A Man in Transition

Mr. Yajima has built a successful electric-light company, raised a family, and earned the respect of his town. Yet, approaching fifty, he begins to feel that something is missing from the life he holds so firmly in his grasp.

A worker dismissed for stealing wire asks to return. His eldest son comes home from school with a world of his own. An elderly caretaker seems content with almost nothing. Each encounter troubles Yajima’s assumptions about kindness, authority, and the people who appear to depend on him.

First published in 1916, Toyoshima Yoshio’s quietly unsettling story follows an outwardly secure man through spring days and sleepless nights. Its recurring gestures, industrial images, and intimate conversations reveal a growing uncertainty beneath prosperity.