On Hobbies and Other Writings

A question about hobbies sends a writer into reflections on binoculars, flowers, and the abandoned ambitions of his youth. A walk with Kubota Mantarō turns something as small as the color of a pair of socks into an affectionate comedy of manners.

Elsewhere, a king tests the boys of his kingdom, an impoverished writer wins a costume contest, and a timid man in armor accidentally becomes a village legend. Letters and encounters reveal how easily everyday embarrassments turn into imaginative adventures.

The longest story returns to Sun Wukong, the powerful monkey of Journey to the West, and explores his painful longing for beauty and affection. The final piece follows two young lovers whose carriage ride becomes a playful surrender to spring sunlight.