Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

PortraitAuthor: Watanabe On

Original Title	絵姿
Author	渡辺温
Genre	Modern Short Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In the glittering heart of London’s elite, a haunting portrait binds three lives in a web of beauty and decay. Dorian Gray, a youth of ethereal allure, becomes the muse of painter Basil Hallward, whose masterpiece captures not just his form but an uncanny vitality. Yet when the cynical Lord Henry Wotton whispers seductive philosophies—urging Dorian to chase pleasure and defy morality—the young man makes a desperate wish: to trade his soul for eternal youth, leaving the portrait to bear the scars of time and sin. \nAs Dorian plunges into a world of decadence, his charm masks a growing darkness. A tragic romance with an innocent actress ends in ruin, while the portrait’s twisted visage mirrors his hidden corruption. Whispers of scandal follow him through opium dens and shadowed streets, yet his face remains untouched by age or guilt. But when a vengeful figure from his past emerges and the painting’s grotesque transformation becomes unbearable, Dorian confronts a chilling truth: no lavish sin or fleeting redemption can escape the judgment etched in brushstrokes. \nA tale of vanity’s peril and conscience’s curse unfolds, where beauty veils rot and every indulgence leaves a mark—not on flesh, but on the soul.