The Setting Sun

This powerful novel, first published in 1956, explores a nation grappling with social and moral crisis in the early postwar years. Narrated by June Angela, it delves into the devastating effects of war and the transition from feudalism to industrial society in Japan. The story follows Kazuko, a young aristocrat who deliberately renounces her class, becoming a symbol of the profound disconnection felt in the modern world. Ozamu Dazai's impactful work, which adds the phrase "people of the setting sun" to the Japanese language, remains a poignant reflection on societal transformation.