Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

'The Dream That Caught Up'Author: Yamamoto Shūgorō

Original Title	追いついた夢
Author	山本周五郎
Genre	Modern Short Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In the shadowed alleys of Edo, seventeen-year-old Okei faces an impossible choice: secure life-saving medicine for her bedridden mother or cling to her fragile dreams of love. Desperation leads her to Wazuke, a wealthy recluse shrouded in secrecy, who offers financial salvation in exchange for her complete devotion. Drawn into a clandestine arrangement, Okei surrenders her freedom to become his secluded companion, severing ties with her past—including Uzukichi, the stoic craftsman whose quiet affection offers fleeting solace. Yet Wazuke’s opulent rural estate, filled with unspoken treasures and eerie isolation, hides darker intentions. As months pass without word from her enigmatic benefactor, Okei’s resolve hardens, while Uzukichi’s loyalty lingers like an unextinguished flame. Whispers of Wazuke’s vanished legacy and Okei’s simmering defiance intertwine, hinting at fates unraveled by greed and resilience. Amidst pine forests and river mists, a forbidden future beckons—if secrets buried in the Tamagawa’s currents ever surface.