Spring Snow

novel by Mishima

Also known as: “Haru no yuki”

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July 20, 2026

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Spring Snow is the first novel in Mishima Yukio's four-part epic, The Sea of Fertility. Published in 1912, it is set in Japan and depicts the reincarnation of a being as a young aristocrat. The novel, along with the others in the series, reflects Mishima's preoccupations with death, suicide, and a rejection of modern life's perceived sterility. The series spans from 1912 to the 1960s, exploring different reincarnations and Mishima's complex views on Japanese identity and tradition.12

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The Sea of Fertility
…four parts—Haru no yuki (Spring Snow), Homma (Runaway Horses), Akatsuki no tera (The Temple of Dawn), and Tennin gosui (The Decay of the Angel)—is set in Japan, and together they cover the period from roughly 1912 to the 1960s. Each of them depicts a different reincarnation of the same…
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…four parts—Haru no yuki (Spring Snow), Homma (Runaway Horses), Akatsuki no tera (The Temple of Dawn), and Tennin gosui (The Decay of the Angel)—is set in Japan, and together they cover the period from roughly 1912 to the 1960s. Each of them depicts a different reincarnation of the same…
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