Pathway to Japanese Literature
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Beside Fallen LeavesAuthor: Yamamoto Shūgorō
| Original Title | 落葉の隣り |
|---|---|
| Author | 山本 周五郎 |
| Genre | Popular Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In the crowded tenements of Asakusa, three lives intertwine across years of longing and quiet resilience. Hanji, a reserved joiner’s apprentice, harbors unspoken affection for Ohisa, a girl whose fragile spirit is tested by her father’s cruelty and poverty’s grip. Their bond is complicated by Sankichi, a gifted lacquerware artisan whose ambition to craft timeless works eclipses all else. From childhood—where Sankichi shields Hanji from bullies and teaches him shogi—to adulthood, their friendship frays under unvoiced tensions. Ohisa, caught between them, evolves from a timid child into a woman navigating societal constraints and her own heart’s turmoil. As Sankichi pursues prestige through a marriage to a merchant’s daughter, Hanji grapples with jealousy and loyalty, while Ohisa’s quiet strength masks deeper despair. Set against the backdrop of Edo’s working-class struggles, their story weaves unrequited love, artistic obsession, and the quiet tragedies of choices unmade—a poignant dance of fragile hopes and the weight of silent sacrifices that bind them across decades. |
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