A Japanese Blossom

"A Japanese Blossom" by Onoto Watanna is a story set in Japan during the early 1900s, about the Kurukawa family as they face major changes after their father, living in America, decides to marry an American woman following their mother's death which deeply impacts the family dynamics, especially for the oldest son, Gozo, who struggles with conflicted emotions and cultural expectations; the story begins with the children receiving a letter from their father, who reveals he has remarried and has a new child, leading Gozo to react with anger and a desire to escape familial matters by joining the Emperor's army, this sets up the central conflict between cultural traditions and familial responsibilities as the family prepares for the arrival of their new stepmother, a woman they see as a "barbarian," as the family learns to overcome such obstacles.