Justice with a Smile

by Osamu Dazai, Michael Day (Translator)

Young Susumu Serikawa is at a turning point. Should he continue his boring school education or chase his dream of becoming Japan's most famous actor? And how can he do that now that his father is dead, his mother is bedridden and his older brother is a university dropout?

In the hands of skilled author Osamu Dazai, Susumu's dilemma becomes a uniquely powerful tale of teenage angst and survival. Based on the diary of a real-life actor, Serikawa's entries are full of biting judgement and egotism alternating with shame and self-reproach—but also a touching idealism and faith that ultimately guide him forward.

This novel, translated into English for the first time, probes the same self-destructive dynamics that torment the young characters in Dazai's other works, but with a vastly different outcome. The bold, contemporary translation by Michael Day delivers an unforgettable new protagonist for Dazai's many fans.

Genres: Japanese Literature, Fiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1942

About the author

Osamu DAZAI (native name: 太宰治, real name Shūji Tsushima) was a Japanese author who is considered one of the foremost fiction writers of 20th-century Japan. A number of his most popular works, such as Shayō (The Setting Sun) and Ningen Shikkaku (No Longer Human), are considered modern-day classics in Japan.
With a semi-autobiographical style and transparency into his personal life, Dazai’s stories have intrigued the minds of many readers. His books also bring about awareness to a number of important topics such as human nature, mental illness, social relationships, and postwar Japan.

Reviews

[Aj Koerner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the main character and I am glad there was a happy ending cause I thought it would be a sad ending

[Periplus Bookshop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novel Justice with a Smile ini menghadirkan sisi lain dari Osamu Dazai, penulis legendaris Jepang di balik No Longer Human. Pada novel ini, dikisahkan tentang pencarian jati diri seorang remaja. Tokoh utamanya, Susumu, sedang bimbang, antara melanjutkan pendidikan atau mengejar mimpinya menjadi aktor paling terkenal di Jepang. Namun tanpa keberadaan ayah yang sudah meninggal, ibu yang sakit, dan kakak yang menyerah pada hidup, impiannya terasa jauh dari jangkauan. Berdasarkan kisah nyata dari buku harian seorang aktor muda, novel ini menggambarkan pergulatan batin, tekad, dan keinginan untuk bertahan di tengah tekanan sosial dan keluarga. Dazai menampilkan protagonis yang berbeda dari biasanya, seorang remaja penuh semangat yang berjuang menertawakan nasib di tengah keputusasaan. Inilah karya introspektif tentang mimpi, kegetiran hidup, dan keberanian untuk tetap tersenyum dalam menghadapi kenyataan. https://blog.periplus.com/2025/10/27/...

[calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

agak kaget sama endingnya karena ngga sesuai tebakan gw (tapi lebih kaget lagi baca translator’s afterwordsnya)