The Madam of Kyobashi

Explores Yozo's relationship with the bar madam, who became a protector and later the keeper of his notebooks.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The First Visit

The Calm Presence The Ten Yen Yozo went to a café on the Ginza with only ten yen. He told the hostess, and she said, "You needn't worry." She had a Kansai accent and a calming effect. The Silent Drinking Yozo drank in silence, not bothering to clown. She did not intimidate him. He felt a rare peace. The Beginning of a Connection This was the madam, though Yozo did not yet know her well. She would later become a key figure in his life.

The Refuge

The Unconditional Acceptance The Simple Statement Yozo went to the madam and said, "I've left her and come to you." She accepted him without question. The Life at the Bar He became a lodger, a customer, an errand boy. The regulars treated him kindly. He felt a sense of belonging, however degraded. The Lack of Expectations She did not demand anything from him. This lack of pressure allowed him to relax, but it also enabled his drinking.

The Marriage Arrangement

The Matchmaker The Proposal Yozo decided to marry Yoshiko. The madam enabled the marriage, renting a room for them near the Sumida River. The Support She continued to be a source of support. When Yozo was in trouble, she was one of the few people he could turn to. The Grateful Debt Yozo felt indebted to her. She was a "chivalrous" woman, rare in his experience.

The Final Witness

The Keeper of the Notebooks The Parcel Yozo sent the madam a parcel containing the three notebooks and the photographs. She kept them through the war. The Reading She read them for the first time years later. She said, "I didn't cry. I just kept thinking that when human beings get that way, they're no good for anything." The Testimony She told the narrator, "He was a good boy, an angel." Her words became the epilogue, the final judgment on Yozo's life.

college, alone

after leaving Shizuko

after the Kyobashi period

ten years after, in Funabashi