Pathway to Japanese Literature
Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.
← Back
| Original Title | 父の帰宅 |
|---|---|
| Author | 小寺 菊子 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Female Author |
| Summary | Two siblings return from school to find their home unsettled by a stranger’s arrival—a gaunt, white-haired man their mother claims is their long-absent father. Koichi, the elder brother, recoils in shame, haunted by years of whispers at school and fragmented memories of a disgraced past. His younger sister Miyoko wavers between reluctant acceptance and unease, her faint childhood recollections clashing with the reality of this unfamiliar figure. Their father’s sudden reappearance dredges up buried family scandals: his imprisonment, their mother’s silent suffering, and a town’s judgment that has shadowed their lives. As the siblings hide in the storehouse, their fragile attempts to avoid confronting him unravel—Koichi’s rage simmers, while Miyoko grapples with a flicker of hope. Yet the weight of societal shame and unresolved questions about their father’s choices threaten to fracture their fragile world. A haunting exploration of fractured bonds, societal stigma, and the ghosts of choices that ripple through generations. |
← Return to List← Return to TOP