The title story of an early collection, following a boy who walks alone along the riverside road to the house where his father lives with another woman. Its quiet prose brings out an old-before-his-time sensibility and the loss of having nowhere to return.

A boy walks alone along the riverside road leading to the house where his father lives with another woman.

A short story about a boy, praised for its scene of picking up barracuda and its seascape imagery, even as its handling of Amami dialect drew some concern. Its vivid descriptive power and youthful momentum leave a strong impression.

The opening passage about picking up barracuda is especially strong.