Aonodōmon monogatari（Beyond the Pale of Vengeance）
【Masterpieces of Modern Japanese Literature㉘】
By Kan Kikuchi
Narrated by Nana Nagao
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A short story by Kan Kikuchi
“This is the Torii Pass on the Kiso Kaidō. Behind it lies a dense forest of cedars and cypresses, and in front stands a solitary teahouse. The shop’s front displays an array of treats—mugwort rice cakes, yokan, dried persimmons, and rice crackers—while two long wooden benches sit outside. Seated on one of these benches is a man with a shadow of darkness on his brow, gazing absentmindedly at the petals falling from an old cherry tree across the road. This man is Ichikurō, the owner of the teahouse. Once, he served as a retainer in the household of Saburōbei Nakagawa, a hatamoto of Asakusa, Edo. However, he fell into a forbidden love affair with his master’s cherished concubine. When his lord discovered their secret and accused him of immorality, Ichikurō resisted—and in the end, killed his master. Fleeing Edo with his lover Oyumi, he now hides from the world, running this teahouse on the Kiso Kaidō.“
This audiobook is a new recording of the “Reading Timeless Story Series” that was performed at the Museum of Modern Japanese Literature on November 9, 2024.
Author : Kan Kikuchi
Narrator : Nana Nagao
Produced by：Koé no Shoten
Special Thanks：Shigoto, Inc.
Listening Length：
Release Date：2025/4/1
＊For how to listen, pricing, purchase methods, payment options, and more, please check each distribution site.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
1888 – 1948
Born in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture. His real name was Hiroshi. He graduated from Kyoto Imperial University. During his university years, he studied modern British drama and participated in the third and fourth iterations of Shinshichō (“New Tides of Thought”). In 1916, he published Okujō no Kyōjin（”The Housetop Madman”）and Chichi Kaeru （”The Father returns”）. After graduating, he joined the Jiji Shinpō* newspaper as a journalist. While working as a reporter, he published Mumei Sakka no Nikki（”Anonymous Writer’s Diary”）and Tadanaokyō Gyōjōki （”On the Conduct of Lord Tadanao”） in Chūō Kōron magazine in 1918. The following year, in 1919, he released Onshū no Kanata ni （”Beyond the Pale of Vengeance”）. Afterward, he dedicated himself fully to writing and, in the following year, serialized Shinju Fujin（”Madame Pearl”） in both the Osaka Mainichi Shimbunand the Tokyo Mainichi Shimbun. He also published works such as Tōjūrō no Koi （”Tōjūrō’s love”）, Han-jijo-den （”Semi-Autobiography”）, Teiso mondo（”The Chastity Debate”）, and Junange（”Passion flowers “）. In 1923, he declared, “I have grown tired of speaking only when asked,” and founded the literary magazine Bungei Shunjū. He played a significant role in establishing the Akutagawa Prize, the Naoki Prize, and the Japan Writers’ Association, among many other contributions to the literary world.