In the Tunnel

by Takamichi Okubo

Haruki is traveling to the vast plains of Hokkaido, Japan on a lone bus about to enter a three-kilometer-long tunnel. He is grieving for the loss of his wife when the tunnel collapses and traps the bus inside. In the darkness that follows, he manages to fumble out of the bus with the only other survivor, an astute and gentle woman who reminds him of his late wife. Without any light to guide them and with only each other to depend on, they try to escape the stifling darkness and along the way find themselves confronted by their pasts and given their last chance at intimacy, and ultimately, absolution.
A realist story that plays with surreal elements, the tale poses a simple question: what is the meaning of hope?

Genres: Fiction, Japanese Literature, Short Stories

41 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 2, 2013

Reviews

[Taka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shameless Self Plug: My Short Story is out on Amazon for 99 cents!

[E Israel Andrade E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only wished this short story was a little bit longer. A moving tale told with perfect pace and just the right amount of humor.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haruki and Misato were the only survivors on a bus trapped in a tunnel that collapsed in a remote area of northern Japan. Faced with the stark realization that it could be hours before anyone learned of their plight, they struggled together to escape from the suffocating darkness of the tunnel. As real as the darkness is, it's also a symbol for Haruki's and Misato's lives, as each has struggled in their own way with the fear of darkness.

Author Takamichi Okubo has written a suspenseful and poignant account of two very different people drawn together by circumstances beyond their control, forced to work together to survive a disaster. In doing so, one of them learns from the other that it really is darkest before the dawn, and to never give up hope.

Stories like "In the Tunnel" give me encouragement that the art of the short story is still very much alive.

[Edward Rathke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this. Quick and short but pretty solid.

[Rania Sabry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A journey through grief, intimacy, and the relentless pursuit of hope & the light at the end of 'the tunnel'. Definitly the kind of stories that get to me.

[Luisa Kroyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5🌟
Great plot and idea but the execution lacked intensity and the characters felt one-dimensional. Mehh…

[S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A valiant effort, really.

There are many elements in this story which show promise, but the author isn't quite there yet. I suspect that many folks will immediately latch on to some of the Murakamian similarities- and between the rhythm and the male/female dynamics present in the story, there are quite a few- but regardless of the influence present here, it actually reminds me more of an Isaka Kotaro mystery novel. The prose is sharp and clear, the plot is compelling, and the characters are fully-fleshed, but much of the actual content either lacks subtlety is simply a bit too melodramatic or heavy-handed. This is a very readable piece, and was enjoyable (hence the three stars), but I suspect I would be more interested in the writing of Mr. Okubo a few years down the line, when both his vision and voice have matured into something of their own.

I will say, though, that I will likely remember the author's name. Which is not a bad result for a first publication.

[Lochlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for something quick to read before getting on a train and so I bought this without knowing anything about the author. Its very short but kept my attention all the way through. The darkness that pervades nearly the whole story works well as a framing device and the ending lifted the story from a simple disaster/adventure to something more existential.

[Tariq Mahmood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story is like all the other fictional translations I have read from Japan, an extremely engaging story, till the very end promising a huge end, but sadly fizzles out with a whimper. This particular book is for a time in our lives when hope is at an all time low and have a huge urge to end it all.

Should we end it now or wait for a miracle so that our lives have meaning again?

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

An unremarkable short story. Seemed like a decent premise but ends up feeling like a first draft for a mediocre novel. Bland action, insufficient staging of setting, and predictable characters not worth caring about make this a disappointment.

[bluezola · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted this to be more powerful than it was. A decent writer and a good premise but it fell a bit flat. Felt rushed.

[Xian Xian · Rating 4 out of 5]

so here is a short little story. it was nice and sweet, sad, a nice little contemporary read.

[Roozbeh Estifaee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 actually!

[Deodand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful
Heartbreaking
Reaffirming

[Jean Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and not so wonderful.

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant. Heart wrenching.

[Dwight · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful short story, human and gripping. You should read it.