The Black Butterfly

Returning home late, Yoshinao fears his uncle’s anger. His adoptive father’s memorial service is approaching, his money is running short, and the woman who detained him has become another secret he must conceal. Above the familiar neighborhood, a strange tower sends out a blue light.

A great black butterfly drifts through the streets and recalls disturbing scenes from his adoptive father’s final illness. Rumors of violence cling to an old slope. When a pale-faced woman beckons him onward, ordinary roads become an uncanny maze, and a seemingly welcoming room offers neither a clear location nor a recognizable hour.

Tanaka Kōtarō’s atmospheric story, preserved in a 1923 parent collection, draws its unease from everyday conversations, household suspicions, and the gradual loss of certainty. This complete English translation keeps the shifting memories and unresolved family mystery intact, with concise notes on names, customs, and the source’s inconsistencies. The result is a haunting passage from social anxiety into supernatural entrapment.