Rashomon Gate

This collection includes both the historical stories and novellas that brought Akutagawa world fame and are automatically associated with his name (including the legendary "In a Grove," which served as the basis for the screenplay of Kurosawa's immortal film "Rashomon") as well as less known to the Western reader tales that are even more revered in the author's homeland, set against the backdrop of the modern reality of early 20th century Japan, which still retains many features of national individuality but is eagerly and rapidly "Europeanizing." Noteworthy are the recurring reminiscences in Akutagawa's work of classic Russian literature, which he admired without bounds and from which, alongside his native history, he found an inexhaustible source of inspiration.