Rashomon

by Ryunosuke Akutagawa · 1952

Rashōmon and Other Stories is a classic anthology of short fiction by early‑20th‑century Japanese writer Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. The collection gathers the famed tale that inspired Kurosawa’s film—“Rashōmon”—along with other celebrated works such as “In a Bamboo Grove,” “The Nose,” “The Spider’s Thread,” “Hell Screen,” and later, more autobiographical pieces like “The Life of a Stupid Man” and “Death Register.” Akutagawa’s stories blend vivid medieval settings with modernist sensibility, offering razor‑sharp imagery, dark humor, and moral ambiguity that explore poverty, honor, and the human psyche. The volume is widely praised for its literary craftsmanship and its influence on both Japanese and world literature.