Pathway to Japanese Literature
Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.
← Back
Uncle's StoryAuthor: Koyama Kiyoshi
| Original Title | おじさんの話 |
|---|---|
| Author | 小山 清 |
| Genre | War & Social Literature |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In the waning days of World War II, a young man and an elderly coworker nicknamed Uncle flee Tokyo’s firebombing, bound by survival and an unspoken camaraderie. Their lives intertwine at a newspaper shop, where Uncle’s quiet dignity and peculiar habits—meticulously sorting papers at dawn, secretive gambling excursions—mask a past shrouded in mystery. Despite his stoic resilience, Uncle’s struggles with neuralgia and wartime deprivation reveal vulnerabilities, while his unexpected tenderness emerges in moments like reuniting with a long-lost daughter or mentoring rowdy delivery boys. Postwar Tokyo’s chaos sees Uncle adapt with stubborn ingenuity, trading meal coupons and scavenging cigarette butts, yet his decline into poverty mirrors the city’s fractured spirit. Years later, a chance reunion at a tranquil temple hints at redemption, where Uncle finds fleeting peace tending graves and playing Go with a priest. Through air raids, police detentions, and fleeting human connections, their bond endures—a testament to resilience in a world where dignity often hides in life’s margins. |
← Return to List← Return to TOP