Content Warning: This section refers to sexual assault and suicide.

Weaponry appears in the story in several different contexts. Clearly a symbol of violence, blades like swords and daggers were also objects of wealth and nobility in medieval societies. When Tajomaru uses the promise of swords to lure Takehiko into the grove, it symbolizes both the greed of the elite as well as impending violence. The samurai belongs to a class of society that uses wealth and violence to rule, and he is eager to secure additional means of both.

The other treasure the bandit names explicitly is mirrors, suggesting that the characters are headed into a moment of self-reflection centered around violence and their Positions in Society. This symbolism hints at the “mirror” that the unreliable narration holds to the characters detailing the events; it is not the event itself that readers see, but the character of the people speaking.

Although most noticeable in Masago’s account, shame appears in all three main stories, as well as a few of the minor characters’ testimonies. When the traveling priest describes the beautiful woman in detail and then says in embarrassment that he doesn’t pay attention to such things, Akutagawa demonstrates the importance of