Four stories from two of Japan's most beloved and acclaimed fiction writers.

The Izu Dancer was the story that first introduced Kawabata's prodigious talent to the West. This story was originally published in The Atlantic Monthly, in 1958. Stories by Inoue include, “The Counterfeiter," “Obasute," and “The Full Moon." Inoue's stories are at least partially autobiographical, and Inoue's attitudes toward human destiny and fatalism are strongly influenced by his separation from his parents at an early age—yet all of his stories reveal his great compassion for his fellow human being.