers meager hope, but contracts are sealed months in advance. Through lies and grit, he secures work, only to face brutal labor—bone-chilling nights hauling nets, fish stench clinging to his skin, and bosses who value lives at thirty yen apiece. Amid backbreaking toil, he meets Yamamoto, a weathered fisherman whose quiet defiance sparks rebellion. When rumors spread that annual bonuses will be withheld, Yamamoto rallies the men to confront their exploitative employer, revealing a fragile solidarity among the oppressed. Genkichi’s journey—from shame-fueled rage to dawning class consciousness—unfolds against a stark landscape where winter’s thaw mirrors simmering unrest. But as seasons shift, so do loyalties: will collective action ignite change, or will the tides of greed drown their resolve? |
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