Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

Journey to IzuAuthor: Shimazaki Tōson

Original Title	伊豆の旅
Author	島崎藤村
Genre	Modern Short Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	Four travelers embark on a contemplative journey through Izu’s rugged terrain, where biting winds and steaming hot springs frame their passage. Fleeting encounters with villagers, innkeepers, and fellow wanderers punctuate their days—moments of warmth amid the chill of mountain paths and coastal roads. From the frostbitten ascent of Mount Amagi to the sunlit rapeseed fields of Yugano, the landscape shifts like a living companion, revealing both harshness and quiet beauty. The group’s camaraderie deepens through shared discomforts: scalding baths, tough mountain fowl, and nights huddled around braziers. Yet beneath their laughter lies an unspoken awareness of life’s fragility—whispers of mortality in shadowed valleys and lighthouse cliffs. As they drift from rustic Yugashima to Shimoda’s misty port, the travelers straddle worlds: urban nostalgia clings to them like train-soot, while unfamiliar customs and untamed nature pull them into the unknown. A delicate tension lingers—between wanderlust and homesickness, transience and connection—as Izu’s essence etches itself into their fleeting footsteps.