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

| Original Title | 霜柱 |
|---|---|
| Author | 山本 周五郎 |
| Genre | Historical Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In a secluded castle town, Tsunaga Kihee, a hot-tempered magistrate from Edo, struggles under the relentless scrutiny of Senior Official Shigeno, a stern elder who rebukes his every misstep. Frustrated and convinced Shigeno despises him, Kihee vents to his pragmatic cousin Ishizawa over drinks at a lakeside teahouse, where cryptic tales of a skeptical gardener hint at deeper tensions. Yet whispers of Shigeno’s tragic past—a disowned son lost to vice—begin to unravel the old man’s harsh exterior. When a disheveled stranger claiming to be Shigeno’s heir emerges, threatening blackmail and violence, Kihee is thrust into a clash of honor and hidden wounds. Frost-laden paths and shadowed confrontations blur the line between duty and redemption, as Kihee uncovers layers of regret binding Shigeno’s rigid discipline. Amid mist-shrouded shrines and simmering rivalries, loyalty is tested, and the weight of legacy forces both men to confront ghosts they thought long buried—or risk unraveling the fragile order of their world. |