Pathway to Japanese Literature
Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.
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| Original Title | 米 |
|---|---|
| Author | 犬田 卯 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In a rural Japanese village strained by wartime scarcity, young Katsu labors under the weight of familial duty and poverty. Struggling with oversized hand-me-downs and a heavy bamboo pole, he trails behind his older brother Yuji and parents Kōhei and Oseki as they race to plant rice fields before monsoon rains. The family’s desperation deepens as fertilizer shortages—exacerbated by wartime rationing—threaten their harvest. Kōhei’s secret dealings with a shady broker spark tensions with Oseki, whose sharp tongue masks fears of losing their land and dignity. Amid backbreaking work, moments of childish rebellion—mud fights, an escaped eel—flicker between the siblings, while Yoshiko’s sudden illness strains Oseki’s resolve. When eldest son Isamu returns from Tokyo, his urban weariness clashes with rural burdens, hinting at distant promises of Manchuria. Through sweat and strife, the family battles not just the earth but an unraveling world—where government mandates loom like storms and every grain of rice holds survival. Their story pulses with the ache of resilience, where love and resentment root as deeply as the crops they sow. |
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