Pathway to Japanese Literature

← Back

• View English Version
• View Japanese Version

Original Title	水甕
Author	豊島 与志雄
Genre	Modern Short Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In post-WWII Tokyo, demobilized soldier Niki Sanjuro battles an inner war. Outwardly sullen, he harbors a terrifying inner void, a 'free realm' threatening eruption, suppressing a dangerous martial art while viewing society with contempt. As his beloved cat vanishes and the city's 'Revival Festival' grates on him, Niki's control frays. A drunken brawl, a violent outburst, and a terrifying realization of unchecked power shatter his reality. He moves through crowds with unnerving ease, haunted by the chilling question: *What will he do next?* Desperate to contain the unknown force stirring within him, Niki retreats into an absurdly large, overturned water jar—a desperate act of self-confinement. Is this refuge, or merely the threshold of a terrifying descent into madness?