I've been reading a lot more Japanese fiction in English translation the last year or so. I will be posting the books that i can recommend. If you have any faves then i would love to hear about them! I've been focused on Female authors recently so i will be posting them first ____________________________________________ To kick things off, the book that got me obsessed with Female authors. This book is so well written and unusual. Blurb: On a hot summer’s day in a poor suburb of Tokyo we meet three women: thirty-year-old Natsuko, her older sister Makiko, and Makiko’s teenage daughter Midoriko. Makiko, an ageing hostess despairing the loss of her looks, has travelled to Tokyo in search of breast enhancement surgery. She's accompanied by Midoriko, who has recently stopped speaking, finding herself unable to deal with her own changing body and her mother’s self-obsession. Her silence dominates Natsuko’s rundown apartment, providing a catalyst for each woman to grapple with their own anxieties and their relationships with one another. Eight years later, we meet Natsuko again. She is now a writer and find herself on a journey back to her native city, returning to memories of that summer and her family’s past as she faces her own uncertain future. In Breasts and Eggs Mieko Kawakami paints a radical and intimate portrait of contemporary working class womanhood in Japan, recounting the heartbreaking journeys of three women in a society where the odds are stacked against them. This is an unforgettable full length English language debut from a major international talent.
A novel about bullying. A raw, painful, and tender portrait of adolescent misery. Frustrating but also strangely uplifting. Blurb: In Heaven, a fourteen-year-old boy is tormented for having a lazy eye. Instead of resisting, he chooses to suffer in silence. The only person who understands what he is going through is a female classmate, Kojima, who experiences similar treatment at the hands of her bullies. Providing each other with immeasurable consolation at a time in their lives when they need it most, the two young friends grow closer than ever. But what, ultimately, is the nature of a friendship when your shared bond is terror? Unflinching yet tender, sharply observed, intimate and multi-layered, this simple yet profound novel stands as yet another dazzling testament to Mieko Kawakami’s uncontainable talent. There can be little doubt that it has cemented her reputation as one of the most important young authors at work today.
I took about an hour to read this. Some novella's have more depth and insight than a full novel. This is one of them. Highly recommended. Also includes interesting notes at the end from both author and translator. Blurb: 'My oshi was on fire. Word was he'd punched a fan' High-school student Akari has only one passion in her life: her oshi, her idol. His name is Masaki Ueno, best known as one-fifth of Japanese pop group Maza Maza. Akari's dedication to her oshi consumes her days completely. She keeps a blog entirely devoted to him, religiously chronicling and analysing all his events. He is the spine of her life; she cannot survive without him. When Masaki is rumoured to have assaulted a female fan, facing waves of social media backlash, Akari's world falls apart. Offering a vivid insight into otaku culture and adolescence, Idol, Burning is a brilliantly gripping story of obsession, coming of age and the addictive, relentless nature of fandom culture.
A collection of short stories challenging societal conventions. This is a great book, Sayaka is like no other author I've read. Blurb: An engaged couple falls out over the husband's dislike of clothes and objects made from human materials; a young girl finds herself deeply enamoured with the curtain in her childhood bedroom; people honour their dead by eating them and then procreating. Published in English for the first time, this exclusive edition also includes the story that first brought Sayaka Murata international acclaim: 'A Clean Marriage', which tells the story of a happily asexual couple who must submit to some radical medical procedures if they are to conceive a longed-for child. Mixing taboo-breaking body horror with feminist revenge fables, old ladies who love each other and young women finding empathy and transformation in unlikely places, Life Ceremony is a wild ride to the outer edges of one of the most original minds in contemporary fiction.
Open to other sharing, too? I moderately enjoyed Breasts and Eggs, I think it was interesting and well-written, but ultimately I was left a bit unsatisfied at the end of it if I am honest. I have not checked out Heaven yet though. Currently reading Lady Joker (vol 1) by Kaoru Takamura, and..... it's a tough read. Think The Three-Body Problem series, but with a lot less action and less likable characters. I mean, sure, this is the point, and I am keen to see where it goes and if I want to pick out vol 2 now, but definitely not one that I can find myself not wanting to put down. Blurb: Tokyo, 1995. Five men meet at the racetrack every Sunday to bet on horses. They have little in common except a deep disaffection with their lives, but together they represent the social struggles and griefs of post-War Japan: a poorly socialized genius stuck working as a welder; a demoted detective with a chip on his shoulder; a Zainichi Korean banker sick of being ostracized for his race; a struggling single dad of a teenage girl with Down syndrome. The fifth man bringing them all together is an elderly drugstore owner grieving his grandson, who has died suspiciously after the revelation of a family connection with the segregated buraku community, historically subjected to severe discrimination. Intent on revenge against a society that values corporate behemoths more than human life, the five conspirators decide to carry out a heist: kidnap the CEO of Japan’s largest beer conglomerate and extract blood money from the company’s corrupt financiers. Inspired by the unsolved true-crime kidnapping case perpetrated by “the Monster with 21 Faces,” Lady Joker has become a cultural touchstone since its 1997 publication, acknowledged as the magnum opus by one of Japan’s literary masters, twice adapted for film and TV and often taught in high school and college classrooms.
Another one I read in the last year - only because I was self-isolating with Covid actually, and it happened to be at the bedside - was Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka. Basically the completely opposite end of the spectrum. This is a full mindless, easy read without any pretense to depth or provocative ideas; in fact, just the sort of light right I needed in the fog. Super quick read, and enjoyable for what it was; a sort of 'popcorn fare' of books if you will. It came as about a 0.01% shock to me that they then turned this into a movie, as this is exactly what it seems it was written for (a sort of screenplay audition). I am sure you know the type. Anyways, the book was fine, and had its enjoyable moments but please, just ignore the fact that any sort of filmed adaptation of it exists. Blurb: Five killers are on a bullet train from Tokyo competing for a suitcase full of money. Who will make it to the last station? An original and propulsive thriller from a Japanese bestseller. Satoshi looks like an innocent schoolboy but he is really a viciously cunning psychopath. Kimura's young son is in a coma thanks to him, and Kimura has tracked him onto the bullet train heading from Tokyo to Morioka to exact his revenge. But Kimura soon discovers that they are not the only dangerous passengers onboard. Nanao, the self-proclaimed 'unluckiest assassin in the world', and the deadly partnership of Tangerine and Lemon are also travelling to Morioka. A suitcase full of money leads others to show their hands. Why are they all on the same train, and who will get off alive at the last station?
But it was the film that hipped me to the book, which i bought a few weeks ago. I haven't read it yet. That's weird because so am I .... started it on the weekend. I'm enjoying it so far but its very dense and full of details about business and corporations, which i wouldn't normally consider an interesting topic. So far its reminding me of Hideo Yokoyama's type of novels, theres a lot to take in but if you stick with the slow burn, it can end up being rewarding. Blurb: For five days in January 1989, the parents of a seven-year-old Tokyo schoolgirl sat and listened to the demands of their daughter's kidnapper. They would never learn his identity. They would never see their daughter again. For the fourteen years that followed, the Japanese public listened to the police's apologies. They would never forget the botched investigation that became known as 'Six Four'. They would never forgive the authorities their failure. For one week in late 2002, the press officer attached to the police department in question confronted an anomaly in the case. He could never imagine what he would uncover. He would never have looked if he'd known what he would find. Blurb: FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SIX FOUR: A TENSE INVESTIGATION IN THE AFTERMATH OF AN AIR DISASTER - FOR FANS OF SPOTLIGHT AND AFTER THE CRASH. 1985. Kazumasa Yuuki, a seasoned reporter at the North Kanto Times, runs a daily gauntlet against the power struggles and office politics that plague its newsroom. But when an air disaster of unprecedented scale occurs on the paper's doorstep, its staff are united by an unimaginable horror, and a once-in-a-lifetime scoop. 2002. Seventeen years later, Yuuki remembers the adrenaline-fuelled, emotionally charged seven days that changed his and his colleagues' lives. He does so while making good on a promise he made that fateful week - one that holds the key to its last unsolved mystery, and represents Yuuki's final, unconquered fear.
This one is a big fave of mine, i've read it twice so far. If you've ever felt at odds with society or just your families expectations of you, this book is going to be of interest. Its quite funny, too. Blurb: Meet Keiko. Keiko is 36 years old. She's never had a boyfriend, and she's been working in the same supermarket for eighteen years. Keiko's family wishes she'd get a proper job. Her friends wonder why she won't get married. But Keiko knows what makes her happy, and she's not going to let anyone come between her and her convenience store...
Loved this, and i read it all in one sitting. Yes, I'm single with no kids, so I have a lot of time on my hands, like the protagonist in the book. Blurb: Fuyuko Irie is a freelance proofreader in her thirties. Living alone, and unable to form meaningful relationships, she has little contact with anyone other than Hijiri, someone she works with. When she sees her reflection, she’s confronted with a tired and spiritless woman who has failed to take control of her own life. Her one source of solace: light. Every Christmas Eve, Fuyuko heads out to catch a glimpse of the lights that fill the Tokyo night. But it is a chance encounter with a man named Mitsutsuka that awakens something new in her. And so her life begins to change. As Fuyuko starts to see the world in a different light, painful memories from her past begin to resurface. Fuyuko needs to be loved, to be heard, and to be seen. But living in a small world of her own making, will she find the strength to bring down the walls that surround her? All The Lovers In The Night is acute and insightful, entertaining and captivating, pulsing and poetic, modern and shocking. It’s another unforgettable novel from Japan’s most exciting writer.
I almost hesitate to even mention it here, as bringing up Murakami is kind of (maybe?) like saying you like Marvel comics these days. But in any case have always been a fan of his work. I had picked up Killing Commendatore a while back but was saving it for myself for a treat. Anyhow, finally got stuck in to it last year as well and it was a real blast. A true return to form and very much in the vein of his other indescribable pieces like The Wind-up Bird Chronicle and Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. So if those are your types of Murakami, then this is very much for you as well. A sheer delight. I am a huge fan of his work, have read nearly everything, so will admit a degree of personal bias there, but his novels and novellas/short stories definitely capture a huge range of genres and tastes. One thing that is for certain is you never know what you are going to get from picking up a book from Haruki Murakami. And while I am including the blurb below to coincide with Moog's template, and people's expectations, I find his work - like a lot of movies - are best gone into fully blind. Don't worry about the plot, just read and enjoy. And you will with Killing Commendatore. This book is everything I could have hoped; weird, fun, wildly entertaining, and certainly unpredictable - one of the best examples from one of Japan's preeminent modern writers. So, while it isn't a piece that exactly needs more praising, it nevertheless merits it. Highly recommend. Blurb: In Killing Commendatore, a thirty-something portrait painter in Tokyo is abandoned by his wife and finds himself holed up in the mountain home of a famous artist, Tomohiko Amada. When he discovers a previously unseen painting in the attic, he unintentionally opens a circle of mysterious circumstances. To close it, he must complete a journey that involves a mysterious ringing bell, a two-foot-high physical manifestation of an Idea, a dapper businessman who lives across the valley, a precocious thirteen-year-old girl, a Nazi assassination attempt during World War II in Vienna, a pit in the woods behind the artist’s home, and an underworld haunted by Double Metaphors. A tour de force of love and loneliness, war and art—as well as a loving homage to The Great Gatsby—Killing Commendatore is a stunning work of imagination from one of our greatest writers.
Changing gear here perhaps quite dramatically, another fairly recent read, but a novel that has been around a long time and deserves in every way to be called a classic, is Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki. First serialised in print in 1914, it stands as equally important today. While it is essence a story about the transition from Meiji era to more modern society, what it is (and what it is about) is far less than the sum of its parts.The themes and messages in this novel are powerful, and it is one of those books you will read, and keep thinking about and perhaps revisiting or redisecting parts of in attempts to peel back some of its many layers of meaning. It's really difficult to summarise the feelings of this book, or find any kind of synopsis that capture the story without actually giving key elements away. But hopefully this short version can intrigue people enough to give this one a try. Blurb: Kokoro is written as three parts. The first two are told from the perspective of the narrator, relating his memories of Sensei, an older man who was a friend and mentor during his university days. Part three, which makes up the latter half of the novel, is a long confessional letter written by Sensei to the narrator. In this letter Sensei reveals, in keeping with an earlier promise, the full story of his past
Maybe thats why i've never read any of his books then! ... i've never gone out of my way NOT to read his stuff, but i'm sure i will read some at some point. I can say the same for Banana Yoshimoto, although for her, at least i own some of her books - i've just not read them yet. BTW ... I'm fully aware that people don't read anymore, so this thread will be quite light in contributors, especially for a fairly niche class of fiction that is Japanese translations. BUT, they are becoming more popular with publishers so its good news on that front.
I read this one the other day. Its a beautiful book. On the surface, a modern fairy tale, but its much deeper than that. The main themes are firmly rooted in reality. Recommended. Blurb: Would you share your deepest secrets to save a friend? In a tranquil neighbourhood of Tokyo, seven teenagers wake to find their bedroom mirrors are shining. At a single touch, they are pulled from their lonely lives to a wondrous castle filled with winding stairways and twinkling chandeliers. In this new sanctuary, they are confronted with a set of clues leading to a hidden room where one of them will be granted a wish. But there's a catch: if they don't leave the castle by five o'clock, they will be punished. As time passes, a devastating truth emerges: only those brave enough to share their stories will be saved. Tender, playful, gripping, LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR is a mesmerising tale about the importance of reaching out, confronting anxiety and embracing human connection.
Fair enough. Its a bit of a hodge-podge that book. Its mainly a rewritten version of a novella of the same name she published previously (which has not been translated) and when they translated the rewritten version to English they added a later second half she wrote afterwards, which is a continuation of the original narrative. As for 'Heaven' ... if you didn't like the ending to 'Breasts and Eggs' its possible you wont be too keen on the ending to Heaven either.
I probably came off sounding a bit too harsh on that one. And yeah, I had known about the addition. Which I think managed to flesh out more, and was interesting actually, but I guess overall with such an interesting story I was expecting it to go further than it did. I'll probably/very likely check out Heaven, but there is a lot on the reading list - and actually I foresee it growing thanks to this excellent topic. Literature-wise Eggs >> Bullet Train, but they serve different functions. Sometimes you just want a greasy burger or Hammer film to hit the spot. YMMV. {But I have to ask, did you watch the film already?...}
Territory of Light by Yuko Tsushima. A single mother dealing with life, the story has emphasis on architecture and the spaces people live in, either by choice or chance. Its a quick read but it really stuck with me. I read it a couple of months or so ago, still thinking about it. Blurb: It is Spring. A young woman, left by her husband, starts a new life in a Tokyo apartment. Territory of Light follows her over the course of a year, as she struggles to bring up her two-year-old daughter alone. Her new home is filled with light, streaming through the windows, so bright you have to squint, but she finds herself plummeting deeper into darkness; becoming unstable, untethered. As the months come and go, and the seasons turn, she must confront what she has lost and what she will become. At once tender and lacerating, luminous and unsettling, Territory of Light is a novel of abandonment, desire and transformation. It was originally published in twelve parts in the Japanese literary monthly Gunzo, between 1978 and 1979, each chapter marking the months in real time.
I think the good news here is that it can only get better. Kidding aside, while the general story structure is the same (and I have not seen it, but spoken with someone else who both saw/read it) there are ample changes. I know from what I saw from the trailers much of it was - essentially unrecognisable. But hopefully it can be ingested as its own beast. Main reason I was asking was, the more enjoyable aspects of something so simple might be spoiled by having known the main beats from the film. Character-wise though especially, I wish you could come into it with a blank slate [e.g. rather than associating in any way with the people who are on screen in the film]. He's got some follow up novel(s) as well (one at least, additional stories connected to the characters from part 1), but have not read the first follow up, Three Assassins, yet; can cover that hear though maybe shortly.
A subtle science fiction story, where the earth is poisoned and the young grow up frail and unhealthy. Its beautifully written and not as depressing as it sounds. Powerful stuff. Blurb: Yoshiro celebrated his hundredth birthday many years ago, but every morning before work he still goes running in the park with his rent-a-dog. He is one of the many aged-elderly in Japan and he might, he thinks, live forever. Life for Yoshiro isn't as simple as it used to be. Pollution and natural disasters have scarred the face of the Earth, and even common foods are hard to come by. Still, Yoshiro's only real worry is the future of his great-grandson Mumei, who, like other children of his generation, was born frail and grey-haired, old before he was ever young. As daily life in Tokyo grows harder, a secretive organisation embarks on an audacious plan to find a cure for the children of Japan - might Yoshiro's great-grandson, Mumei, be the key? A dreamlike story of filial love and glimmering hope, The Last Children of Tokyo is a delicate glimpse of our future from one of Japan's most celebrated writers.
@ultrakaiju Did you finish 'Lady Joker' pt1 yet? I did a few days ago. I ended up really liking it, the excessive detail grew on me. The police and reporters stuff certainly reminded me of Hideo Yokoyama's 'Six Four' but I thought Lady Joker was easier to follow and more interesting. Now i have to decide whether to buy the hardback of pt.2 or wait a few months until the paperback drops ...
Hideyuki Kikuchi - Vampire Hunter D Some of the most entertaining pulp out there, and right up there with E.R. Burroughs and R.E. Howard for me. I have not found much better other than King's Dark Tower series in these genres of dark western/scifi/post-apocalyptic fantasy. Forty novels in many volumes and now even compiled into omnibus tomes in English. We are are truly spoiled with these translations.
@The Moog Not quite, yet, I am still in the midst of it - haven't 'relaxed' for a good read in a while. It's grown on me, too, the more I got into it, and interested to see where it goes. I'd be tempted enough to pick up Vol 2 myself, though I've got quite a backlist of reading material as it is, and sometimes I find it's better in any case to take a good 'breather' between one author's books, and especially so if they are of a series [personal choice, again; I am sure there are some folks who love to devour things in one go]. Depends of course on the pulp digest quality of the material, too, haha. I am thinking of Liu's Three Body Problem as a good example of this, for me; some heavy reading there and definitely takes some time to digest and reflect, and maybe intersperse with some 'lighter fare' before diving right in to the next tome. I'll definitely post some thoughts after I finish this one though.
I had no idea of its literary origins. Very interesting! I can do that, but most of the time when I get into something I get in a groove and just keep going. I remember reading all of Game of Thrones in one go, like a fiend ... ha, im planning on doing the same with The Expanse too.
Impossible! Since the full ASOIAF is not even out yet! (I mean, c'mon George!) Haha, kidding, but as someone who had to go through the years long wait between books, and agonising anticipation (you think waiting for a new 'season' of a show is tough) I totally get ingesting these all in a straight flush. They are definitely well enjoyed that way.
This one hit the shelves recently, and i thought it was really good. She describes music in an interesting and moving way throughout the book. The eccentric boy-genius Jin Kazama, was an especially enjoyable character. Blurb: In a small coastal town just a stone's throw from Tokyo, a prestigious piano competition is underway. Over the course of two feverish weeks, three friends will experience some of the most joyous - and painful - moments of their lives. Though they don't know it yet, each will profoundly and unpredictably change the others, for ever. Aya was a piano genius, until she ran away from the stage and vanished; will the tall and talented Ma-kun bring her back? Or will it be child of nature, Jin, a pianist without a piano, who carries the sound of his father's bees wherever he goes? Each of them will break the rules, awe their fans and push themselves to the brink. But at what cost? Tender, cruel, compelling, HONEYBEES AND DISTANT THUNDER is the unflinching story of love, courage and rivalry. Most of all, it shows how three young people reconcile with the highs and lows of what it means to truly be a friend.
