The Kingdom of Man and Other Stories

An aging professor shuts himself away to write a history of humanity’s ideals—until a prescription for fresh air sends him into an unexpected series of encounters. A prosperous father wants to assemble his thirteen children and their mothers for a celebration, only to discover how little he understands the woman at the center of his household. An army officer proudly shows a scar whose history reaches into political argument, personal dependence, and a violent moment at a garden gathering.

In these three stories, Toyoshima Yoshio turns ordinary conversation into an unsettling examination of the lives people construct for themselves. A playful evening, a family calculation, and an apparently trivial tale of valor each reveal feelings that their protagonists cannot easily name. Humor and tenderness sit beside possessiveness, resentment, and the pressure of social position.

First published between 1924 and 1929, these complete stories appear here in a new English translation with concise notes on names, period customs, political references, and textual variants. Toyoshima’s changing viewpoints and unresolved endings remain intact, inviting readers to listen carefully to what his characters say—and what their words fail to explain.