Kurosivo

«Kurosivo» — the most famous work of the Japanese classic Tokutomi Roka, dedicated to the turning point in Japanese history when, after centuries of shogunate rule, power returned to the imperial house. Feudal Japan opened up to the world, and... tumultuous transformations began in all spheres of life. Old customs and traditions crumbled, and the samurai class became a relic of the past, replaced by a new elite — merchants, capitalists, and bankers.
The novel features many characters who alternate, allowing a glimpse of events from different angles and making the picture rich and polyphonic. But the central characters are the people of a bygone era. Saburo Higashi, an elderly, maimed samurai, a loyal supporter of the overthrown shogunate, is unwilling to reconcile with the new order, but has no power to turn back time. Even war has changed. The proud old warrior relentlessly loses his final battle... Sadako, the impeccable lady of the Tokugawa era, whose manners and principles seem ridiculous and inappropriate in the new order...
These people desperately try to find their place in the new world.
The socio-philosophical content of «Kurosivo» bears distinct traces of the influence of Leo Tolstoy, whom Tokutomi Roka admired and followed. At the same time, it is a deeply national work, written with immense compassion for fellow countrymen who happened to live at the turn of the era.