One of Japan's most treasured novels, Botchan is the hilarious tale about a young man's rebellion against 'the system' in a country school. The youngest son of a middle-class family from Tokyo, constantly in the shadow of his elder brother, Botchan finds himself cast adrift after his parents' death. Now on his own, Botchan drifts through college only to find himself thrust into a teaching job in the unfamiliar realm of Japan's deep. His difficulty adjusting to a new life is eloquently described; from his nosy landlord to his students, who delight in tormenting the newcomer from the big city.

While Botchan is at its heart a comedy, the editor requested a beautiful, classic image for the cover design. Our cover cooks' choice of a pair of traditional, well-worn geta symbolizes the navigation through life’s troubles and detours. The composition uses several of our own photographs merged into one vintage image, paired with an engraver typeface on the title with graceful strokes evocative of Japanese calligraphy.