Two New Years and Other Essays

Two New Years, one in a Japanese hot-spring town and another in Naples, remain mysteriously joined in memory. From this small puzzle, Terada Torahiko opens a collection in which the familiar continually becomes strange: paintings reveal the habits of their makers, a haiku invites meteorological investigation, and a tiny sparkler unfolds like a musical composition.

These nine essays also follow quieter paths. A moving recollection of the author’s nephew Ryō explores illness, creativity, and the struggle to live honestly. Memories of a beloved teacher, a household servant, and three cats turn personal loss into patient observation. A satirical prose poem catches the noise and imitation of the modern art world.

A physicist and essayist, Terada brings scientific curiosity into conversation with painting, literature, and ordinary feeling. This complete English translation includes explanatory notes, quoted poems, and the original publication lines. AI-assisted translation.