Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

Recently I picked back up my copy of Akuragawa's short fictions, Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories. His most well known to the west is obviously In A Bamboo Grove, or better known as the film Rashomon directed by Akira Kurosawa.

Anyway I have enjoyed so far Rashomon, In a Bamboo Grove, and I am completing the third story, The Nose.These and three other stories, I have not yet read, are part of his collection titled A World In Decay. Now Rashomon, the short story, pretty much is straight forward on this theme. Yet the next two In a Bamboo Grove and The Nose, seem a little more abstract on this theme.

So has anyone read any of these stories by Akruagawa? I love to discuss them and find out what other peoples interpretations are on them.

I have that book too. Haven't read the whole thing yet (only about the first third), but what I've read so far is interesting. I think my favorite story so far is "Dragon: The Old Potter's Tale." I would say that the book is worth picking up if you have any interest at all in Japanese literature. The cover artwork by A Drifting Life writer/artist Yoshihiro Tatsumi is pretty nice too.

If you're interested in reading a different translation of "In a Grove," this book includes one:

http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Japan-Japa ... 420&sr=1-3

According to the Kurodahan Press website, one of their upcoming volumes of Kaiki: Uncanny Tales From Japan will include a story by Akutagawa. The Japanese title of the story listed on this page came out of Google Translate as "Bizarre Reunion":

http://www.kurodahan.com/mt/e/catalog/j ... .html#more

In addition to Kurosawa's Rashomon there are a few other film adaptations of Akutagawa's work, including an adaptation of "Hell Screen":

http://www.animeigo.com/products/samurai/portrait-hell

I think I have seen the adaption of Hell Screen back when I took a Japanese Lit. class in college. Also were I first read Rashomon and In a Bamboo Grove.

I am excite to read Dragon: The Old Potter's Tail.