
Transcriber’s Notes
INTRODUCTION
PREFACE
CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VII.
A weary poet sets out from the bustle of city life, hoping a pilgrimage to the remote hills will restore his imagination. He arrives at a modest inn where fellow travelers—a monk, an itinerant artist, and a curious young woman—share stories over tea, each revealing a different shade of longing. Their camaraderie invites him to abandon his plans and follow a winding path toward a secluded mountain temple.
Along the steep trail, the poet encounters the stark beauty of mist‑clad peaks and the quiet rhythms of rural life, which spark fresh reflections on the nature of art and solitude. Brief conversations with the monk’s austere wisdom and the artist’s playful humor provoke both laughter and melancholy. As the journey unfolds, the landscape becomes a mirror for his inner wanderings, hinting at the deeper revelations that lie ahead.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (223K characters)
Series
Masterpieces of contemporary Japanese fiction. The Japan Times' series
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
Japan: The Japan Times, 1927.
Release date
2024-03-10
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1867–1916
A leading voice of modern Japanese literature, this sharp and deeply human writer is best known for novels like I Am a Cat, Botchan, and Kokoro. His work blends wit, loneliness, and psychological insight in ways that still feel fresh today.
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