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The Makioka Sisters (細雪 "Sasameyuki," lit. "light
snow") (1943-1948) is a serial novel by the Japanese author
Tanizaki Jun'ichiro.
The story, set in
war-time
Kyoto, centers around the four daughters of a once-wealthy family now
in decline: Tsuruko, Sachiko, Yukiko and Taeko (affectionately dubbed
"Koi-san.") Tsuruko and Sachiko, the elder sisters, are trying to arrange
a marriage for Yukiko. Taeko, the youngest, impatient with waiting for her
older sister to marry, flings herself into affairs with men of dubious
character or social standing.
The novel's primary theme is the decay of traditional Japanese culture,
as Tanizaki saw it being replaced by the twin processes of modernization
and Westernization. The Makiokas go blossom viewing, practice traditional
dance and doll making, while simultaneously clinging to their fallen name
and faded glory.
Taeko in some ways conforms to the archetypal femme fatale
recurrent in many of Tanizaki's works.
Was adapted for the screen in
1950 (Shintouhou),
1959 (Daiei Tokyo) and
1983 (Touhou Eiga).
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