Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

Spirits of the Trees Spirit of the ValleyAuthor: Sakaguchi Ango

Original Title	木々の精、谷の精
Author	坂口安吾
Genre	Modern Short Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In a secluded mountain village of northern Echigo, Shūkichi arrives at the Akayama household, drawn by tales of a mysterious Miroku Buddha statue with an enigmatic smile. The statue’s serene yet unsettling presence—radiating ethereal sensuality—mirrors the elusive charm of Katsurako, the household’s spirited daughter. Her capricious nature, marked by broken engagements and midnight wanderings, intrigues Shūkichi as he navigates the village’s haunting beauty: mist-shrouded valleys, a deep azure pool rumored for suicides, and villagers whose vitality seems woven into the landscape. Among them is O-Tae, a maid of striking, almost otherworldly elegance, and a sickly boy whose fragile existence contrasts with Katsurako’s restless energy. As Shūkichi uncovers layers of myth and longing—Katsurako’s whimsical defiance, whispered legends of ogres and lilies—the line between innocence and peril blurs. Shadows of tragedy linger beneath the summer’s tranquility, where secrets pulse like the cicadas’ drone, leaving Shūkichi entangled in a world where beauty and darkness converge, and every smile holds a silent enigma.