Pathway to Japanese Literature
Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.
← Back
The Botamochi of the Twenty-Ninth DayAuthor: Okamoto Kidō
| Original Title | 廿九日の牡丹餅 |
|---|---|
| Author | 岡本 綺堂 |
| Genre | War & Social Literature |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In the sweltering summer of Edo-period Japan, a desperate city clings to superstition as an epidemic looms. When rumors spread that eating *botamochi*—sticky rice cakes dusted with kinako—on the 29th day of July will ward off heatstroke, households scramble to secure the treat. Among them is Enzuya, a sharp-tongued shamisen teacher, and her young maid Okuma, who resort to acquiring the cakes from Chisei, a rakugo storyteller with a slippery charm. But when Enzuya’s wealthy patron collapses after consuming the offering, suspicion ignites. Was it poison? A curse? As whispers of conspiracy spread, Chisei vanishes, his mother is found strangled, and Enzuya’s calculated composure frays. Shadows of blackmail and betrayal twist through back alleys and riverside hideouts, where desperate choices blur guilt and survival. The *botamochi*, meant to protect, instead unravels lives—yet its final secret sinks into the Sumida’s dark currents, leaving Edo to wonder: Can fear itself be deadlier than any plague? |
← Return to List← Return to TOP