Pathway to Japanese Literature
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The Time of Awakening to SexualityAuthor: Murō Saisei
| Original Title | 性に眼覚める頃 |
|---|---|
| Author | 室生 犀星 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In the serene precincts of a temple, a seventeen-year-old boy navigates the quiet rhythms of life alongside his aging father, a devout monk devoted to tea ceremonies and ritual. Their days are marked by the meditative preparation of matcha, the flicker of oil lamps in dim halls, and shared moments steeped in tradition. Yet beneath this tranquil surface simmers the boy’s awakening—to poetry, ambition, and the complexities of human connection. His first published poem in a prestigious Tokyo magazine ignites both pride and restless longing, while his friendship with Hyō, a bold yet fragile poet, pulls him into encounters with love and desire. Drawn to a mysterious thief’s daughter and entangled in Hyō’s clandestine romance with a teahouse girl, he grapples with moral dilemmas and the ache of unspoken yearnings. Set against the backdrop of early 20th-century Japan, this lyrical coming-of-age tale weaves introspection with fleeting moments of beauty and transgression, inviting readers into a world where devotion and desire quietly collide. |
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