The Absentee Landlord

On the broad plains of Hokkaido, farming means clearing land, raising crops, and watching the proceeds disappear into rent and debt. Ken’s family endures cold rooms and scant meals while the landlord profits from his estate in distant Otaru. Appeals for mercy bring promises, humiliation, and little relief.

As the tenants begin to organize, Ken discovers that their hardships reach beyond the village. A friend’s factory letters reveal another world of dangerous work and precarious lives. The farmers carry their dispute into the city, where labor unions join them in a struggle that brings police violence, public sympathy, and unexpected solidarity.

Kobayashi Takiji’s The Absentee Landlord follows the making of a political commitment without losing sight of the households, relationships, and hopes it transforms. This complete English translation preserves the dedication, sixteen original sections, letters, bulletins, newspaper passages, and closing date, with notes on historical institutions, regional language, trade signs, and uncertain readings.