First published in 1901 and this English translation in 1970, Footprints in the Snow is one of the most popular novels in modern Japan. It is the story of the struggle of a penniless Japanese boy Shintaro Kikuchi, for education and emancipation. Determined to rebuild the family fortunes after his father's bankruptcy, Shintaro runs away from home in a remote corner of Kyushu, in the hope of making his way in the world. Robbed by pickpockets, he...