Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

NobukoAuthor: Miyamoto Yuriko

Original Title	伸子
Author	宮本百合子
Genre	Modern Short Fiction
Author Type	Female Author
Summary	In 1918 New York, Nobuko navigates a transient life alongside her father Sasa, a pragmatic businessman consumed by work. Their days intertwine with Tsukuda Ichirou, a reserved scholar of ancient languages whose quiet intensity intrigues Nobuko. Amidst the cacophony of post-war celebrations—false armistice rumors, drunken revelries, and burning effigies—Nobuko grapples with her own restless curiosity. Tsukuda’s world of arcane texts and stoic solitude contrasts sharply with her father’s bustling pragmatism, drawing her into unspoken questions about purpose and connection. As Sasa’s impending return to Japan looms, Nobuko faces uncertain independence in a city both exhilarating and alienating. Through chance encounters and hushed conversations, fragments of Tsukuda’s past—orphaned childhood, years of scholarly isolation—hint at depths neither can fully articulate. Against a backdrop of global upheaval and personal crossroads, their tentative bond becomes a quiet rebellion against loneliness, illuminating the fragile bridges between ambition, heritage, and the yearning to be understood.