In Lieu of an Afterword: Behind-the-Scenes of the Novel 'Iroha Kaedetani'

I visited that town for the purpose of writing a novel for the first time. Until now, I had written stories using towns I had visited in the past as models, so traveling with the specific goal of writing a novel was a bold step for me.

It all started when I was looking for 'spring flowers' and caught sight of the 'rarity of white dogtooth violets.' An article on 'Yama to Keikoku Online' touted them as 'two hiking courses to meet the fairies of spring.' After reading that article, I wanted to visit 'Asuke.' Mount Iimori with its straw sandal votive tablets, Asuke Hachimangu Shrine, the ruins of Asuke Castle, and the townscape of Asuke, designated as a National Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings—just looking at the photos made stories come to mind.

Unfortunately, by the time I saw that 'Yama to Keikoku Online' article, it was already April, and the blooming season for the dogtooth violets had passed. Still, I visited the town of Asuke wanting to see the place even after the flowers had faded—
There was an atmosphere there as if time were flowing slowly.

I was drawn to the beauty of the fresh green maple leaves in early summer, and captivated by the small, vermilion, propeller-like leaves resting on them. Upon researching, I learned these are called 'samara' (winged seeds), shaped this way to help the maple seeds fly far away... I was deeply moved by the providence of nature.

I decided then that I wanted to write about these winged seeds in my novel. And so, it turned out to be a double-starring role for the plants: the 'dogtooth violet' and the 'maple.' I also realized after arriving that this famous maple spot in Asuke was the same place as 'Korankei.' Come to think of it, I remembered a colleague at work going to see the autumn leaves last year and showing me photos. It was a beautiful, fantastical scene illuminated at night.

I was already quite drawn to the nature of Asuke at this point, but I was also captivated by the streets I walked through during my visit. The warmth of the people in the shopping district I stopped by, the history of this town which flourished centered on salt...
I discovered so many seeds of stories that I couldn't possibly include them all.

Another purpose of my visit was to find a job for the protagonist. (After all, it's a 'work-themed novel.') Among the various items displayed in the local products shop, I was drawn to the wooden vessels. 'That's it! This is the one!'

After returning home, I looked it up and learned that people who make wooden vessels are called 'woodturners.' From there, I spent time going through various materials and refining my concept, which led to the story 'Iroha Kaedetani'.

Every time I write a novel, it starts with 'researching.' The initial 'research' phase is quite a laborious task. It's not exactly 'fun' all the time, but it's also an opportunity to learn new things, so I do enjoy it.

When I research, I already have a rough structure in mind, but as I dig deeper, the direction it should take becomes clearer. I feel that this is the same for solving real-life problems. When you can't see a solution, don't you find that by taking a step forward instead of standing still, things you couldn't see before start to appear? Creating a story feels much the same.

While thinking about such things, once the characters are imbued with their respective personalities, they tell me which way to go. I also feel like the characters start to speak their own words. (Oh, I don't actually hear voices, though.)

I gave the protagonist the name 'Soji' with the hope that various small stories would flow together like a musical performance at the end.

Now, in my case, if I decide on the structure and development in detail beforehand and put them into a table, for example, I immediately become unable to write. So now, I write first and then summarize it into a table to check if the character's consistency is maintained and if I haven't forgotten any foreshadowing I've planted. (It's like a memorandum, isn't it? 🤭💦 Hehe.)

Now, let's go find the next 'seeds that move the heart.'

The epilogue is here 💐✨
You can read it just by clicking.

If this is your first time visiting, start here
It leads to the work introduction and prologue.

Thank you very much for staying with 'Iroha Kaedetani' until the end 💐
You may have found your own story
while searching for the white dogtooth violet with the characters✨

If you have any thoughts, please feel free to leave them in the comments section 💐

The townscapes and descriptions of nature in the work are fiction, but I have received much inspiration from the scenery of Korankei and Asuke. Thank you very much 💐✨ As for the references, I have noted them on Tales.

This is the article I wrote after visiting Asuke town in May.

Japanese-style Photographer: Matsukiyo-sama
"The Korankei Autumn Leaf Illumination Night View: Mount Iimori, Taigetsu Bridge, and Kojaku-ji Temple Ablaze with Autumn Maples"

Music: Melo-magica "Path of Thoughts"
Composer: Kyoko Kono-sama