Chapters 16-20 Summary

Chapter 16

A sense of disappointment prevails at the Matsugae estate because the family decides not to hold open to the public three important spring events—the Doll Festival in March, cherry blossom viewing in April, and the Shinto festival in May. The events are closed to the public because the official period of mourning for the late emperor has not elapsed. During his spring break, Kiyoaki visits his widowed grandmother in her house on the estate. Aware of his indolence, she asks him whether he might be interested in judo or fencing, and laments that the gymnasium has been torn down. His grandmother says she is embarrassed by his father's pretentious lifestyle, and reminds Kiyoaki that she places the stipend she receives from the government for her two sons killed in the war on a shelf in the family altar...