Pathway to Japanese Literature
Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.
← Back
A Night at the ZooAuthor: Hirabayashi Hatsunosuke
See Author Details Here：Wiki (Hirabayashi Hatsunosuke)
| Original Title | 動物園の一夜 |
|---|---|
| Author | 平林 初之輔 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In the sweltering stillness of Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo, a man adrift in life’s ruins seeks refuge among caged beasts and listless crowds. Hunger gnaws at him; shame follows like a shadow. Amid sun-dazed animals and strangers tossing biscuits with robotic precision, he scavenges crumbs of dignity—and sustenance. As dusk falls, the zoo transforms: a moonlit labyrinth where desperation collides with danger. Under a bridge, he encounters a cryptic figure—a daytime biscuit-turned-nocturnal conspirator hunting a traitor, a briefcase, and redemption. Whispers of secret documents and police sirens pierce the primal quiet. The man, once invisible, becomes an accidental ally in a high-stakes game, navigating tunnels and treachery as dawn looms. What begins as escape from cruel eyes spirals into a night where survival hinges on trust, deception, and the flicker of humanity in a world of predators. By morning, nothing—not even freedom—will look the same. |
← Return to List← Return to TOP