Pathway to Japanese Literature
Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.
← Back
Yesterday・Today・TomorrowAuthor: Oda Sakunosuke
| Original Title | 昨日・今日・明日 |
|---|---|
| Author | 織田 作之助 |
| Genre | Popular Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | Amidst the final days of World War II, two soldiers endure relentless humiliation under Captain I, a tyrannical officer whose cruelty—spitting in faces, demanding absurd performances—fuels their simmering rebellion. Shirasaki, a disillusioned college graduate, and Akai, a former rakugo storyteller, navigate a world where requisitioning chickens under threat of violence becomes a grim routine. When Japan’s surrender halts their vengeance against the captain, they return to a ravaged Osaka: Shirasaki to a makeshift home and a forgotten trunk belonging to Setsuko, a singer met on a crowded train; Akai to ash-strewn ruins and a homeless girl whose plight mirrors his own shattered family. As they grapple with loss—Akai polishing shoes in hopes of finding his kin, Shirasaki clinging to fleeting connections—fate intertwines their paths with radio broadcasts and chance reunions. Amidst despair, glimmers of resilience emerge—a defiant laugh, a shared song—hinting at fragile redemption in a world learning to rebuild. |
← Return to List← Return to TOP