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Strange Weather in Tokyo
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Tsukiko is in her late 30s and living alone when one night she happens to meet one of her former high school teachers, 'Sensei', in a bar. He is at least thirty years her senior, retired and, she presumes, a widower. After this initial encounter, the pair continue to meet occasionally to share food and drink sake, and as the seasons pass - from spring cherry blossom to aut
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Paperback, 176 pages
Published
May 1st 2014
by Portobello Books
(first published 2001)
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MikeBy
The people are quirky but a bit less than those in Kitchen. I think you would enjoy it.
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Start your review of Strange Weather in Tokyo
A May-December love story. She’s 37, he’s in his 70’s.
Her life is her career as an office worker. She has no friends; seldom sees her family; she seems tired of failed relationships with men. She drinks too much sake and beer. The story is written from her point of view.
She calls him Sensei. He’s her former high school Japanese teacher. They see each other on and off in a bar, occasionally eat out together, take walks or visit a museum. They go mushroom hunting with the bartender. They are bot ...more
Her life is her career as an office worker. She has no friends; seldom sees her family; she seems tired of failed relationships with men. She drinks too much sake and beer. The story is written from her point of view.
She calls him Sensei. He’s her former high school Japanese teacher. They see each other on and off in a bar, occasionally eat out together, take walks or visit a museum. They go mushroom hunting with the bartender. They are bot ...more
This book reads like Japanese art. Clean lines, spare and uncluttered. Or sparse, haiku as opposed to Shakespeare. The story is slight and the book is short. I found it somewhat cinematic - chapters as scenes - in Santuro's bar, at Sansei's, on the island, mushroom hunting, etc. Each an experimental and incremental step in a casual relationship full of stops and starts.
There's not a lot of explanation to why they are the people they are. They are loners who do not seek out friendships, though th ...more
There's not a lot of explanation to why they are the people they are. They are loners who do not seek out friendships, though th ...more
Strange Weather In Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami concerns the relationship between Omachi Tsukiko, a solitary and somewhat lonely woman in her thirties and her old school teacher, Mr Matsumoto or ‘Sensei’ as she knows him.
After a chance meeting, a fragile bond slowly develops. Both are singular, unconventional figures and there is quiet humour to be found in their social awkwardness and the large age gap.
The writing is simple, precise and a little remote - this seems to add to the emotional weight o ...more
After a chance meeting, a fragile bond slowly develops. Both are singular, unconventional figures and there is quiet humour to be found in their social awkwardness and the large age gap.
The writing is simple, precise and a little remote - this seems to add to the emotional weight o ...more
oh. really sweet, tender and gentle book. There isn't much of a plot (I like no plot) just all about a relationship between two mismatched people and lots of lovely passages about japanese food and drink - tofu, miso, salted shallots, edame, beer and sake.
really beautiful.
really beautiful.
Translated into English as Strange Weather in Tokyo.
38-year-old Tsukiko is content enough to split her days between the office, her regular bistro and her lonely appartment. She used to have a boyfriend... or two, but they weren't really significant, so the relationship fizzled out soon enough. Her high school Japanese teacher wasn't particularly memorable either, proof of this is that she can only refer to him as sensei (teacher in Japanese)... lest she didn't want to be outright rude. As it tu ...more
38-year-old Tsukiko is content enough to split her days between the office, her regular bistro and her lonely appartment. She used to have a boyfriend... or two, but they weren't really significant, so the relationship fizzled out soon enough. Her high school Japanese teacher wasn't particularly memorable either, proof of this is that she can only refer to him as sensei (teacher in Japanese)... lest she didn't want to be outright rude. As it tu ...more
Apr 08, 2014
Antonomasia
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Antonomasia by:
Independent Foreign Fiction Prize longlist 2014
Book 2200.
Not as twee as it looks. The heroine is about 15 years older than the flying manic pixie dreamgirl on the cover, she gets drunk a lot, works stupidly long hours, has arguments about sports and forgets to clean a pair of muddy shoes for weeks. Out of the characters in the limited number of Japanese novels I've read, Tsukiko is furthest from the traditional idea of a Japanese woman, though she doesn't seem to have set out to reject it; she isn't intellectual, she simply sees herself as n ...more
Not as twee as it looks. The heroine is about 15 years older than the flying manic pixie dreamgirl on the cover, she gets drunk a lot, works stupidly long hours, has arguments about sports and forgets to clean a pair of muddy shoes for weeks. Out of the characters in the limited number of Japanese novels I've read, Tsukiko is furthest from the traditional idea of a Japanese woman, though she doesn't seem to have set out to reject it; she isn't intellectual, she simply sees herself as n ...more
Jul 09, 2013
Tonymess
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
women-in-translation
Here’s a challenge for you, write a novel about loneliness without becoming boring. Write one about emptiness without being melancholy, how about deep love without sentimentality? “the briefcase” is a moving sparse and deeply emotional tale of loneliness, emptiness and love but in a style that that is removed and scant enough to elicit a sadness that lingers long after the final page has been read.
This is the story of Tsukiko, in her late 30’s, a loner and a food aficionado who crosses paths wit ...more
This is the story of Tsukiko, in her late 30’s, a loner and a food aficionado who crosses paths wit ...more
Poignant atmospheric love story involving a thirty something lonely Woman and her former teacher 30 years her senior.Lots of cultural and culinary insights about Tokyo.The fragmented storyline charts this unusual relationship to its inevitable conclusion.Very enjoyable.
#JapaneseJune Book #1.
I purchased Strange Weather in Tokyo on my Kindle for a mere 99p, and for that reason I am glad that I read this book. However, if I'd had to pay a normal Kindle price, I would have been a little bit miffed. Although this was a quick and easy read, I didn't feel very satisfied upon finishing it. I just feel ambivalence.
The story is told from the perspective of a woman in her late 30s named Tsukiko, who encounters an old teacher of hers at her local bar one night. From that ...more
I purchased Strange Weather in Tokyo on my Kindle for a mere 99p, and for that reason I am glad that I read this book. However, if I'd had to pay a normal Kindle price, I would have been a little bit miffed. Although this was a quick and easy read, I didn't feel very satisfied upon finishing it. I just feel ambivalence.
The story is told from the perspective of a woman in her late 30s named Tsukiko, who encounters an old teacher of hers at her local bar one night. From that ...more
Gorgeous + delicate novel with quiet, minimal writing that also manages to be full of warmth (and delicious food). Like that beautiful cover picture it has a dreamlike floatiness. In the end I found it all very touching, sweet and sad.
‘Strange Weather in Tokyo’ is the story of the slightly aloof and repressed Tsukiko and her budding romance with her former school-teacher, ‘Sensei’ a jocular, if melancholic man who Tsukiko happens to run into in a bar.
The book is more a series of pretty vignettes-some touching, some amusing and some suffused with a kind of sadness which reminds me of the films of Ozu-Kawakami lacks, perhaps, Ozu’s innate sense of genius, yet her almost detached way of telling the story, whilst imbuing the nove ...more
The book is more a series of pretty vignettes-some touching, some amusing and some suffused with a kind of sadness which reminds me of the films of Ozu-Kawakami lacks, perhaps, Ozu’s innate sense of genius, yet her almost detached way of telling the story, whilst imbuing the nove ...more
I spent the better part of my day with STRANGE WEATHER IN TOKYO by Hiromi Kawakami. I finished it in less than a day and I’m quite pleased that my first book of the year is a five star read.
This novel is gentle, tender and written in uncluttered prose that I found appealing and satisfying. It’s the story of Tsukiko and Sensei, a 37 year old woman and her high school teacher who cross paths at a local bar and fall into a companionable routine with ease. The novel follows this seemingly odd pair a ...more
This novel is gentle, tender and written in uncluttered prose that I found appealing and satisfying. It’s the story of Tsukiko and Sensei, a 37 year old woman and her high school teacher who cross paths at a local bar and fall into a companionable routine with ease. The novel follows this seemingly odd pair a ...more
Oct 12, 2018
Resh (The Book Satchel)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
translated-japanese,
asia
I LOVED this book. It is a strange and wonderful read. A middle aged woman happens to meet her high school English tutor and later develops feelings for him.
When she meets her teacher, she cannot recall his name, so she calls him Sensei (Sir) and continues to do so till the end of the book. We see a strange love story that surpasses age, thinking (the teacher is older and there are clash of ideas). The book is fragmental in nature; we read about an event in the lives of the characters and then m ...more
When she meets her teacher, she cannot recall his name, so she calls him Sensei (Sir) and continues to do so till the end of the book. We see a strange love story that surpasses age, thinking (the teacher is older and there are clash of ideas). The book is fragmental in nature; we read about an event in the lives of the characters and then m ...more
Beautiful and poignant, this little story stole my heart. The layers of the friendship and love flow like waves on the shore as the tide comes in. Each time a little higher than before.
I picked this novel up in a bargain/sale bookstore because the cover and title piqued my interest, and I love discovering Japanese authors I haven't read yet. It seems that Kawakami is quite a famous novelist, and though this is the only story of hers I have read so far, the beautiful mood and touching romance lea ...more
I picked this novel up in a bargain/sale bookstore because the cover and title piqued my interest, and I love discovering Japanese authors I haven't read yet. It seems that Kawakami is quite a famous novelist, and though this is the only story of hers I have read so far, the beautiful mood and touching romance lea ...more
4.25/5stars
I REALLY enjoyed this!! I'm happy to say my initial thought that it reminded me of Hotel Iris mixed with Murakami was pretty spot on!
This book follows a woman Tsukiko who accidentally runs into one of her teachers she had in secondary school, and the two of them become fast friends. This story is about them getting to know each other, and slowly falling in love. This book was ADORABLE. Tsukiko was so blunt and didn't take no bullshit, and Sensei was so cute (legit, he did the thing th ...more
I REALLY enjoyed this!! I'm happy to say my initial thought that it reminded me of Hotel Iris mixed with Murakami was pretty spot on!
This book follows a woman Tsukiko who accidentally runs into one of her teachers she had in secondary school, and the two of them become fast friends. This story is about them getting to know each other, and slowly falling in love. This book was ADORABLE. Tsukiko was so blunt and didn't take no bullshit, and Sensei was so cute (legit, he did the thing th ...more
3.5 stars
This book is a strange love story which unfurls when 37-year-old Tsukiko finds herself sitting next to her old high school teacher in a bar one night. It’s translated by Allison Markin Powell and is quite the pleasure to read!
.
It’s only a slim novel (I read it in about three hours), but Kawakami packs a lot into those pages; the novel is sweet, sad and reflective, as Tsukiko ruminates on what it means to be lonely and the repercussions of being in love with an older man. I thought it mi ...more
This book is a strange love story which unfurls when 37-year-old Tsukiko finds herself sitting next to her old high school teacher in a bar one night. It’s translated by Allison Markin Powell and is quite the pleasure to read!
.
It’s only a slim novel (I read it in about three hours), but Kawakami packs a lot into those pages; the novel is sweet, sad and reflective, as Tsukiko ruminates on what it means to be lonely and the repercussions of being in love with an older man. I thought it mi ...more
A first for me, the strange world of Hiromi Kawakami is utterly weird and bizarre. This story I loved, but trying another of hers (Record of a Night too Brief) was a mistake - it made no sense whatsover.
Tsukiko lives alone in her 30s, and one night comes across one of her old high school teachers named 'Sensei' in a bar. The two start talking and reminising and soon begin to meet regularly for drinks and food, and then before long they arrange to go on a trip together. Tsukiko has fallen hard fo ...more
Tsukiko lives alone in her 30s, and one night comes across one of her old high school teachers named 'Sensei' in a bar. The two start talking and reminising and soon begin to meet regularly for drinks and food, and then before long they arrange to go on a trip together. Tsukiko has fallen hard fo ...more
Hard for me to explain why I liked this so much. I struggled with thinking about how to explain it for a week and I still can't. Its tone is light grey. The writing is spare. Not a lot happens. There is much eating and drinking and "Yes, I see..." dialogue. Sometimes it borders on being "twee". And yet, by the end, it hit me hard emotionally. Not sure if that emotion came from sadness. I don’t think I found it sad. I found it beautifully cleansing. I love the poetry of e. e. cummings and Japanes
...more
Strange Weather in my room, after reading this
If your book is going to be a bit rightwing, can it at least be a bit sexy (I'm thinking of Yukio Mishima)? Kawakami's young woman is unsatisfied with modern (*cough* Western) life and so falls for the wise old "wax on, wax off" Japanese and his spadeful of mono no aware, his haikus, his cherry-blossom viewing, his pachinko, his "let's look at the moon and no we can't have sex oh go on then".
...more
A beautifully written little book about the relationship between a retired teacher and his former student, which evokes the issues of loneliness, what it is to grow up, and how independence and adulthood usually come at the expense of being alone.
I greatly enjoyed this, it’s a very relaxed reading experience. It’s an effortless read, somewhere between dream-like sequences and deceptively simple dialogue.
I greatly enjoyed this, it’s a very relaxed reading experience. It’s an effortless read, somewhere between dream-like sequences and deceptively simple dialogue.
Strange and beautiful.
Strange Weather in Tokyo is a love story between Tsukiko (late 30s) and her former teacher "Sensei", 30+ years older than her. Their growing closeness revolves largely around eating tofu or fish, and drinking sake or beer. This is certainly not a wild and passionate tale of romance. Slow burn would be an understatement! There are some poignant moments but overall, I was a little bit underwhelmed with this book, sadly.
Dreamy, reminded me of the feeling when watching a Sofia Coppola film
I have mixed feelings on this one. I liked some aspects of it - the relationship between the two central characters was really interesting, and there were some really nice moments and snatches of beautiful writing. However, sometimes the characters said or did things that just felt implausible. A lot of the writing felt a bit clumsy to me (possibly a translation issue, but I'm not sure), and the pacing felt off for me at times.
Mar 22, 2017
Faiza Sattar
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2017,
ylto-2017-read
★★★★☆ (4/5)
Sometimes when I call out, Sensei, I can hear a voice reply from the ceiling above, Tsukiko
Hiromi Kawakami’s “The Briefcase” is a silent and unique meditation on nature of love and loneliness which thrives in tandem. It’s quite simply a story of a rather unusual relationship between an older gentleman and his younger student from the bygone times.
Set in contemporary Tokyo, Tsukiko, a single woman in her forties has a chance meeting with her old Japanese teacher Harutsuna Matsumoto - ...more
Sometimes when I call out, Sensei, I can hear a voice reply from the ceiling above, Tsukiko
Hiromi Kawakami’s “The Briefcase” is a silent and unique meditation on nature of love and loneliness which thrives in tandem. It’s quite simply a story of a rather unusual relationship between an older gentleman and his younger student from the bygone times.
Set in contemporary Tokyo, Tsukiko, a single woman in her forties has a chance meeting with her old Japanese teacher Harutsuna Matsumoto - ...more
A charming and quirky tale of a "May to December" romance between a late-30s women Tsukiko and her former high-school teacher now in his 1970s.
The book is highly readable, and easily devoured in one sitting, with short episodic chapters, indeed the original was actually published in installments.
The romance itself is told without any salacious details - indeed the suggestion is the relationship lack a significant physical side - but the text instead relies heavily on "food porn" - mouthwatering ...more
The book is highly readable, and easily devoured in one sitting, with short episodic chapters, indeed the original was actually published in installments.
The romance itself is told without any salacious details - indeed the suggestion is the relationship lack a significant physical side - but the text instead relies heavily on "food porn" - mouthwatering ...more
This book is just wonderful. It's quite short at 192 pages and I read it in a little over a day because I just couldn't put it down. It follows Tsukiko and her former teacher, whom she calls 'Sensei', after a chance encounter leads them to form an unlikely friendship. Sensei is much older than Tsukiko but as they are both consumed by loneliness they begin to seek comfort from their time spent together. It isn't long before Tsukiko begins to question her true feelings for Sensei, and the story ex
...more
I bought this little book on impulse with a book order because it didn't cost very much, and the cover photo looked as if it would be a fun bit of fluff. Well, it's not. It is a beautiful, melancholy love story, and the style of writing is everything I love about Japanese literature.
Jul 17, 2018
Shāfiya Mū
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
library,
japanese-lit
Strange Weather in Tokyo: A Novel by Hiromi Kawakami is an #OwnVoices Japanese Contemporary fiction novel and was one of my most-anticipated reads for the 2018 year. A large part of me had the feeling that I would enjoy this book, even if the premise felt a tiny bit taboo, yet I never would have expected to fall so wonderfully in love with it.
Strange Weather in Tokyo surrounds a 38-year-old office worker, Tsukiko, who lives alone. One evening she runs into her former high school Japanese profess ...more
Strange Weather in Tokyo surrounds a 38-year-old office worker, Tsukiko, who lives alone. One evening she runs into her former high school Japanese profess ...more
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Readers also enjoyed
Kawakami Hiromi (川上 弘美 Kawakami Hiromi) born April 1, 1958, is a Japanese writer known for her off-beat fiction.
Born in Tokyo, Kawakami graduated from Ochanomizu Women's College in 1980. She made her debut as "Yamada Hiromi" in NW-SF No. 16, edited by Yamano Koichi and Yamada Kazuko, in 1980 with the story So-shimoku ("Diptera"), and also helped edit some early issues of NW-SF in the 1970s. She re ...more
Born in Tokyo, Kawakami graduated from Ochanomizu Women's College in 1980. She made her debut as "Yamada Hiromi" in NW-SF No. 16, edited by Yamano Koichi and Yamada Kazuko, in 1980 with the story So-shimoku ("Diptera"), and also helped edit some early issues of NW-SF in the 1970s. She re ...more
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