Sawako Ariyoshi with a Generational Tale

The River Ki by Sawako Ariyoshi is a beautifully written novel that opens a window into Japan's historic shift in social culture and separation from tradition. The story begins at the turn of the 20^th Century, when high ranking family names and samurai titles still had a hold on the land. Traditional life was very much alive and complimented with intriguing myth and rituals practiced by the Japanese for generations. Among these myths are tales of the River Ki that seem to indirectly shape the lives of three generations of women that live along its banks. The first daughter Hana is told by her grandmother that a woman must travel down the River Ki on the day of her wedding, since going against the flow of the river is bad luck. It is like going against the will of nature. Like all the brides of her family did so before, Hana would travel down the river to meet her husband on her wedding day.

This tale is infused with rich symbolism of the River Ki, though it offers an even more unique glimpse at the rapid social shifts that changed the face of Japan. The tradition, rituals and social rules that Hana so gracefully practices seem only to offend her daughter Fumio. It is probable the focus on Fumio holds the most importance, since Hana's other daughters seem to accept the old traditional ways with pleasure. Fumio represents the shift in a woman's role in Japan, and this is presented with a saddening desperation from her mother Hana. She cannot find a way to get through to her daughter, and the tradition is slowly slipping away.

Sawako Ariyoshi is one of the most popular and successful modern writers of Japan. Her ability to craft beautiful prose only adds to each story rich with compelling characters and historic context. This author follows the ever-changing waves of life in 20^th Century Japan at a time when war and social upheaval paved the way for modern development. This rapid shift came to Hana like a rug pulled out from underneath her family tree. The framework in which the greatness of the Matani family was built had become obsolete and thus disintegrated with the changing times.