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Shimenawa

The story explores themes of suicide, family, and tradition through the mysterious suicide of a popular councilman named Kazuya. While Kazuya was not known to be religious, his use of a sacred rice straw rope called a shimenawa in taking his life adds an layer of mystery over his reasons. The narrator discusses Kazuya's personality and possible motivations but provides no clear reason, leaving some plots unresolved.

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1K views1 page

Shimenawa

The story explores themes of suicide, family, and tradition through the mysterious suicide of a popular councilman named Kazuya. While Kazuya was not known to be religious, his use of a sacred rice straw rope called a shimenawa in taking his life adds an layer of mystery over his reasons. The narrator discusses Kazuya's personality and possible motivations but provides no clear reason, leaving some plots unresolved.

Uploaded by

nicoaviles725
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Naomi Marie V.

Sales 11 – Responsibility
Pt # 1

Shimenawa: A critique

The tale Shimenawa, written by Naoko Kumagai, is a haunting story that explores
themes of suicide, family, and tradition. The narrative revolves around Kazuya, a popular
councilman in his community known for his vibrancy and power. However, his unexpected
suicide leaves a community wondering: what drove him to take his own life? But the
narrator believes that the reason behind why Kazuya took his own life relates to the
statement of a Japanese writer, Yukio Mishima. “You must commit suicide at the height
of your beauty.” Kazuya was only 52 when he took his life, so the narrator wondered “did
he believe he was past his beauty? Was his suicide in part, an act of vanity? Had he
been terrified of getting old?”
The story introduces the concept of shimenawa, it is a sacred rice straw rope used
in Shinto rituals for purification and protection. While Kazuya wasn't known for being
religious, his use of shimenawa in taking his own life adds a layer of mystery. Was it an
attempt at self-cleansing, or something else entirely? The narrative additionally discusses
about the relationship between Kazuya and the younger brother of the author, Jiro. There
was a scene of Jiro going through a harsh punishment for disrespecting the food.
The story opens with a mysterious suicide, immediately drawing a reader’s
attention and setting the stage for a suspenseful exploration of the character’s reasons.
Kumagai effectively portrays the importance of tradition and respect within Japanese
culture using symbols like the shimenawa and the punishment of Jiro for disrespecting
food. Although there was no clear reason of Kazuya’s attempt, the narrator’s observations
and internal questioning provides us a glimpse of Kasuya’s personality and possible
reasons for his attempt.
Naoko Kumagai’s “Shimenawa” is an intriguing story that explores issues of
suicide, family, and tradition through the use cultural symbolism and mysterious attempt.
However, with the limited exploration of Kazuya’s inner world and unresolved plots hinder
the story’s potential.

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