Hayashi Yoshikatsu “About the Frontispiece” 「口絵の写真について」林義勝 The frontispiece of Dazai Osamu taken by my father, Hayashi Tadahiko, is a familiar shot—people have been exposed to it frequently via photobooks and posters, and it is his most well known work....
Fujii Taiyo “Hello, World!” 『ハロー・ワールド』藤井太洋 “Yasuhiro, that T-shirt. I’ve got one too,” says Atsushi Kuruwaze, calling me by my first name as he looks up from his plate of organic vegetable curry. His ellipse-shaped, metal-framed glasses look very good on...
Sakaguchi, Oda, & Dazai Conversation at Bar Lupin in Ginza (excerpted) “On One’s Taste in Women” 「座談会 歓楽極まりて哀情多し」坂口安吾・織田作之助・太宰治 On One’s Taste in Women S: Sakaguchi O: Oda D: Dazai S: I feel like the charm of women exists in Osaka,...
Dazai Osamu “Tsugaru” 『津軽』太宰治 . . . I went to Mr. S’s and was a bit bewildered by his ecstatic welcome despite being from there myself. It was without a doubt exposing his certain Tsugaru nature. As soon as we entered the house, Mr. S. took to rapidly...
Tanabe Seiko “Iiyoru” 『言い寄る』田辺聖子 “I’m sorry to keep being a bother, but can we go back to your shore house and rest for a bit? If I leave now, I’ll bump into him at the dock… because that car… the one that just zoomed past in the direction we’re headed… is...
Nogami Yaeko “A Personal Letter” 「私信」『野上弥生子随筆集』竹西寛子編 . . . I started reading Rousseau a few days ago. Its translation is very well done, so I am devouring it. I read yesterday, that Rousseau apparently liked eating while reading. I couldn’t help...