Oda Sakunosuke is described in Japan as one of the burai ha, or hooligan school of writers. Working before and during World War II, these writers sought to create an underground literature in opposition to the traditional flavour favoured by the militaristic government. Depicting unflattering realities rather than the exemplary ideals, the author focused on Japan's hustlers, bunglers and misfits. Yet underlying the tales, his sympathy for the characters he portrays is sensed.