Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

Wood ScrewAuthor: Unno Juza

Original Title	もくねじ
Author	海野十三
Genre	Modern Short Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	A gleaming brass wood screw brims with pride upon its creation, destined for greatness as part of Japan’s international broadcast machinery. Crafted with care and praised for its radiant beauty, it dreams of contributing to a noble cause during wartime. But when a hidden defect—uneven spirals and a chipped head—is discovered by a meticulous technician, its hopes shatter. Cast aside as useless, the screw’s despair deepens until a distracted worker carelessly installs it into the very machine it longed to serve. For a fleeting moment, it clings to purpose, vibrating with the hum of global transmissions. Yet its flawed design proves fatal: violent tremors during installation send it tumbling into obscurity. Rusted and discarded in a landfill, it faces humiliation until an unexpected act of compassion offers a chance for rebirth. Through anguish and fleeting triumph, this small protagonist’s journey mirrors profound questions of worth, fate, and redemption—all unseen by human eyes.