The Sound of the Mountain (Yama no Oto) is a novel

Novel

A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....

 by Japanese writer Yasunari Kawabata

Yasunari Kawabata

was a Japanese short story writer and novelist whose spare, lyrical, subtly-shaded prose works won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968, the first Japanese author to receive the award...

, serialized between 1949 and 1954. Its translation into English by Edward G. Seidensticker was first published in 1970, earning Seidensticker the National Book Award

National Book Award

The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...

 for Translation the following year. It was made into a Toho

Toho

is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...

 movie Sound of the Mountain

Sound of the Mountain

is a 1954 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Mikio Naruse starring Setsuko Hara, So Yamamura, Ken Uehara, Yatsuko Tanami. It is based on the novel The Sound of the Mountain by Nobel-Prize winner Yasunari Kawabata....

 directed by Mikio Naruse

Mikio Naruse

was a Japanese filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer who directed some 89 films spanning the period 1930 to 1967.Naruse is known for imbuing his films with a bleak and pessimistic outlook...

 in 1954 starring Setsuko Hara

Setsuko Hara

is a Japanese actress who appeared in six of Yasujirō Ozu's films, most notably as Noriko in the 'Noriko Trilogy': Late Spring , Early Summer and Tokyo Story . Her other films for Ozu were Tokyo Twilight , Late Autumn and finally The End of Summer in 1961.She was born 会田 昌江 Masae Aida in...

, So Yamamura, Ken Uehara

Ken Uehara

was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in over 200 films between 1935 and 1990. He starred in Entotsu no mieru basho, which was entered into the 3rd Berlin International Film Festival.His son is the singer and actor Yūzō Kayama.-Selected filmography:...

, Yatsuko Tanami.

Plot summary

The novel centers upon the Ogata family of Kamakura

Kamakura, Kanagawa

is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...

, and its events are witnessed from the perspective of its aging patriarch, Shingo, a businessman close to retirement who works in Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

. Although only sixty-two years old at the beginning of the novel, Shingo has already begun to experience temporary lapses of memory, to recall strange and disturbing dreams upon waking, and occasionally to hear sounds heard by no one else, including the titular noise which awakens him from his sleep one night, "like wind, far away, but with a depth like a rumbling of the earth." Shingo takes the sound to be an omen of his impending death, as he had once coughed up blood (a possible sign of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...

) a year before, but had not sought medical consultation and the symptom subsequently went away.

Although he does not outwardly change his daily routine, Shingo begins to observe and question more closely his relations with the other members of his family, who include his wife Yasuko, his philandering son Shuichi (who, in traditional Japanese custom, lives with his wife in his parents' house), his daughter-in-law Kikuko, and his married daughter Fusako, who has left her husband and returned to her family home with her two young daughters. Shingo realizes that he has not truly been an involved and loving husband and father, and perceives the marital difficulties of his adult children to be the fruit of his poor parenting.

To this end, he begins to question his secretary, Tanizaki Eiko, about his son's affair, as she knows Shuichi socially and is friends with his mistress, and he quietly puts pressure upon Shuichi to quit his infidelity. At the same time, he uncomfortably becomes aware that he has begun to experience a fatherly yet erotic attachment to Kikuko, whose quiet suffering in the face of her husband's unfaithfulness, physical attractiveness, and filial devotion contrast strongly with the bitter resentment and homeliness of his own daughter, Fusako. Complicating matters in his own marriage is the infatuation that as a young man he once possessed for Yasuko's older sister, more beautiful than Yasuko herself, who died as a young woman but who has again begun to appear in his dreams, along with images of other dead friends and associates.

The novel may be interpreted as a meditation upon aging and its attendant decline, and the coming to terms with one's mortality that is its hallmark. Even as Shingo regrets not being present for his family and blames himself for his children's failing marriages, the natural world, represented by the mountain itself, the cherry tree in the yard of his house, the flights of birds and insects in the early summer evening, or two pine trees he sees from the window of his commuter train each day, comes alive for him in a whole new way, provoking meditations on life, love, and companionship.

Chapter-by-chapter

1. The Sound of the Mountain
   1. Shingo feels his memory is going soon after maid is sacked
   2. The sound of the mountain; the geisha's story of planning a double suicide (start of August)
   3. Description of Shingo's workplace; he buys whelks and ginkgo nuts (Thursday)
   4. The backstory of Yasuko's sister and Shuichi's mistress
   5. Tanizaki's classmate applies to be new maid; was the sound of the mountain an omen?
2. The Wings of the Locust
   1. Yasuko looks in Fusako's purse
   2. Sunflowers near their house like "heads of famous people"
   3. Swallowtails; Shingo dreams about dead acquaintances
   4. Wingless locusts; Shingo's Friday dance with Eiko (Sunday, early September, before "day 210 after start of spring")
3. A Blaze of Clouds
   1. Typhoon on "Day 209"; Kikuko dances; power failure
   2. Women's hairstyles; Fusako jealous of Kikuko? the kerchief; Yasuko's father
   3. The mikoshis tin roof; Eiko; Shingo and Shuichi go to the cinema
4. The Chestnuts
   1. Kikuko notices ginkgo buds; aftermath of storm; Yasuko's dream of ruined house in Shinano
   2. Yasuko's father; chestnut rebound at wedding; telegram says Fusako has moved in with Yasuko's aunt in Shinano (autumn)
   3. Shuichi leaves for Shinano; Shingo talks to Eiko about Shuichi's mistress; dead Toriyama (Saturday morning)
   4. Toriyama's funeral; the Noh masks of Mizuta (Saturday afternoon)
   5. Sparrows and buntings; Eiko takes Shingo to see the Hongo house of Kinu(ko) (Saturday evening)
5. A Dream of Islands
   1. Teru the dog has a litter of ten puppies
   2. Shingo's dream about Matsushima; Suzumoto brings him Mizuta's Noh masks
   3. Shingo shows the masks to the family
   4. Teru and her five(?) puppies (29 Dec)
6. The Cherry in the Winter
   1. Satoko running up and down the verandah; age-reckonings; return of Fusako (1 Jan)
   2. Return of Fusako (31 Dec)
   3. Eiko visits, tells Shingo about her decision (1 Jan)
   4. Shingo and Yasuko in Atami (January)
7. Water in the Morning
   1. The death of Kitamoto; Eiko's connection
   2. Kikuko's nose-bleed; Shingo and Shuichi have lunch
   3. Eiko and Kinu(ko)'s housemate come to the office to talk about Kinu(ko) (early March?)
   4. Should Shuichi leave home?
8. The Voice in the Night
   1. Shuichi comes home drunk at 2.30am
   2. Shingo dreams about reading a novel; newspaper article about teenage pregnancy
   3. Kikuko gives Shuichi sake for his hangover; Kikuko's friend's abortion (March)
   4. Shingo talks to Kikuko on the train to hospital; she wants to stay with them
9. The Bell in Spring
   1. Kamakura's 700th anniversary; the double suicide in the newspaper (Sunday, in April by 11.3)
   2. The sewing machine; a camellia bonsai at the tobacconist's
   3. Procession of little princes; Yosano poem; tea stall; the accident
   4. Shingo looks for a kimono for Satoko; Kikuko puts on mask
10. The Kite's House
    1. The call of the kite; the aodaisho snake (mid-May)
    2. Shuichi tells Shingo on the train of Kikuko's abortion yesterday; he is furious (late May by 11.2)
    3. Fusako goes to the post-office and Shingo talks to Kikuko about the abortion; she goes home to her family the next day (late June?/late May by 11.2)
11. A Garden in the Capital
    1. Fusako becomes hostile towards Shingo; they discuss Aihara's disappearance (early July?/late May by 11.2)
    2. Eiko calls Shingo; Shingo calls Kikuko at the Sagamis' (late May)
    3. Shingo meets Kikuko at Shinjuku Gardens
    4. Eiko tells Shingo that Shuichi paid for Kikuko's abortion with money from Kinu(ko)
12. The Scar
    1. Shingo cuts down the yatsude (Sunday)
    2. Kikuko's return with presents for the family; the electric razor
    3. The vacuum cleaner; Shingo's dream about American beards, and a girl
    4. Platonic love for Kikuko? a cab-ride with geisha
13. In the Rain
    1. Aihara attempts suicide with woman; newspaper article; divorce notice
    2. Shingo wonders: Am I a murderer? Eiko reveals Kinu(ko) is pregnant (June)
    3. Kinu(ko) is four months pregnant
14. The Cluster of Mosquitoes
    1. Shingo goes to the Ikeda house
    2. Kinu(ko) returns home; she says the child is not Shuichi's
    3. Shingo goes to a geisha; his dream about a uniform and a tree of mosquitoes
15. The Snake's Egg
    1. On a train journey, Shingo ponders a friend's possible suicide (late August)
    2. Yasuko says Kikuko may be pregnant again; dream about eggs (Saturday by 15.3)
    3. The lotus articles; Kikuko denies she is pregnant (Sunday)
    4. Shingo talks to Shuichi; Kikuko calls Shingo, to meet him at the Tokyo station
16. Fish in Autumn
    1. Shingo forgets how to tie his tie (October)
    2. The girl on the train and her "father"
    3. Discusses his mistake with Shuichi
    4. The ear story (Sunday)
    5. Dinner; Shingo suggests a trip to his old home next Sunday

The Ogata household

(Japanese-style age determined by years lived in/Western-style age by birthdays)

• Shingo (62-3/61-2) and Yasuko (63-4/62-3)
• Shuichi, Shingo's son, and his wife Sagara Kikuko (early 20s)
• Fusako (30/28 or 29), the daughter and her own daughters Satoko (4-5/3-4) and baby Kuniko (2-3/1-2)

Shingo's friends and colleagues

• the dead cabinet-maker Tatsumi, who had six daughters, died 3 or 4 years ago 2.3
• dead Aida, a former director of Shingo's company, who died the year before 2.3
• Eiko Tanizaki (early 20s), the office girl for 3 years, schoolfriend of Kitamoto's daughter
• dead Toriyama 4.3
• Suzumoto 5.2
• dead Mizuta 5.2
• Unno 5.2
• Itakura, the old President of the company 6.3
• dead Kitamoto (lost three sons; died during air-raids) 7.1
• Kitamoto's family taking refuge in Gifu Prefecture 7.1
• Natsuko Iwamura, who replaced Eiko Tanizaki 11.2, 11.4, 13.2

Others

• Kayo, the sacked maid 1.1
• Kinu(ko), the widowed mistress of Shuichi
• Kinu(ko)'s housemate, "the Ikeda woman", Mrs Ikeda, two or three years younger (13.3) 7.3
• Her small son 14.1
• Aihara, Fusako's dissolute husband and his arthritic
  Arthritis
  Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
  
   mother
• Yasuko's father, fond of bonsai 3.2, 9.2
• Yasuko's dead sister, older than Shingo 1.4, 9.2, 9.4, 16.1, 16.2
• Yasuko's aunt (80s), and her son, present head of Yasuko's family, in Shinano 4.2
• A local lady 5.4
• Grandfather Amamiya 5.4 and his son 8.4
• Boat company president and wife 9.1
• Old man and paralysed boy 9.1
• Tobacconist who keeps bonsai 9.2
• Dancing girl and her mother 9.3
• A friend of Kikuyo who takes tea ceremony
  Japanese tea ceremony
  The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called . The manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called...
  
   lessons 9.4
• Lotus doctor (69 years old) 10.3, 15.3
• The Sagaras, family of Kikuko 10.3, 15.4
• Younger sister of a friend of Shuichi's 12.3
• Shingo's friend with the Kazan picture 12.3
• Two elderly geisha
  Geisha
  , Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
  
   and three young geisha
  Geisha
  , Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
  
   12.4
• Aihara's new girlfriend (25 or 26) 13.1
• Friend who wants to see geisha
  Geisha
  , Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
  
  s 13.1, 13.3
• Friend dying of liver cancer
  Hepatocellular carcinoma
  Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer. Most cases of HCC are secondary to either a viral hepatitide infection or cirrhosis .Compared to other cancers, HCC is quite a rare tumor in the United States...
  
   14.1, 15.4
• His wife, dead seven years ago, eldest son, five grandchildren 15.4
• Miyamoto, owner of factory with cyanide
  Cyanide
  A cyanide is a chemical compound that contains the cyano group, -C≡N, which consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Cyanides most commonly refer to salts of the anion CN−. Most cyanides are highly toxic....
  
   14.1
• Red-haired foreigner 15.1
• Male prostitute 15.1
• Girl on train, her "father", five or six men with maple branches 16.2, 16.3

Places

• Kamakura
  Kamakura, Kanagawa
  is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
  
  
• Kamikochi
  Kamikochi
  is a remote mountainous highland in the western portion of Nagano Prefecture, Japan, which has been preserved in its natural state. It has been designated as one of Japan's National Cultural Assets. It is sometimes referred to as the "Japanese Yosemite," although it is considerably smaller than its...
  
   2.2
• Shinano
  Shinano
  Shinano may refer to:* Shinano, Nagano, a town in Nagano prefecture, Japan* Shinano River, the longest river in Japan* Shinano Province, one of the old provinces of Japan...
  
   3.2, 4.1
• The Yokosuka Line
  Yokosuka Line
  The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company .The Yokosuka Line connects in Chūō, Tokyo and in Yokosuka, Kanagawa...
  
   3.3, 8.1, 9.3, 10.2, 14.1
• The "Ikeda" house in Hongo
  Hongo
  Hongō is a district of Tokyo located in Bunkyō-ku, due north of the Tokyo Imperial Palace and west of Ueno. Hongō was a ward of the former city of Tokyo until 1947, when it merged with another ward, Koishikawa, to form the modern Bunkyō....
  
  , Tokyo
  Tokyo
  , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
  
   4.3, 4.5, 14.1
• Mount Fuji
  Mount Fuji
  is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
  
   5.2, 16.1
• Matsushima
  Matsushima
  is a group of islands in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. There are some 260 tiny islands covered in pines – hence the name – and is ranked as one of the Three Views of Japan....
  
   Bay 5.2
• Amanohashidate
  Amanohashidate
  Amanohashidate is one of Japan's three scenic views. The sandbar is located in Miyazu Bay in northern Kyoto Prefecture.A thin strip of land connects two opposing sides of Miyazu Bay...
  
   5.2
• Kyūshū
  Kyushu
  is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
  
   5.2
• Miyajima Shrine 5.2
• Atami 6.4
• Jikkoku Pass 6.4
• Tanna Tunnel
  Tanna Tunnel
  is a railroad tunnel in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan operated by JR Central’s Tōkaidō Main Line. This 7.8 km long tunnel shortened the trunk route between Tokyo and Kobe by omitting a detour round the mountains between Atami and Numazu.-History:...
  
   6.4
• Kannami 6.4
• Gifu Prefecture
  Gifu Prefecture
  is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...
  
   7.1
• Aomori
  Aomori, Aomori
  is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 302,068 and a density of 366 persons per km². Its total area was 824.52 km².- History :...
  
   8.2
• Hirosaki 8.2
• North and South Tsumaru District 8.2
• Hongo
  Hongo
  Hongō is a district of Tokyo located in Bunkyō-ku, due north of the Tokyo Imperial Palace and west of Ueno. Hongō was a ward of the former city of Tokyo until 1947, when it merged with another ward, Koishikawa, to form the modern Bunkyō....
  
  , Tokyo
  Tokyo
  , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
  
   8.3, 8.4
• North Kamakura valley 8.4
• Totsuka Station
  Totsuka Station
  is a railway station on the East Japan Railway Company located in Totsuka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is served by the Tōkaidō Main Line, Yokosuka Line and Shōnan-Shinjuku Line and is 40.9 kilometers from the terminus of the Tōkaidō Main Line at Tokyo Station.- History :Totsuka...
  
   and Hodogaya Station
  Hodogaya Station
  is a railway station on the East Japan Railway Company located in Hodogaya Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is served by the Tōkaidō Main Line, Yokosuka Line and Shōnan-Shinjuku Line and is 31.8 kilometers from the terminus of the Yokosuka Line at Tokyo Station.- History :Hodogaya...
  
   8.4, 15.4, 16.3
• Tochigi
  Tochigi
  Tochigi can refer to:* Tochigi Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture* Tochigi, Tochigi, a city in Tochigi prefecture, Japan* Tochigi Station, a railroad station in Tochigi city, Japan.* Tochigi S.C., a Japanese soccer club...
  
   9.1
• Hase district, Kamakura
  Kamakura, Kanagawa
  is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
  
   9.2
• Ikegami Grove, Tokyo
  Tokyo
  , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
  
   10.2, 11.2
• Kemigawa, Chiba 10.3
• Hatakemachi, Chiba 10.3
• Okinawa 11.1
• Ikegami Hommonji Temple, Tokyo
  Tokyo
  , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
  
   11.2
• Shinjuku Gardens, Tokyo
  Tokyo
  , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
  
   11.2, 11.3, 12.1
• Rendaiji Spa, Izu Peninsula
  Izu Peninsula
  The is a large mountainous peninsula with deeply indented coasts to the west of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of the island of Honshū, Japan. Formerly the eponymous Izu Province, Izu peninsula is now a part of Shizuoka Prefecture...
  
   13.1
• Harvard and Boston University
  Boston University
  Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
  
   13.2
• Tsukiji
  Tsukiji
  Tsukiji is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan, the site of the Tsukiji fish market. Literally meaning "reclaimed land," it lies near the Sumida River on land reclaimed from Tokyo Bay in the 18th century, during the Edo period....
  
   geisha district 14.1, 14.3
• Tokyo Central Station 14.3
• Shinshu 14.3, 16.3, 16.5
• Kudan Hill and the Palace
  Kokai
  A kokai or kokai tokkyo koho is a published, unexamined Japanese patent application, in contrast to the kokoku or tokkyo koho, the examined and approved Japanese patent application. Kokai means "open to the public", or "laid-open". Kokai are published eighteen months after the earliest priority...
  
   moat, Tokyo
  Tokyo
  , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
  
   15.1
• Tsurumi Station
  Tsurumi Station
  is a railway station operated by JR East located in Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is an interchange between the Keihin-Tōhoku Line and the Tsurumi Line , and is 52.0 kilometers from the terminus of the Keihin-Tōhoku Line at Ōmiya Station...
  
   15.1
• Sanshiro's Lake at Tokyo University 15.3
• Tohoku University
  Tohoku University
  , abbreviated to , located in the city of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture in the Tōhoku Region, Japan, is a Japanese national university. It is the third oldest Imperial University in Japan and is a member of the National Seven Universities...
  
   15.3
• Manchuria
  Manchuria
  Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
  
   15.3
• National Botanical Gardens
  United States Botanic Garden
  The United States Botanic Garden is a botanic garden on the grounds of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., near Garfield Circle....
  
   (U.S.) 15.3
• Numazu 15.4
• Ofuna Station
  Ofuna Station
  is a railway station in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company .-Lines:Ōfuna Station is served by the Tōkaidō Main Line, Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, Negishi Line , Yokosuka Line as well as the Shonan Monorail....
  
   16.1, 16.3
• Mountains of Echigo 16.2
• Yokohama
  Yokohama
  is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
  
   16.2, 16.3
• Buffalo, New York
  Buffalo, New York
  Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
  
   16.4

Flora and fauna

• Whelk
  Whelk
  Whelk, also spelled welk or even "wilks", is a common name used to mean one or more kinds of sea snail. The species, genera and families referred to using this common name vary a great deal from one geographic area to another...
  
   1.3, 1.4
• Prawn
  Prawn
  Prawns are decapod crustaceans of the sub-order Dendrobranchiata. There are 540 extant species, in seven families, and a fossil record extending back to the Devonian...
  
  , lobster
  Lobster
  Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
  
  , herring
  Herring
  Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
  
  , minnow
  Minnow
  Minnow is a general term used to refer to small freshwater and saltwater fish, especially those used as bait fish or for fishing bait. More specifically, it refers to small freshwater fish of the carp family.-True minnows:...
  
   1.3
• ginkgo nut 1.3, 1.4
• Sunflower
  Sunflower
  Sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...
  
   2.2, 4.1, 13.2, 16.4
• Swallowtail
  Swallowtail butterfly
  Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies that form the family Papilionidae. There are over 550 species, and though the majority are tropical, members of the family are found on all continents except Antarctica...
  
   butterfly
  Butterfly
  A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
  
   2.3
• Bush clover 2.3, 4.1
• Pine
  Pine
  Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
  
   2.3, 5.2, 10.2
• Locust
  Locust
  Locusts are the swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae. These are species that can breed rapidly under suitable conditions and subsequently become gregarious and migratory...
  
   2.4
• Cherry
  Cherry
  The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....
  
   2.4, 4.1, 6.4, 9.1, 9.3, 11.3, 12.1, 15.4
• Maple
  Maple
  Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
  
   (bonsai
  Bonsai
  is a Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in containers. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ...
  
   or normal) 3.2, 9.2, 16.2, 16.3, 16.5
• Ginkgo 4.1, 8.3
• Bamboo
  Bamboo
  Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
  
   4.1, 6.4
• Susuki grass
  Miscanthus sinensis
  Miscanthus sinensis Miscanthus sinensis Miscanthus sinensis (Chinese silver grass, Eulalia grass, maiden grass, zebra grass, Susuki grass, porcupine grass; syn. Eulalia japonica Trin., Miscanthus sinensis f. glaber Honda, Miscanthus sinensis var. gracillimus Hitchc., Miscanthus sinensis var....
  
   4.1, 4.5, 5.4, 15.4, 16.4
• Amaranth
  Amaranth
  Amaranthus, collectively known as amaranth, is a cosmopolitan genus of herbs. Approximately 60 species are recognized, with inflorescences and foliage ranging from purple and red to gold...
  
   4.1
• Chestnut
  Chestnut
  Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
  
   4.2
• Sparrow
  Sparrow
  The sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer...
  
   4.4, 4.5, 5.4
• Bunting
  Bunting
  Bunting can refer to:* Bunting , a group of birds* An infant sleeping bag* The act of laying down a bunt, a type of offensive play in baseball* Bunting , a lightweight cloth material often used for flags and festive decorations...
  
   4.5, 5.4
• Four Princes pattern: orchid, bamboo
  Bamboo
  Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
  
  , ume
  Ume
  Prunus mume, with the common names including Chinese plum and Japanese apricot, is an Asian tree species classified in the Armeniaca section of the genus Prunus. The flower, long a beloved subject in the traditional painting of East Asia, is usually translated as plum blossom. This distinct tree...
  
  , chrysanthemum
  Chrysanthemum
  Chrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe.-Etymology:...
  
   5.1
• Thistle
  Thistle
  Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles often occur all over the plant – on surfaces such as those of the stem and flat parts of leaves. These are an adaptation that protects the...
  
   5.4
• Plum
  Plum
  A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds , the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one...
  
  , peach
  Peach
  The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
  
  , apricot
  Apricot
  The apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.- Description :...
  
   6.4
• Duck
  Duck
  Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
  
   6.4
• Azalea
  Azalea
  Azaleas are flowering shrubs comprising two of the eight subgenera of the genus Rhododendron, Pentanthera and Tsutsuji . Azaleas bloom in spring, their flowers often lasting several weeks...
  
   6.4
• Dog
  Dog
  The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
  
   other than Teru 6.4, 15.1
• Loquat
  Loquat
  The loquat , Eriobotrya japonica, is a fruit tree in the family Rosaceae, indigenous to southeastern China. It was formerly thought to be closely related to the genus Mespilus, and is still sometimes known as the Japanese medlar...
  
   7.4, 11.3
• Plum
  Plum
  A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds , the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one...
  
   8.4
• Yatsude (Fatsia
  Fatsia
  Fatsia is a small genus of three species of evergreen shrubs native to southern Japan and Taiwan. They have stout, sparsely branched stems bearing spirally-arranged, large leathery, palmately lobed leaves 20-50 cm in width, on a petiole up to 50 cm long, and small creamy-white flowers in...
  
   japonica) 9.1, 11.3, 12.1, 13.2
• Camellia
  Camellia
  Camellia, the camellias, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalaya east to Korea and Indonesia. There are 100–250 described species, with some controversy over the exact number...
  
   (bonsai
  Bonsai
  is a Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in containers. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ...
  
  ) 9.2
• Kikyo
  Chinese bellflower
  Platycodon grandiflorus is a species of perennial flowering plant of the family Campanulaceae and the only member of the genus Platycodon . This species is known as platycodon or Chinese bellflower...
  
   (Japanese bellflower) 9.4
• Black lily 9.4
• White hyacinth 9.4
• Black camellia
  Camellia
  Camellia, the camellias, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalaya east to Korea and Indonesia. There are 100–250 described species, with some controversy over the exact number...
  
   9.4
• Kite
  Black Kite
  The Black Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. Unlike others of the group, they are opportunistic hunters and are more likely to scavenge. They spend a lot of time soaring and gliding in thermals in search of food. Their...
  
   10.1
• Crow
  Crow
  Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
  
   10.1, 12.3, 12.4
• Flea
  Flea
  Flea is the common name for insects of the order Siphonaptera which are wingless insects with mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood...
  
  , mosquito
  Mosquito
  Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
  
   10.1
• Aodaisho (Japanese Rat Snake
  Rat snake
  Rat snakes are medium to large constrictors that can be found through a great portion of the northern hemisphere. They feed primarily on rodents and birds and, with some species exceeding 3 m , they can occupy top levels of some food chains. Many species make attractive and docile pets and one,...
  
  , Elaphe
  Elaphe
  Elaphe is one of the main genera of the rat snakes, which are found in many regions of the northern hemisphere. Elaphe are medium to large constrictors by nature....
  
   climacophora) 10.1
• Lotus
  Nelumbo nucifera
  Nelumbo nucifera, known by a number of names including Indian Lotus, Sacred Lotus, Bean of India, or simply Lotus, is a plant in the monogeneric family Nelumbonaceae...
  
   10.3, 15.3, 15.4
• German Pointer 11.3
• Deodar 11.3
• Japanese arborvitae (Thuja standishii
  Thuja standishii
  Thuja standishii is a species of thuja, an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae. It is native to southern Japan, where it occurs on the islands of Honshū and Shikoku...
  
  ) 11.3
• Utsukushimatsu pine
  Pine
  Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
  
   (Pinus densiflora form. umbraculifera) 11.3
• Keyaki (Japanese grey-bark elm
  Elm
  Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
  
  , Zelkova serrata) 11.3
• Tulip tree ("lily tree") 11.3
• Rose
  Rose
  A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
  
   11.4
• Chrysanthemum
  Chrysanthemum
  Chrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe.-Etymology:...
  
   (Western) 13.2, 15.4
• Abalone
  Abalone
  Abalone , from aulón, are small to very large-sized edible sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Haliotidae and the genus Haliotis...
  
   shells 13.2
• Marguerite
  Marguerite
  Marguerite is the French form of a female given name which derives from the Greek Μαργαρίτης meaning "pearl")...
  
   13.2
• Dahlia
  Dahlia
  Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, perennial plants native to Mexico, Central America, and Colombia. There are at least 36 species of dahlia, some like D. imperialis up to 10 metres tall. Dahlia hybrids are commonly grown as garden plants...
  
   13.2
• Acacia
  Acacia
  Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
  
   15.1
• Suzumushi
  Suzumushi
  is the Japanese name for the bell cricket, also known as the bell-ring cricket. It is known particularly for its song.-Japanese literature:...
  
   (Bell Cricket, Homoeogryllus orientalis) 15.2
• Matsumushi (Pine Cricket, Madasumma marmorata?) 15.2
• Ostrich
  Ostrich
  The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
  
   15.2
• Snake
  Snake
  Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
  
   (generic) 15.2, 15.3
• Equinox lily 15.4
• Gourd
  Gourd
  A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons. The term 'gourd' however, can more specifically, refer to the plants of the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita or also to their hollow dried out shell...
  
   vine
  Vine
  A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...
  
   16.4, 16.5
• Pigeon 16.4
• Trout
  Trout
  Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
  
   16.5

Cultural references

• Lys Gauty record, the theme song from Quatorze Juillet 3.1
• mikoshi
  Mikoshi
  A is a divine palanquin . Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle to transport a deity in Japan while moving between main shrine and temporary shrine during a festival or when moving to a new shrine...
  
   shrine 3.3
• Kanjincho, a kabuki
  Kabuki
  is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
  
   play with actors Koshiro, Uzaemon, Kikugoro 3.3
• Shigaraki vase 4.1
• kotatsu
  Kotatsu
  A is a low, wooden table frame covered by a futon, or heavy blanket, upon which a table top sits. Underneath is a heat source, often built into the table itself. Kotatsu are used almost exclusively in Japan, although similar devices are used elsewhere....
  
   5.1
• obi
  Obi
  Obi may refer to:* Obi , a sash worn with a kimono or with the uniforms used by practitioners of Japanese martial arts* Obi-Wan Kenobi, fictional character from the Star Wars universe...
  
   5.1, 9.1, 11.1, 12.1, 12.2, 12.4
• The Four Princes pattern 5.1
• varieties of tea
  Tea
  Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
  
  : gyokuro and bancha 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 8.3
• Noh
  Noh
  , or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
  
   masks: jido and kasshiki (children) 4.3, 5.2, 9.4
• Muromachi Period
  Muromachi period
  The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
  
   5.3
• Toyotomi Hideyoshi
  Toyotomi Hideyoshi
  was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
  
   5.3
• Sotatsu
  Tawaraya Sotatsu
  was a Japanese artist and also the co-founder of the Rimpa school of Japanese painting. Sōtatsu began to work as a fan-painter in Kyoto. Later, he rose to work for the court as a producer of fine decorated papers for calligraphy. He was highly influenced by Kyoto’s courtly culture...
  
  , a painter 5.4
• Kamakura's 700th anniversary and temple bell 9.1
• Viscount Masanori Takagi (died 1948) 9.1
• Gandhi 9.1
• "The Spiteful Years" refers to The Hateful Age by Fumio Niwa
  Fumio Niwa
  was a Japanese novelist with a long list of works, the most famous in the West being his novel The Buddha Tree .-Career:...
  
   9.1
• Hikari cigarettes 9.2
• Great Buddha of Kamakura 9.3, 16.4
• Akiko Yosano (1878–1942) 9.3

A summer grove, Kamakura

Kamakura, Kanagawa

is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...

; a Buddha

Buddhahood

In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...

 he may be,

But a handsome man he also is, Lord Sakyamuni. (should have been "Amitabha

Amitabha

Amitābha is a celestial buddha described in the scriptures of the Mahāyāna school of Buddhism...

")

• Shichi-Go-San
  Shichi-Go-San
  is a traditional rite of passage and festival day in Japan for three- and seven-year-old girls and three- and five-year-old boys, held annually on November 15...
  
   ("Seven-Five-Three Day", November 15) 9.3
• Taigu Ryokan (1757/8-1831) 9.3

In the heavens, a high wind. (Shingo's is a forgery

Forgery

Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...

)

• Passage from an unspecified Noh
  Noh
  , or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
  
   play 9.4
• Rikyu
  Sen no Rikyu
  , is considered the historical figure with the most profound influence on chanoyu, the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of wabi-cha...
  
   and the Enshu School of tea ceremony
  Tea ceremony
  A tea ceremony is a ritualised form of making tea. The term generally refers to either chayi Chinese tea ceremony, chado Japanese tea ceremony, tarye Korean tea ceremony. The Japanese tea ceremony is more well known, and was influenced by the Chinese tea ceremony during ancient and medieval times....
  
   9.4
• Kankyuan School of tea ceremony
  Tea ceremony
  A tea ceremony is a ritualised form of making tea. The term generally refers to either chayi Chinese tea ceremony, chado Japanese tea ceremony, tarye Korean tea ceremony. The Japanese tea ceremony is more well known, and was influenced by the Chinese tea ceremony during ancient and medieval times....
  
  , the Mushanokoji family 9.4
• Yayoi Period archaeological excavation 10.3, 15.3
• juban 11.1
• Les Sylphides, ballet
  Ballet
  Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
  
   music by Chopin
  Frédéric Chopin
  Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
  
   11.2
• Russo-Japanese War
  Russo-Japanese War
  The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
  
   11.3
• Ogai Mori (1862–1922) 12.3

All very stupid. (last words)

• Kazan Watanabe (1793–1841) 12.3, 12.4

A stubborn crow in the dawn: the rains of June. Kazan (ink wash)

• Buson 12.4

I try to forget this senile love; a chilly autumn shower. (haiku

Haiku

' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...

)

• Haiku
  Haiku
  ' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...
  
  , poetic expressions involving trout
  Trout
  Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
  
   16.5

The Sound of the Mountain is unusually long for a Kawabata novel, running to 276 pages in its English translation. As is characteristic of much of his work, it is written in short, spare prose akin to poetry, which Seidensticker himself likened to a haiku

Haiku

' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...

 in the introduction to his translation of Kawabata's best-known novel, Snow Country

Snow Country

is the first full-length novel by the Nobel Prize-winning Japanese author Yasunari Kawabata. The novel established Kawabata as one of Japan's foremost authors and became an instant classic.- Name :...

.