HYDRANGEA by NAGAI KAFU

INTRODUCTION

            The story tells of a man Sokichi and how he met his fair woman who is a geisha that even in her death, he still cherishes her.

SUMMARY

             A man walk through Komagome one day and met by chance a samisen player, named Tsurusawa Sokichi, whom he had taken lessons one day.

             The two talked about how are they these days and the man confessed that he had a shabby little geisha house covering his music before.

              The two went at the cemetery since the man visited a geisha whom he was fond of.

               As they walked along the nursery shrub, Sokichi related his story.

              Sokichi related that he had once a geisha before living in with him and her name was Kimika.

              Sokichi relates of the murder the geisha gets in Yosicho.

              Sokichi wondered about Kimiki on being so attractive to men and how she could get many of them in a minute moving from one to another. She was like a hydrangea, changing colors in half a dozen.

             Kimika told Sokichi that she had become friendly with the Shinnai singer Shimezo.

            Kimika and Sokichi became lovers. Neither wanted to put the other off, neither wanted to bore the other.

            Kimika’s house was in Kisarazu and she decided to go home for a while. Sokichi permitted her and gave her what she wanted.

           Sokichi’s infatuation grew longer and he wanted to keep her even a day longer as an ordinary woman.

          Kimika moved to Yoshicho and the life that they had together become a nostalgic dream. Sokichi was now able to give lessons since he parted with a geisha.

          Later days had passed, Kimika seem to be gone he looked for her for days and found a note from her on the table of his house which says: ‘I wanted to talk to you but you were out. I have to run. I will stop by on the evening of the thirtieth on my way from the hairdresser’s. Take care of yourself, Kimi.’

         A police told him that the murdered woman in the river was Kimika.

         Shimezo killed Kimika when she hesitates to accept the deal offered though she had charmed but her weakness failed her.

        Sokichi married to a new woman and both moved to Yotsuya.

CULTURAL STRAINS

       Japanese practices are reflected in the following:

       To sprinkle a ritual water to a tombstone; to use a rosary for prayers; to utter a passage from a sutra; a noodle-shop as fast food; and an arrest by the police to the murderer.

CONCLUSION

       The story reveals that Japan did have girls for entertainment and sensual pleasures but the geisha in this story is different because a decent man loved her and she did not agree to the conditions Shimezo had given her. Though she dies her picture would remain in the heart and mind of Sokichi.

Rebecca Rodriguez

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