, translated into English as ''A Late Chrysanthemum'' and ''Late Chrysanthemum'', is a short story by Japanese writer Fumiko Hayashi, first published in 1948. It received the Women's Literary Award the same year and was later adapted into a film. The story describes an ageing ex-

geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female ...

who makes preparations to meet a former lover while reflecting on her past life.

Plot

56-year-old ex-geisha Kin receives a phone call from her former lover Tabe, with whom she had a passionate affair before he was drafted as an officer into the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...

. While making preparations for meeting the much younger Tabe, eager to look as youthful as possible, she reflects on her past life. Fleeing from an abusive acquaintance of her adoptive parents, she became a geisha, whose portrait was even printed on magazine covers and postcards, and based her relationships with men mainly on materialistic terms. Kin survived the war as an owner of a house and now makes her income as a money lender and by speculating in the real estate business. When Tabe finally arrives, Kin is disappointed by the commonness of his appearance and the fact that he wants to borrow money from her. Tabe gets drunk and aggressive, outraged even more by Kin's refusal to lend him money than her rejection of his advances. While he is out of the room, Kin, disgusted by his behaviour, burns a photograph of him which she had kept through the years.

Publishing history

''Bangiku'' was first published in the November 1948 edition of ''

Bungei Shunjū Bungei may refer to: * ''Bungei'' (magazine), a Japanese literary magazine * The Bungei Prize, a literary prize of Japan, awarded by ''Bungei'' * Bungeishunjū, a Japanese publishing company known for its literary magazine of the same name * Wilf ...

'' magazine and in book form by

Shinchōsha is a publisher founded in 1896 in Japan and headquartered in Yaraichō, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Shinchosha is one of the sponsors of the Japan Fantasy Novel Award. Books * Haruki Murakami: '' Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World'' (198 ...

in 1952.

Translations

Hayashi's story was first translated into English by

John Bester John Bester (1927-2010), born and educated in England, was one of the foremost translators of modern Japanese fiction. He was a graduate of the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies. Works * ''Classic Bonsai of Japan'' (Ne ...

as ''Late Chrysanthemum'' in 1956 and later by Lane Dunlop as ''A Late Chrysanthemum'' in 1986.

Reception

Reviewing Lane Dunlops new translation for the anthology ''A Late Chrysanthemum: Twenty-One Stories from the Japanese'', Stephen Mansfield, writing for

The Japan Times ''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc.. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...

, described the title-giving story as "a poignant and meticulously detailed portrait of a woman in her late 50s", resonating, like the other stories included, with "pathos and resigned maturity".

Adaptations

''Bangiku'' was adapted into a film in 1954, ''

Late Chrysanthemums is a 1954 Japanese drama film directed by Mikio Naruse. It follows four retired geisha and their struggles to make ends meet in post World War II Japan. The film is based on three short stories by female author Fumiko Hayashi. Plot ''Late Chrysa ...

'', scripted by

Sumie Tanaka was a Japanese screenwriter and playwright with a feminist agenda. She was a long-time collaborator of film director Mikio Naruse and wrote screenplays for Japan's first major female director Kinuyo Tanaka. A member of the Bungakuza theatre c ...

and directed by

Mikio Naruse was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 89 films spanning the period 1930 to 1967. Naruse is known for imbuing his films with a bleak and pessimistic outlook. He made primarily shomin-geki ("common people drama") films with female protagonists, ...

. The film also incorporated Hayashi's stories ''Shirasagi'' and ''Suisen'' (both 1949). An adaptation for Japanese television was screened in 1960.

References

Bibliography

* * {{cite book, title=A Late Chrysanthemum: Twenty-One Stories from the Japanese , translator-last=Dunlop , translator-first=Lane , year=1986 , pages=95–112 , publisher=North Point Press , location=San Francisco 1948 short stories Japanese short stories Japanese short stories adapted into films Works by Japanese writers Literature by women Shōwa period in fiction