Pathway to Japanese Literature
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| Original Title | 世帯休業 |
|---|---|
| Author | 岸田 国士 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In a modest Tokyo home, a married couple enacts an unconventional experiment: a week-long "Household Suspension" to escape marital monotony. Under strict terms, they vow to treat each other as strangers—no conversations, assistance, or acknowledgment of their shared life. Their eccentric poet lodger, Toba, stumbles into this fragile truce, appointing himself as an officious mediator to enforce their bizarre rules. Yet chaos brews as mundane routines unravel: meals become battlegrounds, misplaced keys spark suspicion, and a sudden inheritance claim from the wife’s family tests their resolve. Toba’s meddling escalates tensions, while unexpected visitors—a lovestruck admirer and a mahjong-obsessed friend—expose the absurdity of their detachment. Amidst passive-aggressive poetry recitals and comically rigid adherence to their "agreement," fleeting moments of vulnerability hint at deeper disconnection. As external pressures mount, the couple’s performative indifference wavers, leaving readers to wonder: Can love survive a vacation from itself—or will the experiment collapse under the weight of shared futons and unspoken desires? |
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