Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

Imperial HawkAuthor: Yoshikawa Eiji

Original Title	御鷹
Author	吉川英治
Genre	Modern Short Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In the shadowed world of Edo-era falconry, where honor and duty bind lives to the shogunate’s prized hawks, young Benma Kisaragi faces exile. His pockmarked visage masks a restless heart, accused of improper advances toward Oetsu—daughter of his ailing superior—and threatening her betrothal to Kakusaburou, a coldly brilliant falconer destined for leadership. Forced by family to abandon his post, Benma’s defiance sparks a lethal duel shrouded in whispers of betrayal. Oetsu, torn between duty and forbidden desire, races to prevent bloodshed, only to confront devastating truths about love and loyalty. As the imperial hawk Fubuki soars beyond control, its amber gaze mirrors the unraveling fates below—where ambition clashes with passion, and a single misstep could condemn generations. Amid frostbitten fields and whispered secrets, a tragedy unfolds where even the noblest intentions may birth ruin, and the bonds of honor prove as fragile as wings against the storm.