Haito Tokyo（Obsolete Tokyo）
【Masterpieces of Modern Japanese Literature ⑮】
By Ryunosuke Akutagawa
Narrated by Nana Nagao
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A short story by Ryunosuke Akutagawa
“Takeo Katō-sama, I have duly received your esteemed request to compose a text lamenting Tokyo. I also indeed accepted the task. However, when I attempt to write, I find myself in a time of great haste, and, moreover, I simply do not feel inclined to do so. Therefore, I hope you will excuse me with this letter. There is a poem by someone who lived through the Ōnin War or some similar turmoil: ‘Evening skylark, do you understand this feeling? The capital has been mercilessly reduced to a field of ashes. Just watching you soar into the twilight sky brings tears streaming down my face.’* When I walked through the ruins of Marunouchi, I felt something akin to that sentiment. I heard that Kyota Mizuki, for instance, could not help but shed tears as he passed through Ginza. (Though he noted that it was without any sentimentality.) But as for me, I only had the feeling of ‘tears streaming down my face’—in reality, I managed to keep from shedding them.” —
This audiobook is a new recording of the “Reading Timeless Story Series” that was performed at the Museum of Modern Japanese Literature on March 23, 2024.
Author : Ryunosuke Akutagawa
Narrator : Nana Nagao
Produced by：Koé no Shoten
Special Thanks：Shigoto, Inc. / ROUDOKU.TALKER.JP
Listening Length：00:04:31
Release Date：2024/8/22
＊For how to listen, pricing, purchase methods, payment options, and more, please check each distribution site.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
1892 –1927
Born in Tokyo, he graduated from the English Literature Department of Tokyo Imperial University. While still a student, he co-founded the third iteration of the literary magazine Shinshichō. His short story The Nose was highly praised by Natsume Sōseki, and the following year, he published his first short story collection, Rashōmon. Drawing inspiration from history and classical literature from both Japan and around the world, he wrote numerous works, including Hōkyōnin no shi（”The Death of a Christian”）, Toshishun（”Tu Tze-chun”）, Kappa, Haguruma（”Spinning Gears” or “Cogwheels”）, and Aru Ahō no Isshō（”A Fool’s Life” or “The Life of a Fool”）.