Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

Return to the HomelandAuthor: Tayama Katai

Original Title	帰国
Author	田山花袋
Genre	Modern Short Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	A band of wanderers traverses Japan’s rugged mountains, bound by ancient customs and survival. Led by Hirakō, a one-eyed craftsman, and his wife Hibuki, the group carves woodenware to trade in remote villages, stealing when necessary. Their lives are shaped by frost-laden winds, makeshift tents, and fleeting encounters with wary villagers who whisper warnings about their “cursed” existence. As winter nears, they inch closer to their secret homeland—a place of ancestral rites and marriages—where scattered kin reunite annually. Along treacherous paths, they merge with other nomadic bands: elders bearing mortuary tablets, young couples dreaming of partnerships, and restless souls like Jōkō, whose reckless choices risk exposing them all. Whispers of police raids, forbidden romances, and whispered legends haunt their journey. Yet beneath the hardship lies camaraderie—shared feasts under starlit skies, laughter echoing through valleys, and the unyielding pull of tradition. With the sea glinting on the horizon and migratory birds overhead, their destination nears—a sanctuary where buried histories and new alliances await. But as storms gather and tensions rise, the mountains test their resolve, demanding sacrifices as old as their bloodline.