Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa

Quote by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa

“He did not know why she pulled out the hair of the dead. Accordingly, he did not know whether her case was to be put down as good or bad. But in his eyes, pulling out the hair of the dead in the Rashomon on this stormy night was an unpardonable crime. Of course it never entered his mind that a little while ago he had though of becoming a thief”

Quote by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa

Work

Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories

Browse quotes and source details for this work. more

Author

Ryūnosuke Akutagawa

Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (March 1, 1892 – July 24, 1927) was a renowned Japanese writer of the Taishō period, often hailed as the 'god of the short story.' Born in Tokyo, he was adopted by his uncle and graduated from Tokyo Imperial University with a degree in English literature. Akutagawa is best known for his masterful short stories such as 'Rashōmon,' 'In a Grove,' and 'Kappa,' which explore the dark side of human nature with sharp psychological insight and innovative narrative techniques. His works blend classical Japanese themes with modernist sensibilities, leaving a lasting impact on world literature. Struggling with mental and physical health issues, he died by suicide at age 35. The Akutagawa Prize, established in his honor, remains one of Japan's most prestigious literary awards. more

You May Also Like

“On the tray were two plates of a yellowish curry. "Today's menu is shirobanba. Monday is shirobanba day." "Curry always perks me up." Minami nodded. "What do you mean by shirobanba?" Otoha asked. "You don't know?" Kinoshita asked. "You haven't read it? It's from Yasushi Inoue's novel Shirobanba. It's a re-creation of the curry an old woman in the story cooks. Shirobanba, by the way, are the so-called snow bugs, teeny tiny insects that have a white puff on their wings that looks like cotton. They look like little flakes of snow.”