Hazama Kan'ichi, a poor student raised in the Shigisawa household, is betrothed to their daughter Miya until the wealthy Tomiyama dazzles her with diamonds and a rich marriage. Crushed and furious, Kan'ichi throws away his studies and becomes a ruthless moneylender, while Miya's regret pours out in long, unanswered letters.
Books mentioned in The Golden Demon (3)
Nansō Satomi Hakkenden by Takizawa Bakin: “It may sound like a novel, but Miya's feeling ought to be that of Hamaji in Nanso Satomi Hakkenden, slipping out late at night past her parents' eyes to see Shino, who leaves tomorrow morning. How strange: my own circumstances resemble Shino's too, parted from my parents in childhood, raised in the Shigisawa house, betrothed to their… [auto-translated]”
Classic of Filial Piety: “"Some rebellion broke out, and someone petitioned the throne: no need to send an army, just send one general to the river and have him read the Classic of Filial Piety to the rebels, and they will vanish on their own. You laugh at that, but Yusa is in all earnest reading the Classic of Filial Piety, bled every other month by a lender who… [auto-translated]”
Water Margin by Shi Nai'an: “When it comes to this, brute force counts for more than money. Surely this is a scene straight out of the Water Margin? To protect a nation's interests and rights, international law is really worth nothing; what matters is military strength. [auto-translated]”
Books that mention The Golden Demon (1)
I Am a Cat by Natsume Sōseki: “I asked whether he would do a Chikamatsu domestic play again, and he said no, next time they had chosen something far more modern, The Golden Demon. When I asked what part he had, he said he was Omiya. [auto-translated]”