Pathway to Japanese Literature
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| Original Title | 取引にあらず |
|---|---|
| Author | 岸田 国士 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In the shabby outskirts of Tokyo, tobacco shop owner Endō Matazō navigates a life of quiet struggle, balancing familial duty and simmering discontent. His daughter Kinu chafes against her role as the shop’s “signboard,” yearning for independence while clashing with her father’s rigid pragmatism. Their mundane routine fractures when a disheveled young man pawns a shakuhachi flute for cigarettes—a transaction that spirals into unexpected intrigue. An enigmatic old gentleman identifies the instrument as a priceless heirloom, offering a fortune for it. Matazō, sensing opportunity, schemes to broker the deal, leveraging desperation and greed in equal measure. Yet as whispers of betrayal and hidden motives swirl, trust unravels. With Kinu caught between loyalty and disillusionment, and strangers weaving in and out of the shop’s cramped confines, a simple exchange becomes a high-stakes gamble. Will Matazō’s cunning secure prosperity, or will the fragile threads of ambition snap under the weight of deception? Secrets linger in the smoke-filled air, where every choice carries a price no one anticipates. |
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