The Tengu in the short story The Nose by Akutagawa Ryunosuke

DOI: 10.18173/2354-1067.2021-0021

Abstract

The Nose, which is a satirical short story by Akutagawa Ryunosuke, leaves a strong impression on readers. It is assumed that the story inspired by “Konjaku Monogatari”, a compilation of hundreds of tales from the 11th century, and N.Gogol’s The Nose in Russian Literature). By using his scalpel-sharp pen, Akutagawa Ryūnosuke explained and translated numerous social phenomena during his time living in Japan. During our study, we found that image of Tengu- a Japan traditional mythology character was refered in The Nose story through the main character’s appearance and his psychology developments.