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A New Year's ResolutionAuthor: Sasaki Kuni
| Original Title | 一年の計 |
|---|---|
| Author | 佐々木 邦 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | Mr. Kataoka’s annual vow to quit drinking begins with theatrical resolve—shattering his cherished cup at midnight on New Year’s Eve, declaring eternal abstinence. Yet his determination unravels as swiftly as the year turns. Endless social obligations—farewell parties, banquets, New Year’s toasts—tempt him into postponing sobriety, each delay justified by camaraderie or tradition. His wife oscillates between exasperation and reluctant sympathy, mocking his hollow promises yet dreading the consequences of his recklessness: drunken tumbles into ditches, near-drownings, and midnight rescues by strangers. \nThis year feels different. A close brush with death in a moat sharpens his urgency, and even Mrs. Kataoka pleads for moderation. But New Year’s festivities prove merciless. Politeness traps him into “just one” celebratory drink, reigniting old habits. By nightfall, he staggers through Tokyo’s streets, lost in a drunken haze, measuring road widths by zigzagging between trees until he collapses into a sludge-filled gutter. A cart delivers him home—reeking, disheveled, yet alive—to a wife torn between relief and despair. \nA darkly comic portrait of addiction’s grip, the story balances wry humor with poignant futility. Mr. Kataoka’s earnest battles against himself—and liquor’s sly persistence—paint a timeless struggle where resolve crumbles faster than tradition fades. |
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