Mrs. Worson’s Black Cat and Other Writings

A black cat appears in a locked room, and a rational woman’s efforts to explain it turn into an increasingly terrifying struggle. Around this uncanny story, seven Japanese authors offer very different approaches to the anxieties and amusements of their age.

This anthology ranges from Hagiwara Sakutarō’s psychological horror to Makino Shin’ichi’s idle companions, imagined conversations with ancient thinkers, and a household’s unused recipes. Hori Tatsuo explores the subtle emotional workings of Raymond Radiguet’s novel, while Yokomitsu Riichi sketches a poet’s struggle with form and belief. Oguma Hideo gives banknotes a savage poetic life, following money through generals, luxury, labor, and the ashes left behind.

Two philosophical essays broaden the inquiry. Miki Kiyoshi examines crisis, criticism, and the relation between thought and social power; Tosaka Jun replies to objections about science’s historical and social conditioning. Together, the eight complete works invite readers into a literary world where comedy, fear, political argument, and intellectual curiosity continually meet. This new English translation retains their varied voices and provides concise notes on textual uncertainties and historical references.