Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

Mars ExpeditionAuthor: Unno Juza

Original Title	火星探険
Author	海野十三
Genre	Fantasy & Sci-Fi
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	Two adventurous boys, Yamagi and Kawai, eagerly anticipate a summer road trip to the Grand Canyon, boasting to friends about their "splendid" vehicle—a secret they guard closely. Their excitement is tinged with anxiety: their car is a dilapidated milk truck, barely functional after frantic repairs. When persistent friends Zhang and Ned beg to join, the boys refuse, fearing embarrassment over their rickety ride. But Zhang’s eerie prophecy—disaster within two days—haunts them. Ignoring warnings, they depart in their patched-up truck, only to face chaos: a reckless chase leads to a cliffside crash, forcing them to rescue Zhang and Ned. Stranded with injuries and dwindling supplies, the group improvises, staging a fortune-telling sideshow to fund their journey. Amid laughter and mishaps, tensions rise as they navigate unreliable prophecies, quirky townsfolk, and a mysterious scientist obsessed with Mars. Resourceful yet reckless, the boys’ bond is tested as their grand adventure spirals into unpredictable territory, where every mile brings new risks—and the looming question of whether they’ll reach the Canyon at all.