This long short story has been described by some as a novella, but I love it for both for its air of cruelty and perversion, and also the paradoxical tenderness between Shun-kin, the blind shamisen player, and her devoted servant Sasuke. Shun-kin remains aloof, dedicated to her art above all else, while Sasuke is possessed by her beauty and will do anything to remain in proximity to his mistress. Tanizaki’s style in translation is poised, elegant and devastating. Both a portrait of the aesthetic priorities of the Taishō era and the timelessly dark nature of erotic obsession.
First published by Sōgensha in 1933. Translation published in Seven Japanese Tales, Vintage, 1996
A Personal Anthology 