Pathway to Japanese Literature
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The Konnyaku ManuscriptAuthor: Izumi Kyoka
| Original Title | 菎蒻本 |
|---|---|
| Author | 泉 鏡花 |
| Genre | Fantasy & Sci-Fi |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In a Tokyo gripped by relentless winds and whispered fears of arson, a gaunt, spectral figure named Shindo Nobukazu haunts temple grounds, pleading for charred candle remnants. His obsession draws suspicion from a brash investigator and a wary priest, but Shindo’s desperation runs deeper than petty theft. Drawn into the shadowed world of Kikyoya brothel, he encounters Shiratsuyu—a courtesan whose ethereal beauty masks a chilling fixation. She collects sacred candles like relics, deciphering their origins through scent and ash, her allure intertwined with wax and flame. Their nights blur into a feverish dance of devotion, lit by flickering wicks that cast more than light: shadows of madness creep as Shindo’s reality unravels. Between whispered confessions and wax-stained tears, Tokyo’s fires burn ever closer, threatening to consume not just the city but the fragile line between reverence and ruin. What begins as obsession spirals into a haunting waltz with forces darker than either can extinguish. |
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