The Sound of Waves

1954 novel by Yukio Mishima

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The Sound Of Waves

First edition

Author| Yukio Mishima
Original title| Shiosai
Translator| Meredith Weatherby
Illustrator| Yoshinori Kinoshita
Language| Japanese
Genre| Romance
Publisher| Alfred A. Knopf (Eng. translation)

Publication date

| 1954
Publication place| Japan

Published in English

| 1956

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The Sound of Waves (潮騒, Shiosai) is a 1954 novel by the Japanese author Yukio Mishima. It is a coming-of-age story of the protagonist Shinji and his romance with Hatsue,[1] the beautiful daughter of the wealthy ship owner Terukichi. For this book, Mishima was awarded the Shincho Prize from Shinchosha Publishing in 1954. It has been adapted for film five times.

## Plot

[edit]

Shinji Kubo lives with his mother, a pearl diver, and his younger brother, Hiroshi. He and his mother support the family because Shinji's father died in World War II after the fishing boat he was on was strafed by an American bomber. However, the family lives a somewhat peaceful life and Shinji is content to be a fisherman along with his master, Jukichi Oyama, and another apprentice, Ryuji.

Things change when Terukichi Miyata, after the death of his son, decides to bring back the daughter he adopted away to pearl divers from another island. Raised as a pearl diver, the beautiful Hatsue wins many admirers, including Shinji. The prospect of marrying Hatsue becomes even more attractive when the wealthy Miyata intends to adopt the man who marries Hatsue as his own son and heir. Shinji and Hatsue soon fall in love.

When Chiyoko, the daughter of the Lighthouse-Keeper and his wife, returns from studying at a university in Tokyo, she is disappointed to discover Shinji, whom she has affections for, has fallen in love with someone else. She takes advantage of the jealous Yasuo Kawamoto, an arrogant and selfish admirer of Hatsue, and uses Yasuo to spread vicious rumours of Shinji stealing away Hatsue's virginity. Jealous because he thinks that Shinji will take Hatsue's virginity, Yasuo tries to rape Hatsue at night when it's Hatsue's turn to fill up her bucket of water. The attempt is unsuccessful when he is stung by hornets as he tries to strip her clothes off. Humiliated, he makes a deal with Hatsue: he will refill the bucket and carry it down the stone steps for her, and Hatsue must not tell anyone he was trying to rape her.

When Terukichi finds out the rumor, he forbids Hatsue to see Shinji, but through Jukichi and Ryuji, the two manage to continue communicating with one another by means of secret letters. Terukichi steadfastly refuses to see Shinji for an explanation and when Shinji's mother, who knows her son will never deliberately lie, goes to see Terukichi, his refusal to see her only increases the tension between Shinji and Hatsue. Chiyoko, before returning to Tokyo, becomes filled with remorse after Shinji off-handedly replies that she is pretty when she asks him if he thinks she is unattractive. She returns to Tokyo with guilt that she ruined Shinji's chance at happiness.

Terukichi mysteriously employs Yasuo and Shinji on one of his shipping vessels. When the vessel is caught in a storm, Shinji’s courage and willpower allow him to brave the storm and save the ship. Terukichi's intentions are revealed when Chiyoko's mother receives a letter from Chiyoko, who refuses to return home, explaining that she feels she cannot return and see Shinji unhappy because she was the one who started the rumors. The lighthouse keeper's wife confronts Terukichi, who reveals that he intends to adopt Shinji as Hatsue's husband. Employing the boys on the ship had been a test to which one was most suitable for his daughter and Shinji's act to save the vessel had earned Terukichi’s respect and permission to wed his daughter.

## Adaptations

[edit]

An animated adaptation was released in North America by Central Park Media.[2] Five live action adaptions have been released in 1954, 1964, 1971, 1975 and 1985.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "潮騒" (in Japanese). kotobank. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
2. ^ "New Video Releases." Central Park Media. February 8, 2003. Retrieved on October 10, 2009.

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Yukio Mishima

* Bibliography

Prose books|

* Confessions of a Mask (1949)
* Thirst for Love (1950)
* Forbidden Colors (1951, 1953)
* Death in Midsummer and Other Stories (1952)
* The Sound of Waves (1954)
* The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (1956)
* Kyoko's House (1959)
* After the Banquet (1960)
* The Frolic of the Beasts (1961)
* The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea (1963)
* The School of Flesh (1964)
* Silk and Insight (1964)
* Acts of Worship (1965)
* Sun and Steel (1968)
* Life for Sale (1968)
* The Sea of Fertility
* Spring Snow (1969)
* Runaway Horses (1969)
* The Temple of Dawn (1970)
* The Decay of the Angel (1971)

Short stories|

* "Death in Midsummer" (1952)
* "Patriotism" (1960)
* "Star" (1960)

Drama|

* Five Modern Noh Plays (1950–1955)
* The Lady Aoi (1954)
* Iwashi Uri Koi Hikiami (1954)
* Rokumeikan (1956)
* Madame de Sade (1965)
* My Friend Hitler (1968)

Film|

* Patriotism (1966)

Works about|

* The Moon in the Water (1979)
* Mishima: A Vision of the Void (1981)
* Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)
* 11:25 The Day He Chose His Own Fate (2012)
* Persona: A Biography of Yukio Mishima (2012)

Related topics|

* Conservatism in Japan
* Tatenokai
* Yukio Mishima Prize
* The Lady Aoi (Bahram Beyzai production)

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