Spanning 60 years of 20th century Japanese literature, this anthology covers Japan's growth from a more traditional country into a distinctly modern one. Most of these stories had not been previously translated into English, opening up a vast new literary canon to Western readers. Award-winning translation Lane Dunlop introduces a cast of characters that stray beyond stereotypical images of bowing geisha and dark-suited businessmen.

The 14 stories include:

The Fox by Nagai Kafu

Flash Storm by Satomi Ton

One Woman and the War by Sakaguchi Ango

Borneo Diamond by Hayashi Fumiko

Invitation to Suicide by Watanabe Jun'ichi

Lovers of fiction and students of Japan are certain to find these stories absorbing, engaging and instructive.