The Journey

By Jirō Osaragi

Book Overview

Tuttle Publishing is proud to offer newly redesigned editions of some of Japan's greatest writers from medieval to modern times. Tuttle Classics of Japanese Literature are a vital and affordable introduction. Begin building your collection now This touching allegorical novel about a man who is almost destroyed by his lust for money and the accumulation of wealth is a masterful depiction of the new moral reality facing post-war Japan.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0804832552
• ISBN13: 9780804832557
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Tuttle Pub
• Length: 342 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 1.0" x 5.0"

Customer Reviews

Destination Unknown

"The Journey" is a realistic and rich novel which deals with the themes of love and greed in Japan near the end of the American Occupation. The author creates a sensitive portrait of the impact of American influence in Japan. The changing country is on a journey, but the country is not the only "character" which is on a journey. What makes the novel so interesting is that all the characters and their relationships with each other form a kind of web. They all affect each other in their actions and decisions. The main characters of the novel are affected by the changes caused by American influence on Japanese society and culture. Taeko uses the freedom in post-war Japan to get a job and to try to make something out of her life, while other characters, such as Ryosuke, use this change for purposes of greed. Okamoto is the opposite of Ryosuke. He changes his attitude on life and abandons the path of greed which he had followed all of his life. The character development is especially fascinating because the characters are changing for the better or for the worse in a country that is also changing for the better or the worse. While the era in which the novel is set in may be in the past, we can all relate to the characters in the novel because the themes and problems of their lives are timeless.