Pathway to Japanese Literature
Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.
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| Original Title | 妻の日記 |
|---|---|
| Author | 岸田 国士 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In the wake of profound loss, a grieving husband uncovers fragments of his late wife’s private diaries, revealing a life quietly shaped by duty and unspoken yearnings. Set against Japan’s shifting social landscape from Taisho to wartime Showa, their marriage—marked by late union and unspoken compromises—unfolds through her fragmented musings: youthful dreams of grand voyages clash with the minutiae of household management, while wartime anxieties mingle with tender reflections on motherhood. As he pieces together her inner world—her struggles with self-worth, unvoiced loneliness, and relentless efforts to harmonize intellectual aspirations with domestic expectations—he confronts the weight of her silent sacrifices. Her writings expose not just a personal history but a generational portrait of women navigating societal upheaval, their identities tethered to roles as wives and mothers. Through her words, he grapples with questions of fulfillment, tradition, and the invisible labor that sustained their family—a poignant meditation on love’s quiet endurance and the cost of unacknowledged devotion. |
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