Aiko Sato, Blade of Laughter (Summer 1974)

Aiko Sato, Blade of Laughter (Summer 1974)
Aiko Sato is a rare writer who has opened a hole in the male-dominated literary world. She sarcastically remarked, "If a woman writes, it will be considered a romance novel," and she cut through the prejudice of gender inequality deep-seated in the literary world with laughter. Her writing style, which turned anger into laughter, was imbued with the wisdom of a woman trying to live lightly while facing reality. Her literature was full of life rather than logic, and was "raw literature" that portrayed the emotions and pride of ordinary people.
In the early 1970s, when postwar society was homogenizing and authoritarianism was once again coming to life, Sato took as her subject matter the contradictions that lurked in the home and everyday life, and said that this was where the truth of humanity lay. Her masterpiece, "Battles and the Sun Goes Down," depicted the reality of an isolated middle-aged woman with humor and pathos, and has resonated with many across the ages. In her later work, "90 Years Old. What's the Matter with You?", she laughed at her own aging and beautifully affirmed human stubbornness.
While his contemporaries were grandiose about religion and love, Sato found literature solely in life. Her frankness and cheerful anger touched the hearts of Showa-era women and still resonate powerfully today.