In a land battered by floods, famine, and poverty, one samurai chooses a path that will make him both hated and revered.
Oni by Eiji Yoshikawa tells the story of Munakata Yoemon, a determined retainer of the Tsugaru domain who devotes himself to reclaiming devastated land and bringing order to a wild, flood-ridden plain. To complete the work, he drives peasants and laborers with relentless discipline, earning a reputation as an ‘oni’—a demon.
Yet behind his severity lies a fierce sense of duty. Yoemon believes that a samurai’s true purpose is not merely to wield a sword, but to serve through action, endurance, and sacrifice. As resistance grows and nature itself seems determined to defeat him, his struggle becomes both an engineering battle and a moral one.
A powerful historical tale of leadership, sacrifice, redemption, and the cost of achieving a great public work, Oni explores what it means to devote one’s life completely to a cause—and how a man condemned as a demon may ultimately become a savior.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Used availability for Eiji Yoshikawa's Oni