Summary of An Artist of the Floating World
The tale opens in an unidentified Japanese city in October 1948. Masuji Ono, the narrator, is a retired artist who lost both his son and wife during the war, which also did significant damage to his magnificent home. Ono recalls the visit of his eldest daughter Setsuko and her son Ichiro, who live in a separate town, the previous month. The entire family is anxious about Ono's younger daughter Noriko's marriage prospects because, a year before, Noriko was in marriage discussions with a man called Jiro Miyake when his family withdrew from negotiations under suspicious circumstances. Noriko is currently in new marriage negotiations with a man named Taro Saito, but at almost twenty-six, she is considered too old to be unmarried. Ono is irritated because he believes his daughters believe he knows why the marriage discussions went down and is keeping it from them.
Ichiro is enamoured with a monster movie poster he saw at the train station. Ono intends to take Ichiro to the movies the next day, but his daughter Noriko informs him that she already has arrangements. Setsuko says she'll spend the night with her father the next day, and Ono and Ichiro can go see the monster movie the next day. The next day, Setsuko advises her father to take precautions to prevent specific details about his history from falling into the hands of the Saito family during their investigation of the Ono family background. The next day, Ichiro and Ono go to see a monster movie. On the way, they meet Taro Saito's father, who informs Ono that they have a mutual acquaintance: Mr. Kuroda.
Ono intersperses his story of Setsuko's visit with observations on the past and present. He remembers his time at Mrs. Kawakami's, the last bar standing in an area that had been a pleasure district with several pubs and restaurants before the war. There, he and his former student Shintaro catch up with Mrs. Kawakami on old times. Ono also discusses his involvement in establishing the pleasure district. As a well-known artist, he had written to the authorities and persuaded them to put their support behind bars. The Migi-Hidari bar became a gathering spot for Ono and his students to drink and discuss the role of their work in forging a wonderful new future for Japan. Ono also recalls a childhood episode in which his father told him he would embarrass the family if he became an artist and subsequently burned his paintings. Ono recalls multiple encounters with the younger generation. He recalls running into Jiro Miyake and hearing from him that he is glad his company's president committed suicide to atone for the company's actions during the war. He also recalls a conversation with Setsuko's husband, Suichi, at the reception following his son Kenji's funeral, in which Suichi expresses his anger over the many members of his generation killed during the war, as well as the many leaders who have been too cowardly to accept responsibility for their role in the war. Finally, Ono explains his first visit to an old colleague in order to ensure that nothing from his past interferes with Noriko's marriage. He pays a visit to his former colleague Matsuda, who is unwell, in the Arakawa district. Matsuda assures him that he would say only positive things about Ono but recommends that he seek out his former student Kuroda if he is concerned about the probe. The second series of memories is from April 1949 and revolves around Noriko's miai, which is a formal meeting between two families who are considering marrying their children. Ono begins by describing his disagreement with Shintaro, who requests that he write to a possible employer and inform them that Shintaro disagreed with Ono over work they performed together during the war. Ono admits that he was harsh with Shintaro but explains that Shintaro's visit came just a few days after the miai. Ono recalls Noriko's terrible mood and incivility towards him in the weeks leading up to the miai and claims that Noriko is unaware of everything he is doing to ensure her wedding is successful. For example, Ono goes to see Kuroda. Enchi, Kuroda's protégé, lets him into his room after mistaking Ono for someone else. When Enchi discovers Ono's true identity, he urges him to leave, claiming that he is certain Kuroda would not want to witness the man who is responsible for him being beaten and injured in prison and labelled a traitor. Ono drinks swiftly at the miai and is made uneasy by the stilted talk. Eventually, he pauses the flow of conversation to declare that he is willing to confess that he made mistakes with some of his work and may have been a negative influence in the country. He believes Taro's father, an art specialist named Dr. Saito, agrees with him. The conversation then becomes more relaxed, and it is evident that Noriko and Taro like each other.
The next batch of Ono's recollections were recorded in November 1949 and revolve around another visit to the family by Setsuko and Ichiro a few months after Noriko marries Taro Saito. During a stroll around Kawabe Park, Setsuko expresses concern to Ono over his comparison to a composer who wrote extremely powerful nationalist songs during the war and just committed suicide to atone for his role in promoting the violence. Ono tries to persuade his daughter that he is not contemplating suicide, but she says things that irritate him. Setsuko claims that he did great work, but it had no influence on anything during the war. Ono notes that the previous year, she seemed to regard his profession as a major problem in Noriko's marriage discussions. Setsuko claims she has no recollection of such a talk. Ono is taken aback and recalls making a statement during the miai in response to her remark. Setsuko claims that Noriko and the Saitos were all perplexed by his declaration. Ono defends his remarks, noting that Dr. Saito was familiar with his wartime work and seemed pleased to hear that his opinion had changed. Setsuko claims that Dr. Saito was not even aware that Ono was an artist.
Later that day, Ono takes his grandson Ichiro on a trip and promises him a sample of sake at dinner that night. Ono tries to persuade Setsuko to let Ichiro try sake at the home of newlyweds Noriko and Taro that night, but Setsuko refuses. During the dinner, the younger generation expressed their satisfaction with the new American-style leadership at their workplaces. After Ichiro goes to bed, Ono tells Taro that it's a shame Dr. Saito and he didn't get to know one another sooner, given that they both worked in the art world and knew each other's reputations. Taro agrees, and Ono looks around to see how Setsuko is reacting, but she doesn't seem to notice. In his narrative of this interaction with Setsuko and his reactions to it, Ono intersperses a range of insights regarding his background. He recalls the day he moved into his house sixteen years ago, when Dr. Saito approached him and expressed his delight at having an artist of his calibre in the neighbourhood. He also reflects on his friendship with the Tortoise, a fellow artist who worked with him at Master Takeda's studio in 1913 or 1914, producing Japanese paintings for export to foreigners. When Ono accepts an invitation to live and study at the famed artist Mori-san's mansion, the Tortoise joins him.
Over the next seven years, Ono embraces Mori-san's painting style and becomes his star pupil. However, in the early 1920s, Ono meets Matsuda, a nationalist art critic, who persuades him to change his artistic course. The Tortoise is outraged by Ono's betrayal of Mori-san's techniques, and Mori-san orders Ono to leave the villa. Ono recalls how satisfying it was when his own career took off while Mori-san's deteriorated. The final series of memories takes place in June 1950. Ono admits that he has learned about Matsuda's death and recalls his previous visit to Matsuda. During this visit, he informs Matsuda that both Noriko and Setsuko are now pregnant, and that it would soon be five years after the loss of his wife Michiko. Matsuda claims they were two regular men who made a minor contribution, while Ono believes Matsuda is proud of his life's work. Ono contrasts himself and Matsuda with the Tortoise and Shintaro, claiming that he and Matsuda may be proud of having bravely attempted to do something ambitious that they believed in, whereas the Tortoise and Shintaro have never attempted to transcend mediocrity.
Ono also describes how the former pleasure district has been replaced with office structures. He sits on a seat outside one of these structures, looking at the eager young office workers, whom he wishes well.
The next batch of Ono's recollections were recorded in November 1949 and revolve around another visit to the family by Setsuko and Ichiro a few months after Noriko marries Taro Saito. During a stroll around Kawabe Park, Setsuko expresses concern to Ono over his comparison to a composer who wrote extremely powerful nationalist songs during the war and just committed suicide to atone for his role in promoting the violence. Ono tries to persuade his daughter that he is not contemplating suicide, but she says things that irritate him. Setsuko claims that he did great work, but it had no influence on anything during the war. Ono notes that the previous year, she seemed to regard his profession as a major problem in Noriko's marriage discussions. Setsuko claims she has no recollection of such a talk. Ono is taken aback and recalls making a statement during the miai in response to her remark. Setsuko claims that Noriko and the Saitos were all perplexed by his declaration. Ono defends his remarks, noting that Dr. Saito was familiar with his wartime work and seemed pleased to hear that his opinion had changed. Setsuko claims that Dr. Saito was not even aware that Ono was an artist.
Later that day, Ono takes his grandson Ichiro on a trip and promises him a sample of sake at dinner that night. Ono tries to persuade Setsuko to let Ichiro try sake at the home of newlyweds Noriko and Taro that night, but Setsuko refuses. During the dinner, the younger generation expressed their satisfaction with the new American-style leadership at their workplaces. After Ichiro goes to bed, Ono tells Taro that it's a shame Dr. Saito and he didn't get to know one another sooner, given that they both worked in the art world and knew each other's reputations. Taro agrees, and Ono looks around to see how Setsuko is reacting, but she doesn't seem to notice. In his narrative of this interaction with Setsuko and his reactions to it, Ono intersperses a range of insights regarding his background. He recalls the day he moved into his house sixteen years ago, when Dr. Saito approached him and expressed his delight at having an artist of his calibre in the neighbourhood. He also reflects on his friendship with the Tortoise, a fellow artist who worked with him at Master Takeda's studio in 1913 or 1914, producing Japanese paintings for export to foreigners. When Ono accepts an invitation to live and study at the famed artist Mori-san's mansion, the Tortoise joins him.
Over the next seven years, Ono embraces Mori-san's painting style and becomes his star pupil. However, in the early 1920s, Ono meets Matsuda, a nationalist art critic, who persuades him to change his artistic course. The Tortoise is outraged by Ono's betrayal of Mori-san's techniques, and Mori-san orders Ono to leave the villa. Ono recalls how satisfying it was when his own career took off while Mori-san's deteriorated. The final series of memories takes place in June 1950. Ono admits that he has learned about Matsuda's death and recalls his previous visit to Matsuda. During this visit, he informs Matsuda that both Noriko and Setsuko are now pregnant, and that it would soon be five years after the loss of his wife Michiko. Matsuda claims they were two regular men who made a minor contribution, while Ono believes Matsuda is proud of his life's work. Ono contrasts himself and Matsuda with the Tortoise and Shintaro, claiming that he and Matsuda may be proud of having bravely attempted to do something ambitious that they believed in, whereas the Tortoise and Shintaro have never attempted to transcend mediocrity.
Ono also describes how the former pleasure district has been replaced with office structures. He sits on a seat outside one of these structures, looking at the eager young office workers, whom he wishes well.
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