In this chapter, the narrator tells us that hell is in the middle of summer, and that the festival urabon is in full swing. He compares the festival to a sports day and a summer vacation for wardens. He also tells us about a novel he's reading, called Momotaro , which is about a period in Japanese history called the "edo" or "ronin samurai" . In this novel, the dead are allowed to flee punishment during this time of year. The narrator says that the only time during the year that the dead can flee punishment is when the other "lids of hell" are removed, like the kettles are removed from the fire. The festival, he says, is like a "blur" between life and death, and it's like the boundary between heaven and hell is being crossed. He says that this festival is like the first day of spring, and he hopes that it will last for a long time to come. He's also excited to see that there's a king in attendance, and even one of the king's sons is at the festival. Everyone's having a good time, and the narrator is starting to think that this is some kind of "curse" that the king has put on him. He tells the narrator about the archery game, the medicinal tea, the red hot chili, the dark chili soup, and so on. He thinks that the red chili soup is "not selling taste" , but that the soul food is. He wonders why they're riding eggplants, and then he thinks about the incense commercial he heard about