Rashomon

Ryūnosuke Akutagawa’s short story, “Rashōmon,” originally published in 1916, is a fictional story that details a man on the brink of death who must decide between maintaining his morals and dying or becoming a thief to save his own life. “Rashōmon” sets about to tackle themes of poverty, morality, and survival. Akutagawa is a renowned Japanese author who has been widely named the “father of Japanese short stories.” In addition, Japan’s most prestigious literary award, the Akutagawa Prize, was named after him. Akutagawa uses the unnamed characters in “Rashōmon” to interrogate ideas of poverty, morality, and moral corruption. Other works by Akutagawa include “The Nose” and “In a Grove”.

This guide refers to the version of “Rashōmon” in the 2006 Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories, translated from Japanese to English by Jay Rubin.

The protagonist, a former servant of a samurai, stands alone under the Rashōmon, a destroyed gate at the southern entrance into the city of Kyoto, waiting for the rain to stop. The story takes place after dark: It is cold and the wind howls through the deserted gate. The narration reflects on the state of the city of Kyoto, which has been ravaged by calamities, earthquakes, whirlwinds, and fires.