The Enso by Linda A. Gould
The introduction to Linda Gould's short story The Enso describes a monk who seeks immortality, a salaryman who just wants to get home from a night of drinking, and the dark, mysterious forest that attracts them both.
Gould is the editor of White Enso, the online journal featuring creative work inspired by Japan, and the host of hyakumonogatari kaidankai. She lives in Japan and is an on-again, off-again writer of short stories.