“This was because Kyoto had been struck by one calamity after another in recent years—earthquakes, whirlwinds, fires, famine—leading to the capital’s extraordinary decline.”

The description of the series of disasters Kyoto has faced contextualizes the overall state of the city, setting a grim tone. Akutagawa uses the setting of the dilapidated city to reflect not only the poor economic state of Japan, but also the moral decay he will explore later in the story. This description also provides context for why the characters in the story have turned to (or are considering) criminal acts.

“Old records tell us that people would smash Buddhist statues and other devotional gear, pile the pieces by the roadside with flecks of paint and gold and silver foil still clinging to them, and sell them as firewood.”

The imagery of the broken pieces of Buddhist images reflects the expulsion of Buddhism in Japan. The lack of respect for once-treasured religious objects shows a shift in priority—the people have no time for devotion when they must make ends meet. This also reflects the lack of morality present in Akutagawa’s Kyoto.

“And when the sky above the gate turned red after sunset, the crows stood out against it like a scattering of sesame seeds. They came to the upper chamber of the gate to peck the flesh of the dead. Today, however, with the late hour, there were no crows to be seen. The only sign of them was their white droppings on the gate’s crumbling steps, where long weeds sprouted from cracks between the stones.”

Crows are a common symbol in Japan. Historically, they have long been associated with the Shinto deity Yatagarasu, the crow god who served as a guiding figure. Thus, crows are typically associated with good luck, divine guidance, and other positive things. This makes Akutagawa’s depiction of them subversive: He portrays them with extreme realism, showing them pecking at corpses and spending time around the dirty, decaying Rash