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Banana Plant and FernsAuthor: Tokuda Shūsei
| Original Title | 芭蕉と歯朶 |
|---|---|
| Author | 徳田 秋声 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | A man arrives at a secluded mountain villa with his daughters, enveloped by forests alive with birdsong and distant memories. Haunted by fragments of his past—laborers carving tunnels decades prior, a wife’s absence left unspoken—he seeks refuge from Tokyo’s stifling rhythms. The villa, a rustic blend of Western and Japanese design, becomes a stage for quiet tensions: his eldest daughter’s reluctance to embrace summer’s spontaneity, his own restless longing for suburban simplicity, and encounters with eccentric neighbors who debate art and revolution over bitter tea. Rain-soaked walks reveal a world of foreign settlers and local artisans, where ferns unfurl wildly and banana leaves ripple like blue silk. Yet beneath the surface lies unease—loose teeth, fraying family bonds, and the gnawing sense that no landscape can anchor his drifting soul. As storms batter the highland, he clings to fleeting moments: a daughter’s new dress, shared laughter over rice crackers, ferns gifted by a friend. But Tokyo’s chaos lingers in the shadows, waiting to reclaim him. |
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