Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

Tale of Pure PovertyAuthor: Dazai Osamu

Original Title	清貧譚
Author	太宰治
Genre	Modern Short Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In Edo’s Mukōjima, a penniless man named Saishinosuke lives solely for his chrysanthemums, sacrificing all to cultivate rare blooms. Returning from a journey with prized seedlings, he encounters a enigmatic boy and his sister traveling to Edo. Drawn by their cryptic charm, Saishinosuke impulsively invites them to his ramshackle home, where their uncanny skill revives his trampled garden overnight. The siblings—refined yet secretive—propose growing flowers for profit, clashing with Saishinosuke’s rigid ideals of artistic purity. As rivalry blooms into uneasy partnership, their bond deepens amid debates over pride, survival, and the soul of their craft. Yet whispers of strangeness linger: vanishing horses, miraculous horticulture, and a sister whose pale beauty seems otherworldly. When a drunken revelation unravels their true nature, Saishinosuke faces a choice between cherished principles and an affection that transcends humanity. Blending folklore and longing, this tale weaves delicate tension between earthly struggle and ethereal grace, where love and flowers flourish in soil tinged with magic.