Beginning at the End

Beginning at the End

by | Mar 29, 2023 | Mystery Fiction

“And isn’t it better really to leave things only hinted at?” This is a well-cited line from Tanizaki Jun’ichirō’s 1929 novel Tade kuu mushi (translated by Edward Seidensticker, Some Prefer Nettles). The protagonist’s father-in-law utters the line midway through the...
My first—and only—Omiai

My first—and only—Omiai

by | Oct 7, 2020 | Japanese Culture

In Tanizaki Jun’ichirō’s novel, Sasameyuki (serialized 1943-1948; translated The Makioka Sisters by Edward Seidensticker, 1957), the action centers around finding the third sister a suitable marriage partner.  Matchmakers busily scour the field in search of...