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The Box Man
novel by Abe Kōtō
Also known as: “Hako otoko”
The Box Man, avant-garde satiric novel by Abe Kōbō, published in Japanese in 1973 as Hako otoko. A bizarre commentary on contemporary society, The Box Man concerns a man who relinquishes normal life to live in a “waterproof room,” a cardboard box that he wears on his back. Like a medieval Buddhist monk, the man observes society’s goings-on but disdains any interaction with the world he has abandoned as a mad place.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.
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