Pathway to Japanese Literature
Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.
← Back
Even a Small FlowerAuthor: Toyoshima Yoshio
| Original Title | 小さき花にも |
|---|---|
| Author | 豊島 与志雄 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In a quiet neighborhood shadowed by ancient gingko trees, a family navigates postwar hardships with resilience and quiet desperation. Kikuko’s household thrives on routine: her mother’s needlework, her sister’s sewing machine, and the ceaseless chatter of sparrows that mark their mornings and evenings. Their fragile equilibrium is disrupted by Mr. Tezuka, a boarder convalescing from illness, whose tangled affections for both sisters simmer beneath surface propriety. When he confesses unexpected feelings to Kikuko on the eve of his departure, her world fractures—exposing layers of longing, betrayal, and disillusionment. \nKikuko’s encounters beyond home—a chaotic evening with a disillusioned writer and his bohemian circle—deepen her resolve to cling to her virginity as both armor and rebellion against a world she deems morally decayed. Amidst sparrows’ cries and the gnarled cherry tree where secrets bloom, she grapples with purity’s paradox: a fragile flower in a landscape of scarred souls. Yet hope flickers in her defiance—a vow to protect her inner light against encroaching shadows. This is a tale of quiet revolutions, where even the smallest voice yearns to sing unbroken. |
← Return to List← Return to TOP