An unpublished manuscript by acclaimed author Shusaku Endo was discovered at the museum dedicated to his works in Nagasaki, Japan. This complete novel is the first time a fair copy of a finished novel by Endo has turned up since is death in 1996.  The discovery was made on June 26, 2020. The work is titled, “Kage ni Taishite.” – “To a shadow.” It is 104 pages.  Also found is Endo’s two-page draft. Having gained permission from the family, the museum plans to display the manuscripts beginning July 1.  The novel will be carried in the summer edition of the Mita Bungaku literary journal. It will be available on July 10.

To those not familiar with Endo, his novel “Silence” is considered his greatest work. Set in 17th-century Japan, the plot revolves around Portuguese Jesuit priests traveling to villages in what is now Nagasaki to help persecuted Japanese Christians. It was made into a film by Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese and released in the United States in 2016. PLese click for images and the complete article in The Asahi Shimbun.