The Reed Cutter & Captain Shigemoto's Mother

Junichiro Tanizaki (July 24, 1886–July 30, 1965) was a master at burrowing into the heart of human relationships and describing them with precision and clarity. English translations by Anthony H. Chambers of his short story “The Reed Cutter” (蘆刈, or “Ashikari” in Japanese) and Captain Shigemoto's Mother (少将滋幹の母, or Shōshō Shigemoto no haha), originally published in 1932 and 1949 respectively, appear in this 1993 collection. The narrators in both works quote from a number of old poems and stories. Among the central themes is the transience of life, including the efforts we make out of love and for family, and the consequences of those actions across generations.

I enjoyed both, though perhaps “The Reed Cutter” a bit more. In Captain Shigemoto’s Mother, the narrator digresses quite often—intentionally so—but it made the story harder to follow at times. What stands out most is the imagery, particularly the descriptions of nature and autumn in the first half of “The Reed Cutter,” and the depictions of death and decay toward the end of Captain Shigemoto’s Mother. Remarkable writing from one of Japan’s most revered literary figures.