Keizo Hino’s short story illuminates a dark emotional gulf between a man and a woman under the evening sun. Urban unease and postwar sensibility overlap, making it a turning point in his career as an Akutagawa Prize winner.

The evening sun exposes the dark bottom of a relationship.

Hiroo Sakata’s novel concerns faith, family, and memory. Known also for children’s literature and poetry, the author quietly depicts inner life and the weight of belief in this Akutagawa Prize winner.

Like a vessel formed from earth, human fragility and faith are shaped in the story.