Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

One DayAuthor: Miyamoto Yuriko

Original Title	或る日
Author	宮本百合子
Genre	Modern Short Fiction
Author Type	Female Author
Summary	On a restless Christmas morning, a bedridden man’s frayed nerves lead him to dismiss Ren, the elderly maid whose grating habits—a shrill voice and repetitive replies—exasperate him. His wife, Saho, conceals her disappointment over missed festivities, her quiet resentment simmering beneath maternal doting. Seeking respite, they hire Chiyo, a strikingly beautiful but enigmatic young woman whose delicate demeanor masks incompetence. Clad in ornate silks, she drifts through chores with performative grace, her hands idle and stories of a tragic past tinged with ambiguity. The couple’s initial amusement curdles into unease as her presence disrupts their fragile domestic balance. Tensions mount—Saho’s patience frays, her husband’s irritation reignites—until Chiyo’s inevitable dismissal leaves them adrift once more. As winter sunlight filters through empty rooms, they reconcile with their hasty decisions, reluctantly summoning Ren back. Yet beneath the surface, unspoken regrets linger: a marriage strained by pride, fleeting attempts at control, and the haunting quiet of a home where harmony remains just out of reach.