I think it’s a bit of a tall order to “shake people’s hearts,” in short stories. I’m not a big fan of anthologies — unless they’re horror anthologies with all the short stories written by one author — so this was invariably a mixed bag. That said here are the stories I liked or found amusing:
● 本物のサンタクロース — Santa Claus is spotted by a young boy who keeps asking him if he’s the boy’s dad, as the boy’s classmates (or friends?) say that their dad is always Santa (or Santa is always dad).
● とっかえべえ — The とっかえべえ is an old man who can swap or exchange anything, anything at all, but it only works once.
● 地球嫌い — A man working on the moon doesn’t want to go back to earth.
● ペンギン — This one was legitimately funny for me. A man calls saying that there’s a penguin outside his house, and he’s advised to bring it to the zoo.
● アフロの男 — The ghost of a man with an afro shows up at a family’s house and apologizes for the intrusion, but please can he stay here during obon.
● この幸せな時間が・・・ — It’s groundhog day, but with a twist.
● 学校嫌い — A mother is trying to convince her son to go to school.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.