Convenience Store Woman, Sayaka Murata

Convenience Store Woman is a book about the outsider, the stranger, that individual who does not fit into modern society for reasons that range from obscure to obvious. Keiko hovers somewhere in the middle of that spectrum because to all outward appearances, she is as normal as anyone walking around. She has a job, lives…

The Thief, Fuminori Nakamura

As an avid fantasy reader, the notion of fate is one in which I am well-versed. Fantasy novels often have a multitude of prophecies or destined heroes, and it always requires even more suspension of disbelief than already necessary to read speculative fiction. What I do not often encounter in any fiction, fantasy or otherwise,…

Ms Ice Sandwich, Mieko Kawakami

It is not often that I so blindly stumble upon a Japanese author without knowing anything beforehand. In this case, I was quite literally browsing library shelves and came upon Ms Ice Sandwich. What a quirky title, I thought, and a Japanese name. I guess I’ll read this. Browsing library shelves, it turns out, has…

The Emissary, Yoko Tawada

Writing weird and quirky fiction,the kind that borders on the fantastic, seems to be a tradition in Japanese literature. Between Haruki Murakami, Kenzaburo Oe, Kobo Abe, and now Yoko Tawada, there is no shortage of puzzling but delightful stories pouring out of Japan. Tawada is no stranger to the Japanese fiction landscape, but she was…

Naomi, Junichiro Tanazaki

“Naomi, Naomi — I don’t know how many times the name was repeated between us. It was the appetizer that accompanied our sake. We relished its smooth sound, licked it with our saliva, and raised it to our lips, as though it were a delicacy even tastier than beef.” It is almost impossible in modern…

Runaway Horses – Yukio Mishima

It is rare to find in an author someone so married to the beliefs that they write about; particularly when it comes to fiction. Good writers can pen from any angle, get into the heads of both villains and heroes. While we may get an authorial viewpoint sneaking in from time to time, it is…

Japanese Curriculum in Review

At the end of November, I designed my self a curriculum for the fall centered around Japanese culture. I’ve been fascinated by the country of Japan for most of my adult life. Where this fascination springs from is a mystery, though it likely began with playing numerous Japanese video games as a young person. That…

Book Review – The Ark Sakura, by Kobe Abe

The Ark Sakura has all the makings of a novel I’d love. It has a Murakami-esque weirdness to it, and I could certainly see where Abe has influenced my favorite author, but the story itself never really comes together. Maybe it’s not supposed to.  Regardless, it has sparked my desire to read more Abe, and…

Book Review – Groteseque, by Natsuo Kirino

I’ve never been drawn to murder mystery novels, particularly those of American stock. I loved Edgar Allen Poe in high school, and still do, but feel that most of the current murder fiction out there is predictable and mediocre. Our national fascination with murder mysteries is itself incredible. We are a country both awe-struck and terrified of…

Book Review – The Counterfeiter and Other Stories, by Yasushi Inoue

I read The Counterfeiter over the better part of a day. It’s a short read at a mere 128 pages, and it’s a book of short stories. It’s divided up into three sections, with the title story, The Counterfeiter, taking up most of the book’s real estate. Obasute and The Full Moon are shorter, and constitute…

Book Review – Shipwrecks, by Akira Yoshimura

I have a habit of judging books by their covers in a very literal sense. I have a particular fondness for trade paperback editions with attractive art. I refuse to buy something bent up or with a movie version cover (those are the absolute worst, making me wish to avoid both the book and the…

Book Review – The Master of Go, by Yasunari Kawabata

I did not expect, when beginning this classic Japanese literary masterpiece, to think so much about video games while reading it. The book details, with diagrams, one single game of the Asian board game Go, between the peer-ordained Master and his greater challenger. It’s a book about a game, and that’s something I can relate…