The House of the Sleeping Beauties

“The old man had heard of a house where one could sleep beside a beautiful, drugged young girl, but he had never been there himself.”

Chapter 1: The Invitation

Eguchi, an elderly man, is introduced to a secretive establishment where wealthy older men pay to spend the night beside young, unconscious women. The house has strict rules: no sexual contact, no waking the girls, and no returning to the same girl twice. Eguchi is both intrigued and disturbed by the concept but decides to visit.

Chapter 2: The First Night

Eguchi arrives at the house and is led to a dimly lit room where a beautiful, naked young woman lies in deep sleep. He observes her with a mix of fascination and melancholy, reflecting on his own aging body and lost youth. The experience stirs memories of past lovers and unfulfilled desires.

Chapter 3: The Second Visit

On his second visit, Eguchi is assigned a different girl. This time, his thoughts drift toward mortality and the fleeting nature of beauty. He contemplates the girls’ innocence and the ethical ambiguity of the house, yet he cannot resist the comfort of their silent presence.

Chapter 4: The Third Night

Eguchi encounters a girl who reminds him of a past love. His emotions become more turbulent as he grapples with guilt, longing, and existential dread. The boundary between dream and reality blurs, and he begins to question the nature of his own desires.

Chapter 5: The Final Night

In his last visit, Eguchi is paired with a girl who seems almost lifeless. Overcome with sorrow and a sense of impending death, he lies beside her in silence. The story ends ambiguously, leaving his fate—and the true nature of the house—open to interpretation.

Key Ideas

• The fragility of youth and beauty in contrast with aging.
• The ethical ambiguity of desire and voyeurism.
• Existential loneliness and the search for meaning in late life.
• The blurred line between dreams, memory, and reality.
• The inevitability of death and the passage of time.