The Kidnapper and Other Writings

A daughter vanishes, threatening letters arrive, and a detective finds clues in a locked drawer, a bamboo fragment, and a family’s property records. Yamashita Risaburō’s The Kidnapper opens this collection with a mystery whose explanation reaches beyond the apparent crime.

Kogure Ritarō then traces the peaks, forests, hot springs, and difficult passages of the Kurobe Gorge. Ōshima Ryōkichi recalls a night beneath the Hotaka mountains when four friends confront the loss of a companion and ask what climbing means to them.

Three essays by Narushima Ryūhoku bring another kind of scrutiny: a musical performance challenges a writer’s pride, the midsummer airing of possessions reveals memories and curious objects, and an antiquarian argues for discernment and preservation.