Pathway to Japanese Literature

Departure of the Doctor Search Party

On October 10, Meiji 40 (1907), every copy of the Tokyo newspaper first caught readers' eyes with a front-page headline in bold typeface: "Love-Rival Airships' Lunar Expedition," followed in the body by an unprecedented article filled with medium-sized text as follows. "It has likely not yet faded from readers' memories that approximately six months prior—specifically on May 1 of this year—Dr. Shinoyama, professor at Tokyo Imperial University, departed our Earth aboard an airship of his own invention for lunar exploration, accompanied by one assistant. Yet from that day to this, not a single piece of news has been received from the doctor. Some even speculated that due to defects in the airship, he may have perished mid-journey without achieving his aims—sacrificing his life for research. As wild conjectures spread, his associates worried night and day, but none suffered more pitifully than his beloved daughter Tsukiko. Bereft of her mother in childhood, the young lady had relied solely on her father as her pillar between heaven and earth. Confronted now by this unforeseen calamity, her grief knew no bounds: through sunlit days and starless nights she wept herself hoarse with concern for him, until even her blossom-shaming beauty withered like flowers scattered before midnight tempests." Unable to bear silently witnessing her plight, there were two young gentlemen who staked their lives to ascertain the doctor’s fate, proposing to the young lady that should fortune favor their quest, she would entrust herself to whoever succeeded. The first was Baron Akiyama; the other was a young gentleman named Yunii Fumihiko, a distant relative of the doctor. Both had deeply set their hearts on the young lady and confessed all that was in their breasts even before the doctor’s departure, yet she, bound by both men’s affections, found herself unable to choose between them. Now, faced with this proposal from the two suitors, the filial young lady finally accepted their terms. Thus resolved to risk their lives, the two men would set out today at precisely twelve o'clock from Hibiya Park aboard their respective airships, determined to relieve the young lady's sorrow and fulfill their long-cherished desires. “and so on...”

Having read such a novelistic article, the people of the capital, driven by intense curiosity and sympathy, came pouring in from all directions like an avalanche to witness the departure of today’s two brave men, until by around nine o’clock that morning, even that vast park had been completely filled by these crowds.

Around eleven o'clock, Baron Akiyama and Yunii Fumihiko, each accompanied by one servant, arrived slowly by carriage.

After thoroughly inspecting every part of their own airships, bowing to the seeing-off crowd, and entering inside, they waited calmly for the signal cannon to sound.

The audience all held their breath and gazed intently. At last, when the clock's long and short hands aligned to point at twelve, a cannon shot roared from atop the music hall. No sooner had this happened than the airship, spreading its wings like a great eagle, gradually began to ascend. “Hooray?!!” “Celebrating Baron Akiyama’s success.” “Long live Mr. Yunii Fumihiko※(!!!)”

A thunderous applause and cheers erupted all at once as they threw their hats and waved handkerchiefs to celebrate their departure. The airship had initially ascended gradually while quietly moving its wings but began accelerating steadily—Baron Akiyama taking an eastern course while Yunii Fumihiko advanced westward. Moment by moment those on the ground dwindled until even the highest mountain peaks disappeared from view, leaving all directions a boundless haze where nothing met the eye but clouds—the two airships themselves now invisible in form and position despite their onward progress.

They passed through the clouds, relying on the compass mounted at the prow, ascending without any clear target.

Arrival at the Lunar Realm

It had been one week since Yunii Fumihiko’s airship had departed Earth. But still, no trace of the moon could be seen. Day after day, all they saw remained unchanged—nothing but pure white clouds, and his servant Tōsuke was gradually beginning to grow anxious, “Young Master, today makes one week since we departed, yet still nothing comes into view. Could it be we’ve mistaken our bearing?” “There’s no way that could happen. As long as we keep heading in this direction, there’s absolutely no way we could be wrong.”

“Still, what has become of Baron Akiyama? Unless I make certain you win this contest, Young Master, this old man won’t rest easy.” “Moreover—first and foremost—they say that Baron Akiyama’s got a wicked nature about him, so they do. I can’t help but worry something dreadful might befall you.”

“There’s no need for such concern. He’s a man of peerage, after all…”

As they were discussing this, Fumihiko noticed something through a break in the clouds. “Oh,” he promptly took out binoculars to look, “The moon! …The moon!”

“Huh? That is... the moon?”

“That’s right. Thank goodness. We’ll arrive in just a few more hours.” “If that be so, may Dr. Shinoyama be safe and present here.”

Before long, the airship’s speed gradually increased, and it began descending as though being drawn toward the moon. Fumihiko, “Apply the brakes fully.”

After ordering Tōsuke to do so, he himself carefully adjusted the voltage regulator while single-mindedly gripping the helm.

Gradually, the ship drew nearer, and the two safely set foot upon the lunar realm.

“Is this what they call the lunar realm, Young Master?” “That’s right.” “Then Master Shinoyama must indeed be present here as well. If only we can find him before that Baron Akiyama does, even a moment sooner—” “Rushing about like you’re doing now won’t help matters. Before anything else, we must first find a suitable location and prepare a place to settle down.”

“I see. That indeed stands to reason.”

Once again boarding the airship, the two now proceeded while skimming close to the ground, and looking down here and there, they saw at the base of a mountain a dense grove through which a single stream flowed. “That spot should do.”

There, they landed the airship, retrieved the pre-prepared tent from within, worked together to set it up at the edge of the grove, disassembled the airship to fold it compactly and store it inside—with this, their initial preparations were complete.

The Tragic State of the Gekkyū-gō

Yunii Fumihiko and his servant Tōsuke shouldered their rifles and set out to search for Dr. Shinoyama.

They crossed fields and mountains, searched everywhere, yet found no trace. Five days passed, then a week—yet still they could discern no bearing.

Both disheartened, they sat down in the shade of a tree, "What could have happened?" "Or perhaps they mistook their bearing along the way and ended up on another star?"

“That may indeed be the case.” “Depending on the circumstances, such a thing may indeed have come to pass.” “But having come this far through such pains, pray endure a little longer and continue your search...”

“Of course, I’m resolved to search until death,” he answered resolutely. “I’m growing rather chilled—might there be anything to make a fire with?” “Well then, I shall go gather some.”

Tōsuke went out and soon returned with an armful of fuel. As they lit it to warm themselves and talked while feeding the pieces one by one into the fire, Fumihiko—distractedly examining the wood he now held—found it unlike anything native to the lunar world; moreover, its surface bore what appeared to be deliberate carvings.

Upon closer inspection, it was an ornament from the airship's cabin—apparently an accessory of Dr. Shinoyama's airship, the Gekkyū-gō.

“Ah!!! There’s a clue!” “Huh?” “Look at this,” he thrust it before Tōsuke’s eyes. “This is an ornament from my uncle’s airship.” “Since this is here, my uncle must have come here without doubt—but with his airship broken, he couldn’t return to Earth and has remained here ever since.” “Thank goodness.” “This is truly heaven’s providence.”

“Then Master Shinoyama must indeed have come here. Let us find his whereabouts without a moment’s delay—” “Even so, since we don’t know our bearings, if we first search the vicinity where this wood was lying, we might find some clearer clue.” Taking Tōsuke ahead, they went to the place where they had gathered firewood earlier, but there was nothing particularly unusual. When they tried to proceed further and passed through the forest beside it, they came upon a somewhat wide clearing.

“Ah! An airship!!!”

“Gekkyū-gō!!!”

The two men involuntarily cried out in their overwhelming astonishment. There lay Dr. Shinoyama’s airship Gekkyū-gō—the pinnacle of Japanese science—tragically shattered into fragments. Tōsuke, upon seeing this sight, cried out loud while weeping, “Young Master, given this state of affairs, Master Shinoyama cannot possibly survive anymore. If we were to report this situation, the young mistress would surely faint in shock and perish.” “Young Master, what should we do?”

“But it’s still too soon to despair like this,” he countered firmly. “True, the airship lies utterly destroyed—but since Uncle remains unseen here, he must surely have found refuge elsewhere in safety.” “Moreover,” he pressed on, “with Assistant Sugita at his side, if neither are present here, they must have taken shelter somewhere nearby.” Steeling himself with renewed resolve, he declared: “Now that we’ve found such a concrete clue at last, our reunion with Uncle can’t be far off.” “Let’s make this final push!”

With that, he himself took the lead and started walking, so Tōsuke finally stopped his tears and followed along.

Eerie Noise in the Cave

By the time they had advanced some three or four ri, the surrounding area was gradually growing dark. “Since it’s already night and we can’t search anymore, let’s camp out somewhere today and start searching early tomorrow morning.” He looked around for a suitable spot, but this area was all barren mountains and fields, with nowhere adequate to shelter from the elements.

Suddenly, Tōsuke—

“Young Master, there is a cave over there.” He shouted, “Let me see.”

When he looked in the direction he pointed, there was a cave at the base of a mountain about a kilometer ahead.

“Let’s spend the night inside there.”

Heading there and entering, they found it was a wider cave than expected, and the back seemed considerably deep. After unloading their luggage and sitting down, they took out biscuits from the leather bag and were eating them when— Strange!!! Strange!!!

A groaning sound came from deep within the cave!!! The two men, startled, exchanged glances—but Tōsuke lowered his voice and—

“What is that sound?” “Not sure.” At first wondering if it was merely an auditory illusion, they strained their ears—and still that groaning sound persisted. In the quiet, damp cave, a feeble, plaintive voice faintly reached them—and the two men shuddered involuntarily.

Fumihiko suddenly grabbed the rifle, loaded it as he stood up, and motioned to Tōsuke.

Tōsuke likewise loaded a bullet and followed after his master. The two men crept toward the source of the sound like cats stalking mice, holding their breath and muffling their footsteps. After advancing a few meters, the path curved to the right.

The groaning indeed leaked from there—they had thought it distant precisely because the voice sounded so faint and feeble. When they reached the base of the jutting boulder, the voice grew clearer still. This was unmistakably human groaning!! Hurrying around the rock, they found a spacious chamber where a lone candle—nearly spent—cast pallid light about its base, illuminating two dark forms lying beneath. The groans came from one shape; that black shadow writhed at intervals while emitting agonized moans.

Fumihiko—what came over him?—threw down the rifle there, rushed to its side, and lit the electric lamp. The surroundings were instantly illuminated in a flash. Lying collapsed were two men in Western-style suits. Fumihiko peered at their faces by the lamplight, but—

“Ah!” With that exclamation, he dropped the lamp there and froze. At this sight, Tōsuke, astonished, rushed over while— “Young Master! What has happened? Young Master?!”

When spoken to, Fumihiko gradually regained his composure and came to his senses, but then clung to the man once more, “Uncle!” “It’s me—Fumihiko.” “Stay strong now.” “Fumihiko.” “It’s Fumihiko.”

As he said this, he lifted him up.

Tōsuke also noticed this for the first time, “Oh! Master Shinoyama, sir? “Please stay strong, sir. “Young Master and Tōsuke have come to meet you. “Sir—”

he clung close and spoke into his ear.

“Medicine!! Water—quickly!!!”

“Yes.” As Tōsuke placed the reviving dose in his mouth and made him drink water from the suction tube, the doctor—who until now had been groaning with faltering breath—slowly opened his eyes. “Uncle! Have you come to your senses? It’s Fumihiko. It’s me.” “Oh… Fumihiko?” “Yes.” “Master Shinoyama! Have you regained consciousness?” “You’ve come.” He managed this brief utterance, but with sudden relief came slackening tension—his previously strained nerves giving way as he began collapsing once more.

“Uncle, please stay resolute.” When he poured brandy into his mouth, the doctor finally regained consciousness,

“Alright… I’m alright now. Sugita—Sugita—” Dr. Shinoyama urged weakly, gesturing toward the collapsed figure. “Yes,” replied Fumihiko. He lifted Sugita—the assistant lying motionless beside them—and saw the man had already died, his body icy cold. Even so, they administered medicine and tried every means to revive him, but nothing could be done. “Uncle… Sugita is beyond help,” Fumihiko said quietly. “There’s no saving him.” Dr. Shinoyama’s breath hitched. “I see… What a pitiful thing I’ve done.”

Dr. Shinoyama involuntarily shed tears that streamed down his face.

Dr. Shinoyama’s Whereabouts on the Moon

After a while, Fumihiko, as if he remembered,

“Uncle. “Our tools are currently placed about sixty kilometers from here.” “I would like to take you there, but given your current condition, moving you is utterly impossible. Therefore, I intend to first transport all our supplies here and care for you in this place for a time.” “Therefore, I will now go back to retrieve it.” “In the meantime, I will leave Tōsuke here with you, so please endure patiently for two or three days as things are.”

When he whispered this in his ear, the doctor silently nodded. Fumihiko stood up and faced Tōsuke,

“Well then, I’ll be going now, so keep a firm hold on things here.”

“Very well, sir.” “Thank you for your hard work.” “Then I’ll leave things to you.”

With that, he once again exited the cave and retraced his steps along the path he had come. On the morning of the second day, he finally returned to his tent, first assembled the airship, packed up the tent and other items to store inside it, then hurriedly boarded the airship and made his way back to that cave.

As soon as he disembarked from the airship,

“Tōsuke! Tōsuke!” he called again, but there was still no response. He wondered what had happened.

As he muttered to himself and went deeper, the lamp had gone out, plunging the surroundings into an absolute darkness where even black and white were indistinguishable. “Uncle!! I’ve returned just now.” “It’s Fumihiko.” “Tōsuke!” “Tōsuke? Are you there?”

He called out loudly, yet the only response was the terrifying echo of his own voice. Fumihiko felt a surge of unease and hurriedly lit his pocket lamp to look around. “What? What?”

“No one was there!!!” “The inside of the cave was utterly empty!!!” Only Sugita’s corpse remained. “I forgot!!!” Having shouted this, he momentarily lost himself in a daze, but soon regained his composure, snatched up his rifle that he had cast aside nearby, and tried to dash out—only to trip over something and fall flat.

With a start, he struck the match again to see—

Tōsuke!!! Tōsuke lay prone, still gripping his rifle!!!

Fumihiko immediately picked him up,

“Tōsuke!!! What happened? Explain!!!”

While calling out, he administered smelling salts, and just as Tōsuke had barely regained his breath—suddenly, “Damn it! You won’t escape!” he firmly grabbed and held him as he tried to stand up, “Hey, Tōsuke. “It’s me, Fumihiko. “What in the world happened here?” When he asked this, no sooner had Tōsuke heard his voice than he clung to Fumihiko, “Young Master!!! What a disgrace this is.”

“What happened? What happened to Uncle?”

Tōsuke sobbed and, “While I was entrusted with [his care], I have no excuse to offer, but after Young Master departed, as I was tending to the Master, on the second night, I heard some footsteps near the entrance. Thinking it must be Young Master returning, I promptly went out to greet you—but it wasn’t you—”

“What?!” “That hateful Baron Akiyama!”

“What? Baron Akiyama?” “Yes. He entered with his servant.” “Ugh… Then what happened?” “They kept saying, ‘Here! Here!’—perhaps because it was dark and they couldn’t see—and without so much as a glance my way, the two of them went striding deeper into the cave. Not knowing what else to do, I followed after them. The moment I caught sight of the Master, [Baron Akiyama] declared, ‘Ah! Dr. Shinoyama! I’ve come at Miss Tsukiko’s request to retrieve you.’ So I rushed in and said, ‘The Master has already met with my Young Master two days ago! He should be arriving here any moment now to gather his equipment—’”

“Yeah. Then what happened?”

“That Akiyama bastard! He seemed startled to see me unexpectedly, but after giving some order to his servant Heizō, that brute Heizō tried to roughly haul away the Master in his weakened state…” “What? Heizō?” “Yes. I desperately tried to stop them—but alas, it was two against one. As they were about to leave the cave, I resolved to at least shoot them dead and chased after them… only for Baron Akiyama to strike me near the chest. After that, I lost consciousness—it was only Young Master’s voice that brought me back to my senses.”

he recounted through tears.

Having finished listening, Fumihiko appeared dejected,

“Ah… After all my painstaking efforts to come this far… What a regrettable thing I’ve done.”

He spat out his words as if hurling them away, looked up at the sky indignantly, and let out a long sigh—then stood up again with resolve.

“Tōsuke! Now that matters have reached this point, we must reclaim Uncle by force if necessary.” “What matters is Uncle’s safe return—regardless of who achieves it—but if we leave things be, that cunning villain Baron Akiyama will surely devise new schemes to torment us and make sport of someone as gentle as Miss Tsukiko.” “Come—we depart at once. You will follow me.”

“Please defeat this enemy.” “Even if I die, I shall not rest until I have punished that Akiyama bastard.”

The two of them hurried outside, and as soon as they boarded the airship, they ascended at full speed. This was to confirm whether Baron Akiyama had already boarded the airship with his uncle and departed for Earth.

The Lunar Realm Showdown

Searching for any sign of Baron Akiyama, he scanned his surroundings but found no evidence of departure yet. "Well—relieved for now," he thought, then scanned the area around the cave ahead with his binoculars. “Thank goodness! They’re still here!!!”

About a ri away from the cave, there was an airship, and beside it, two people were busily working at something.

Undoubtedly, it was Baron Akiyama’s group.

But there was not a moment to lose. Their bustling about in this manner was unmistakably preparation for departure.

As Fumihiko accelerated and closed in, the other party—perhaps sensing his approach—hurriedly clambered aboard, and the airship began to slowly stir its massive wings in preparation for departure. The distance between them still measured a full ri.

The present moment was worth ten thousand years to Fumihiko. He released the maximum electric current to make it charge while firing a blank shot.

Baron Akiyama, who had just gripped the control lever to go full speed, reflexively released his hands at the blank shot—whereupon the lever spun in reverse, causing the airship to descend slightly. By the time he came to his senses with a start and regained his grip, Fumihiko’s airship had already closed in within reach.

“Baron Akiyama!!!” Fumihiko called out sharply,

“It has been some time since I last had the honor of meeting you.”

and deliberately bowed with exaggerated politeness. “Indeed,” Baron Akiyama answered arrogantly.

Baron Akiyama answered arrogantly.

Fumihiko continued,

“Baron Akiyama. Let me state again: I have come to retrieve my uncle.” “Uncle? You mean Dr. Shinoyama?”

“Indeed.”

Baron Akiyama suddenly raised his voice,

“Don’t talk nonsense! Even for your self-serving talk, know your limits! For what purpose do you think I came all this way, resolved to die? It was solely to locate Dr. Shinoyama. How could I possibly hand over the doctor I went to such lengths to obtain to the likes of you so easily? Fool!!! If you want him that badly, why didn’t you search for him yourself?” He shamelessly twisted the knife, “I risked my life to obtain the doctor. If you want him, then stake your life and try to take him!”

“Very well.” “A duel!!! Prepare yourself.” “You impudent brat!” “Come—I’ll face you!”

Just as they were aiming their guns at each other, suddenly, with a gunshot, Baron Akiyama—

“Damn it!!!”

With a single shout, he recoiled.

As Fumihiko was still reeling in shock at this,

Baron Akiyama glared painfully in this direction, “Yunii, you cowardly struck me down like this.”

Tōsuke stiffly rose to his feet, “I’m the one who shot you—not the Young Master!” “The Young Master don’t do twisted scheming like yours.” “I shot you!” “Before we trade lives with the Young Master now, I gave ya that payback I got from you earlier in the cave.”

he declared with palpable hatred. Baron Akiyama heard these words and,

“Tch! What a disappointment!!!”

No sooner had he uttered a single cry than he succumbed to his mortal wound and breathed his last. Though Akiyama was a villain, Yunii Fumihiko mourned the baron’s death and buried him with due care on the lunar realm alongside Sugita. Upon the grave they erected a memorial monument, then remained at that site for about one week while waiting for Dr. Shinoyama to regain some vigor. Finally, they departed for Earth—Dr. Shinoyama, Tōsuke, and Heizō, who after his master’s death had shown remorse and sworn obedience—each pair boarding one of two airships.

(“Exploration World” Meiji 40 (1907) October Supplement Issue)