05/08/2026
Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, A Cat, a Man, and Two Women, and Arima Onsen
Shortly after the two had begun secretly seeing each other, they met one day at the end of the waterfall path and took the Kobe–Arima Electric Railway to Arima. They spent about half a day together in an upstairs tatami room at Goshoboh. Listening to the cool sound of the Takigawa River, they drank beer, dozed, woke again, and passed the leisurely summer afternoon. Both of them remembered that day vividly.
Jun'ichirō Tanizaki is regarded as one of Japan's greatest modern novelists. After the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923, he left Tokyo and settled in the Kansai region, living in places such as Kobe, Ashiya, Nishinomiya, and Kyoto. His years in Kansai had a profound influence on his writing and marked an important turning point in his literary career.
A Cat, a Man, and Two Women, published in 1940, tells the story of Shōzō, his former wife Shinako, his current wife Fukuko, and his beloved cat, Lily. While the novel appears at first to be a humorous story centered on a cat, it is in fact one of Tanizaki's masterpieces, skillfully exploring human jealousy, love, and emotional attachment.
The novel also offers a vivid portrait of everyday life in Kobe and the Hanshin region during the early Shōwa period. Kobe flourished as an international port where foreign cultures blended with Japanese traditions, while its shopping streets and residential neighborhoods retained the warmth of close-knit local communities. Through Shōzō's hardware shop and the lives of ordinary people, readers gain a glimpse of daily life in prewar Japan. Rather than focusing on the glamorous side of Kobe, Tanizaki carefully depicts the quiet beauty and humanity found in everyday life.
North of the Hanshin region, where Tanizaki lived, lies Arima Onsen, one of Japan's oldest hot spring resorts. Since ancient times, Arima has been a place of relaxation and healing, and in the early Shōwa era it was a popular retreat for people from Kobe and Osaka. Many writers, artists, and business leaders also visited to enjoy its peaceful atmosphere. Arima Onsen appears in several of Tanizaki's works, reflecting its place within the cultural landscape of Kansai that he knew so well.
A Cat, a Man, and Two Women is more than a charming story about a cat. It also provides a window into the lives, customs, and atmosphere of Kobe and the Hanshin region in the early Shōwa period. Goshoboh appears in the novel under its real name, making it a special place for readers interested in Tanizaki's world. We hope you will have the opportunity to read this remarkable work and discover its connection with Arima for yourself.