Pathway to Japanese Literature
Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.
← Back
| Original Title | 九月一日 |
|---|---|
| Author | 水上 滝太郎 |
| Genre | Popular Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | On a late summer evening in 1920s Japan, nine individuals remain at a coastal villa after their strict patriarch departs. Among them are Ichirō, a charismatic athlete chasing romantic thrills; Sawa, his academically gifted but socially uneasy friend; and Yōshi, a resilient caretaker bound by family disgrace. As tensions simmer between privilege and hardship, the group navigates fragile alliances—Ichirō pursues a hotel flirtation while Sawa wrestles with unspoken feelings for Yōshi, whose tragic past mirrors his own. Beneath moonlit beaches and carefree laughter lingers an undercurrent of seismic unease. When a cataclysmic earthquake strikes, collapsing the villa and unleashing rumors of a tsunami, survival instincts fracture their delicate dynamics. Trapped beneath rubble or fleeing raging fires, each confronts raw vulnerability—youthful arrogance crumbles, hidden affections surface, and class divides blur in the chaos. Against the backdrop of historical disaster, personal reckonings unfold: love and loss intertwine as nature’s fury exposes both human fragility and unexpected resilience. |
← Return to List← Return to TOP