Kokoro

Divided into three parts, Kokoro tells the story of a young university student, the narrator, and his relationship with an older gentleman whom he refers to as Sensei, meaning “teacher.” Written from his perspective as an older man, the narrator recounts how he first meets Sensei while on summer vacation from college. Inexplicably drawn to the older gentleman, the narrator introduces himself, and the two become friends. When they part ways, the narrator is disappointed by Sensei’s lack of enthusiasm about reuniting in Tokyo. In retrospect, however, the narrator reflects that Sensei’s coldness was not born of dislike, but rather self-hatred: his coldness was a warning that he would not make a good friend.

Back in Tokyo, the narrator begins visiting Sensei more regularly, despite Sensei’s outward indifference. Eventually the narrator meets Sensei’s wife, Shizu, whom he asks about Sensei’s melancholic demeanor. She reveals that Sensei was not always this way, and hints that the change came about after the death of a friend many years ago. Months pass and Sensei and the narrator grow closer. They discuss topics like loneliness, love, and guilt, and the narrator increasingly idolizes Sensei for his worldly insights. He also grows increasingly curious about Sensei’s past, speculating what could have inspired his cynicism and melancholy.

Returning home to visit his sick father, who is battling kidney disease, the narrator is surprised to find him in good form. The two play chess to pass the time, but the narrator quickly grows bored and realizes how much more he connects with Sensei. He decides to return to Tokyo, where he begins working on his senior thesis. After the narrator finishes his thesis in April, the narrator meets Sensei for a walk. They discuss the narrator’s ailing father, and Sensei warns the narrator to ensure that his inheritance is settled, revealing that he was once cheated by his relatives. The narrator asks Sensei for his life story, and Sensei, touched by the narrator’s sincerity, promises he will share, but only when the time is right.

The narrator celebrates his graduation with Shizu and Sensei, and then he heads home for summer vacation. On the way, the narrator reflects guiltily on his inconsistent attitude regarding his father’s impending death. Once home, the narrator is surprised to find his father’s condition has hardly changed. However, the contrast in their worldviews is starker than ever, and the narrator finds himself increasingly annoyed with what he considers his father’s “naive,” provincial attitude. Despite the narrator’s warnings, both his parents insist his father’s condition will improve.

Emperor Meiji grows sick and dies, putting off plans to celebrate the narrator’s graduation, and his parents begins pestering him to find a job. His father’s health steadily worsens, and the narrator writes to Sensei. Sensei does not respond for several months, however, and in September, the narrator decides to return to Tokyo. Two days before leaving, however, his father has a fainting episode. The narrator decides to stay, and his elder brother and brother-in-law arrive to help care for his father, who is increasingly bed-ridden and delusional.

The narrator receives an enigmatic telegram from Sensei bidding him to come to Tokyo. Due to his father’s condition, the narrator telegrams back that he cannot. Several days later, a long letter arrives from Sensei. Skimming through it, the narrator discovers it contains a handwritten account of Sensei’s life. The letter also reveals that Sensei intends to kill himself. Leaving his father, the narrator boards a train for Tokyo to stop Sensei. While on the train, he reads Sensei’s letter.

Sensei states his intentions in writing the letter, explaining that he hopes his story inspires the narrator and is instructive. He then begins his life story, starting with how his uncle betrayed him after Sensei’s parents died. Entrusted with managing Sensei’s inheritance, his uncle secretly embezzles a large portion of Sensei’s wealth. This betrayal deeply affects Sensei, catalyzing his lifelong distrust of others and his cynical vision of human nature.

Taking back the remainder of his family fortune, Sensei returns to university where he begins boarding at the house a military widow, Okusan, and her daughter Ojosan. Sensei quickly falls in love with Ojosan, which Okusan notices and subtly promotes. Sensei, still scarred by his uncle’s betrayal, questions Okusan’s motives, but he gradually comes to trust her. She begins to hint that Ojosan needs to be married soon.

Around this time, the narrator asks Okusan if his university friend, K, can board with them too. Originally the son of a priest, K is adopted by a wealthy doctor’s family, who pay for his university education on the condition that he became a doctor . When they discover he has been taking religion and philosophy classes instead, they disown him. Forced to pay for his own education, K becomes increasingly antisocial and eccentric as he struggles to balance all his work. Sensei hopes that, by living together, K might loosen up.

Okusan begrudgingly agrees and K moves in. Gradually, K improves, but complications quickly arise when he too falls in love with Osojan. Torn between his religious ideas and his desire for Ojosan, K confesses his feelings to Sensei and asks for help. Sensei, jealous and fearful of losing Ojosan, conceals his own affections and shames K for betraying his principles. K’s behavior becomes increasingly strange and Sensei, afraid that K intends to propose to Ojosan, goes behind his back to ask for Osojan’s hand in marriage.

Okusan and Osojan accepts Sensei’s proposal, and he is euphoric. However, K dies by suicide several days later, having learned of their engagement from Okusan. Realizing that he is no better than his back-stabbing uncle, Sensei is overcome with guilt and self-hatred and begins making weekly visits to K’s grave in atonement. He hopes his marriage to Osojan will relieve him of his pain, but it does not; instead, it only serves to remind him of his betrayal. Sensei takes to reading and drinking to relieve his pain.

Unaware of the truth behind K’s suicide, Osojan begs Sensei to explain his sudden change in demeanor. Not wanting to ruin her “purity,” he refuses, even though he knows it would make them both feel better. Okusan dies, and Sensei decides to be a better husband, knowing that he is all that Osojan has left. This thought keeps Sensei from suicide, though he considers it often. When Emperor Meiji dies, Sensei is overcome with the feeling that his and his generation’s time has passed. He jokes that he intends to commit junshi, not for the emperor, but in the name of the Meiji era.

This idea sticks with him, however, and a month later, Sensei decides to commit suicide. Before doing so, however, he writes the story of his life for the narrator, as promised. He tells the narrator that he will likely be dead by the time the letter reaches him and expresses his hope that his life will serve as an “example to others,” with only one exception — his wife. He asks that the narrator not share his story until after Ojosan is dead.