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Centipede DifferenceAuthor: Yamamoto Shūgorō
| Original Title | 百足ちがい |
|---|---|
| Author | 山本 周五郎 |
| Genre | Historical Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In Edo’s bureaucratic maze, Akinari Matashirō navigates whispers and stares as the enigmatic “Centipede Difference”—a man perpetually out of step, shaped by a Zen monk’s teachings to delay action through patience. Assigned to the Audit Bureau, he endures colleagues’ prying eyes and trivial inquiries, his reputation as a slow-moving oddity preceding him. Yet Mitsue, the sharp-witted daughter of his Edo host, unravels his past with relentless curiosity, uncovering tales of delayed confrontations and a philosophy that prizes restraint over haste. Through her, Akinari’s upbringing emerges: a childhood molded by a drunken monk’s mantra of “threefold” endurance, leading to misunderstood loyalty and a trail of unresolved grievances. As Mitsue’s fascination deepens into something perilously close to affection, Akinari’s return to his homeland forces reckonings with old promises and new ambitions. Shadows of past humiliations resurface, testing whether his measured ways can withstand a world that thrives on speed—or if they’ll forge an unexpected path to triumph. |
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