Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

When the Cold Winds BlowAuthor: Makino Shinichi

Original Title	木枯の吹くころ
Author	牧野信一
Genre	Popular Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In a secluded mountain village shrouded in moonlight, Taikichi, a reclusive craftsman, navigates life with a cheap artificial eye that draws scorn from neighbors and complicates his fragile bond with Kura, his spirited lover. Their quiet existence in a riverside hut is punctuated by Taikichi’s violent sneezing fits—a quirk that risks exposing his prosthetic’s flaws—and Kura’s defiance against her drunken father, who mocks Taikichi’s disability. As whispers of debt and betrayal swirl, tensions escalate with Daihachi, a manipulative teahouse owner determined to exploit their vulnerabilities. Amidst moonlit fields and shadowed forests, Taikichi’s yearning for acceptance clashes with societal cruelty, while Kura’s loyalty wavers under pressure to abandon him. Atmospheric and haunting, this tale weaves isolation, resilience, and the quiet ache of love strained by prejudice, leaving readers to wonder whether tenderness can outshine the harsh glare of judgment in a world where even moonlight reveals hidden truths.