Being that August is Women in Translation Month, I have decided to translate Japanese author Hayashi Fumiko’s story “The Accordion and the Fish Town”. This happens to be her first published short story and is about a family of three traveling in the scenic town of Onomichi, which is said to be based on her own experiences traveling there. I added a handful of translation notes for this story to help in understanding.
I’ve also included an essay of hers “My Life”, where Hayashi talks in detail about her difficult daily schedule as an author. This work provides a unique window into the life as a Japanese writer during the early 20th century.
These stories are now available here for only $0.99 USD (or equivalent), or you can check out the series of all my Hayashi Fumiko E-books here, or my paperback here (which doesn’t include these stories).
Thanks to author and educator Kaimai Mizuhiro (開米瑞浩) for helping confirm some of the meanings of the tricker passages. Also thanks to Priya Singh for for help proofreading these stories.
Hayashi Fumiko’s works are both a joy to read as well as translate, and if you are interested in Japanese womens’ literature I highly recommend you check out her works.