A satire suffused with Japanese tenderness and humor, this novel tells the story of Sanshiro, a small-town boy who moves to the cosmopolitan University of Tokyo to study literature. During the years he lives in the city he will be forced to fraternize with Tokyoite snobs, fearsome Westernized girls, famous writers, selfless scientists, and, above all, with his best friend Yojiro, an endearing troublemaker who will constantly get his shy friend into trouble. On top of everything else, Sanshiro will fall madly in love with a young woman with artistic aspirations, and this will be his downfall.

Una satira que derrocha ternura y humor a la japonesa, esta novela narra la historia de Sanshiro, un muchacho de pueblo que se muda a la cosmopolita Universidad de Tokio para estudiar literatura. Durante el ano que permanece en la ciudad se vera obligado a confraternizar con los esnobs tokiotas, temibles muchachas occidentalizadas, afamados escritores, abnegados cientificos y, sobre todo, con su mejor amigo, Yojiro, un adorable granuja que constantemente metera a su timido colega en lios. Por si fuera poco, Sanshiro acabara enamorandose locamente de una muchacha con infulas artisticas, y esa sera su perdicion."