Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

ChickenAuthor: Mori Ōgai

Original Title	鶏
Author	森鴎外
Genre	Historical Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In a rain-soaked military town, Major Ishida Kosuke arrives at his new post in Kokura, navigating the rituals of formal greetings and austere living with disciplined precision. Settling into a weathered rental house surrounded by oleanders and crape myrtles, he adopts a rooster gifted by a former subordinate—a gesture that unwittingly disrupts the fragile order of his household. The bird’s presence exposes quiet tensions: a scheming groom manipulates provisions, a resentful neighbor rails against trespassing poultry, and maids come and go under Ishida’s detached scrutiny. Yet the Major remains unflappable, adhering to strict routines—scrubbing with imported soap, refusing gifts, and tolerating petty thefts with bemused indifference. As monsoon humidity thickens, so do undercurrents of deception among his staff, their small rebellions clashing against Ishida’s rigid principles. Through vivid glimpses of brothel quarters, spinning wheels, and Bon festival lanterns, Kokura emerges as a place where tradition and ambition simmer beneath the surface, hinting at unspoken conflicts yet to unravel in the Major’s meticulously controlled world.