Reading Japan

The Masked Funeral: Part 1 (2021x17)

Yayınlanma tarihi: Ara 20, 2021

Born in 1962, Hayashi Jyouji primarily writes science fiction and headed Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan from 2018 until 2020. He wrote this piece just as COVID-19 was spreading throughout society. What would need to happen in order to get the virus under control? This short story considers the nitty-gritty of work and social systems in a near-future scenario with regular coronavirus disease outbreaks and looks specifically at funerals. The protagonist returns to his hometown after a 20-year absence to sell his parents' old home for back taxes. He takes a temp job as a funeral proxy to pay his immediate expenses.