Black Rain

Name: Black Rain
ISBN: 9787533978679

井伏鳟二 / Wang HuamaoZhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaMay 2026

4.7

Word count: 142K words
Chapters: 21
ISBN: 9787533978679

Report an error Find this book

Summary

Black Rain is a novel by the Japanese writer Masuji Ibuse. Drawing on the daily notebooks of fifty atomic-bomb survivors, it follows the lives of Shigematsu Shizuma and his niece Yasuko in Hiroshima in 1945, through the atomic bombing and the infernal social landscape that followed. Yasuko, stricken with radiation sickness, is hospitalized and can never return to a normal life.

Told from the perspective of ordinary citizens, the novel portrays and reflects on how war and its aftereffects ravage human nature. It is the finest work of the author's literary career. Published in 1966, the novel had enormous impact and ranked first among 62 postwar classics in a 1985 Bungeishunju selection; it is celebrated as a milestone of Japanese atomic-bomb literature. This simplified Chinese edition specially introduces the Chinese translation by the renowned Taiwanese translator Wang Huamao.

Editor's review

"Black Rain" is the finest work of Masuji Ibuse's literary career. Drawing on the daily notes of fifty atomic bomb survivors, it follows the lives of Hiroshima civilians Shigematsu Shizuma and his niece Yasuko, depicting the inferno-like social landscape after the atomic bombing and how radiation sickness gradually strips ordinary people of the possibility of rebuilding their lives. The novel does not accuse directly; instead, through a diary-like narrative, the aftermath of the disaster surfaces slowly, and this restraint carries all the more weight. According to available materials, the book, published in 1966, had enormous impact and ranked first in Bungeishunju's 1985 poll of postwar classic works; it is regarded as a landmark of Japanese atomic bomb literature. This simplified Chinese edition adopts Wang Huamao's translation, whose readability is assured. It is best read slowly, as a literary testimony to war and civilian trauma rather than a plot-driven novel.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Serious literary readers interested in war literature and atomic bomb themes
Readers interested in postwar Japanese literature and Ibuse's representative works
Readers who want to understand the aftermath of war from a civilian perspective
Literature enthusiasts seeking material for teaching or book club discussions

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for light, pleasant, or fast-paced stories
Readers sensitive to descriptions of illness and disaster who are prone to strong discomfort
Readers who only want a quick factual account of the Hiroshima bombing and prefer documentary history

Reading tips

Before reading, familiarize yourself with the basic timeline of the Hiroshima atomic bombing to better understand the background references that recur in the characters' daily lives.
Read the narrator's records of his niece's illness as the main thread, noting how everyday details accumulate into the weight of trauma.
After finishing, consider the background of the "notes of fifty survivors" mentioned in the materials and reflect on the relationship between the novel and oral testimony.
For book clubs, frame discussion questions around why a civilian perspective is more powerful than direct accusation.

About the publisher

Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House is a Chinese publisher specializing in literary publishing. Judging from the 808 titles in the database, its publishing areas cover world classics, foreign literature, social novels, folk literature and classic works, as well as modern and contemporary literature and prose. Representative titles include foreign literary translations such as Anna Karenina, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, In Praise of Shadows and The Complete Tragedies and Comedies of Shakespeare, alongside classic works by Lao She and Lu Xun such as Camel Xiangzi, Teahouse and Wandering. Its authors and translators include Leo Tolstoy, Cao Ying, Lao She, Yukio Mishima, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki and Zhu Shenghao. The press emphasizes the translation and introduction of classic texts and the compilation of native literary works, giving equal weight to Chinese and foreign literature. Owing to limited public information, its specific series and editorial policies are not elaborated here.

版权信息
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

FAQ

What is "Black Rain" mainly about?

The novel tells the story of Hiroshima civilians Shigematsu Shizuma and his niece Yasuko after the atomic bombing; Yasuko is hospitalized with radiation sickness and cannot live a normal life. The work presents the social landscape after the nuclear attack from a civilian perspective and reflects on war and the devastation its aftermath wreaks on people.

Is this book a heavy read?

The subject matter involves the atomic bombing, radiation sickness, and death, and the overall tone is heavy, but Ibuse's narration is restrained and avoids sentimentality. Readers sensitive to descriptions of disaster and illness should prepare themselves mentally and are advised to read it in installments.

Who translated this simplified Chinese edition?

According to available materials, this simplified Chinese edition specially adopts the Chinese translation by the renowned Taiwanese translator Wang Huamao; the translation fully conveys the narrative style of the original and serves as a reliable Chinese version of the book.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

井伏鳟二 Author

Ibuse Masuji is a modern Japanese author whose name is often mentioned in the Chinese-speaking world, but public information is limited, and details of his life such as birth and death dates, nationality, and education remain unavailable. Four of his works are currently included in the collection: the novel Black Rain, the novella The Salamander, and The Driftings of John Manjiro, along with a three-volume collection of his works. These works often draw on Japanese history, folk legend, and wartime memory, and their tone frequently blends humor with bitterness beneath calm narration, offering restrained reflections on human nature and fate. Black Rain, set in Hiroshima after the atomic bombing, is regarded as one of his major works, while The Salamander displays his distinctive narrative style through an allegorical short story. Ibuse Masuji's works are generally categorized as foreign literature among Chinese readers, and his influence is chiefly seen in postwar Japanese literature's continued engagement with war and everyday life.

Wang Huamao Author · Taiwan, China

Wang Huamao is a full-time Taiwanese translator of Japanese literature who lives in eastern Taiwan. Public information about Wang is limited, and no birth or death dates or educational background are recorded, but the more than ten translated works in the database show a long-standing focus on rendering Japanese literature into Chinese. The subjects covered are wide, spanning foreign literature, documentary writing, mystery and detective fiction, and classic works. They include literary and mystery classics such as the collected works of Ibuse Masuji, The Strange Tale of Panorama Island, The Human Chair, and The Black Lizard, as well as documentary works such as Black Rain and The Stalker Murder Case in Okegawa, along with titles like The Gun and Chocolate and Bookstore Gengetsu: The Daytime Heat. The translations balance literary quality with readability, maintaining a steady linguistic texture across both detective fiction and pure literature and offering Chinese-language readers a reliable path into modern and contemporary Japanese writing.