The Factory

is a proletarian novella written by Japanese author Hiroko Oyamada. Originally written and published in Japan in 2013 by Shinchosha Publishing Co., the book was translated into English by David Boyd and published in 2019 by New Directions Publishing Corporation. The uniquely structured novella switches between the perspectives of three characters as they begin jobs at a joint living and working facility known as "the factory." Setting The Factory is set in an unidentified Japanese city. Although the factory is mainly a place of work, employees also live on the grounds surrounding it. The compound is self-sufficient and so large that it could be its own city. It is said to have everything except a graveyard. The factory's compound includes: living quarters, a temple with a priest, museums, restaurants, grocery stores, travel agencies, barbers, post offices, and more. The factory's setting is mysterious. There is a randomly placed bridge over a body of water. The animals in the compound, including Factory Shags, Washer Lizards, and Grayback Coypus, act very differently from normal animals. The people are strange as well, including a disheveled character named the "Forest Pantser" who lives in the dense, maze-like forest surrounding the factory where he pulls people's pants down. Plot The Factory follows three new employees as they begin their new lives. The timeline, somewhat indefinite, appears to take place over a fifteen year span. The story begins with Yoshiko Ushiyama being interviewed by Goto for a job at the factory. She graduated school with a liberal arts degree and a special interest in research on Japanese communication. She feels undeserving of working in such an important place as the factory. She recalls the impression the astounding factory had on her when she visited as a child. It seemed all powerful and like the perfect place to work. At the end of her interview, she is offered a contract position in the Print Services division. She spends full workdays shredding papers. Occasionally, she eats lunch with her work friends or her brother and his girlfriend. Yoshiko's portion of the story ends when she slowly slips into insanity, questioning her entire life's purpose before becoming a part of the factory herself.