Shippei Tarō and Other Stories and Essays

A wandering pilgrim promises to save a village girl from a terrifying sacrifice. His search leads him to Shippei Tarō, a dog whose courage will expose the monsters hiding behind a supposed god. Alongside this folktale, eleven recollections and essays reveal other forms of courage, pride, tenderness, and loss.

Takamura Kōun remembers the exacting work of carving and the death of his beloved master. Susukida Kyūkin visits a temple with an impossible old gentleman, considers why artists charge more for repetition, listens to the first frogs of spring, and finds extravagance in cherry blossoms. His account of a writer’s marriage turns affection toward a painful final prayer.

Suzuki Miekichi closes the collection with a quiet child next door and a household settling uneasily into a shabby rented home. The complete English translation preserves all twelve works, including their quoted verse, original endings, and period details, with concise explanatory notes. AI-assisted translation.