Pathway to Japanese Literature

Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.

ExcellencyAuthor: Sasaki Kuni

Original Title	閣下
Author	佐々木邦
Genre	Popular Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In a quiet Tokyo suburb of Meguro during the early 20th century, a company employee settles into a modest rented home flanked by retired military colonels—men of discipline who prune bonsai and debate tactics over go boards. Their neighborhood, a cluster of identical houses leased cheaply to veterans and salarymen, becomes a microcosm of prewar Japan’s shifting social fabric. When the Great Earthquake strikes, these stoic figures—led by an enigmatic Major General nicknamed “Excellency”—organize night watches, their medals gleaming as they guard against chaos. Excellency, a blend of humility and stubborn pride, emerges as both a comic and noble presence: a self-proclaimed “Man of Reason” who rationalizes smoking as medicinal and stages elaborate ruses to sneak forbidden treats during his typhoid recovery. Through shared vigilance and wry camaraderie, the narrator navigates this world of fading military rigor, where aging officers cling to duty while wrestling with irrelevance. Yet beneath their quirks lies an unspoken bond—one tested by disaster, inflation, and the quiet erosion of tradition.