Pathway to Japanese Literature
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The Magic JarAuthor: Izumi Kyoka
| Original Title | 魔法罎 |
|---|---|
| Author | 泉 鏡花 |
| Genre | Popular Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | A solitary traveler journeys through Shinano’s autumn mountains, where nature’s palette blazes in surreal splendor: valleys draped in brocade foliage, rivers shimmering like mercury, and pampas grass glowing spectral white under moonlight. Entranced by the kaleidoscopic vistas from his train window—crimson maples, mist-veiled peaks, and frost-kissed gentians—he alights at Obasute Station, a remote outpost steeped in ethereal beauty. Here, whispers of mountain spirits and phantom traces linger in the air, as station attendants speak cryptically of snow-clad transformations and moonlit legends. \nThe journey grows haunting as the train plunges into an endless tunnel, choking with coal smoke and visions: two disheveled women, their vibrant kimonos clashing with pallid faces, appear like apparitions. A burly hunter, laden with game and a mysterious jar, adds to the uncanny atmosphere. Arriving at a lakeside inn, the traveler navigates shadowed corridors where reality blurs—echoes of spinning wheels, spectral birds, and a beckoning figure in steam suggest a world where beauty and unease intertwine. \nLyrical and dreamlike, this tale weaves nature’s grandeur with whispers of the supernatural, inviting readers into a realm where every crimson leaf and moonlit ripple hints at unseen mysteries. |
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