Bokushi Suzuki (1770-1842), a textile merchant in Echigo province (present-day Niigata Prefecture), traveled to Edo (present-day Tokyo) to peddle his wares.

There, he was asked about snowfall in his hometown. When he replied that it could reach one “jo” (about 3 meters) at the height of the snow season, the other person burst out laughing and said, “You look like a serious fellow, but what a blowhard you are.”

The above is a scene from Nobori Kiuchi’s “Setsumu Orai” (literally, “Coming and going in a snowy dream”), a historical novel that won this year’s Osaragi Jiro Prize, which is awarded to outstanding prose.

The narrative follows the twists and turns that Suzuki underwent while trying to publish........

© The Asahi Shimbun