The Hammer

Aitarō’s dying father leaves him a bitter lesson: the uncle who has taken their property is a devil. Living under that uncle’s protection, the boy discovers an extraordinary sensitivity to stock prices transmitted by telephone. His talent builds a fortune, while his own life contracts into a shabby upstairs room filled with tobacco smoke and books.

Then Inako arrives. Introduced as a cousin, she appears to understand every weakness in the men around her. Aitarō watches her manipulate his uncle and imagines turning her schemes against her. Yet the voice on the telephone will eventually tell him something his cleverness cannot comprehend.

Yumeno Kyūsaku’s psychological tale moves between speculation, cruelty, desire, and fatal misunderstanding. This complete English translation preserves the full narrative, every conversation, and the devastating final testament. Notes clarify uncertain readings and market terms while identifying the characters’ medical claims as fictional assertions. Translated directly from the Japanese. AI-assisted translation.