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[Alwynne]

Jessica wrote: "Nice! I love mysteries but new to Japanese writers in the genre. If you have any other authors you'd recommend, I'd love to hear it!

I don't read much crime fiction, Japanese or otherwise, so not sure if I can be that useful. There are a lot of classic, locked-room-type mysteries around now like The Mill House Murders, psychological crime like Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight - although I liked the style more than the overall novel. I enjoyed Tokyo Express but it's very technical, the plot hinges on train timetables. Higashino's my favourite so far as more fleshed out in terms of social issues. There are also novels like Penance which are a mix of psychological and more commercial, a bit like the kdrama The Glory.

[Bill]

Unfortunately, The Informer turned into a rather stock police procedural in the second half with a lackluster conclusion. Since our MC in the first half is the primary suspect in the second half (the MC in the second half is the prosecutor), we know he's not guilty and are just waiting for the author to invent a reason to pin the crime on a minor character.

After finishing this on Saturday, I did a couple of non-Japanese reads: The Ancien Regime and the Revolution and The Haunting of Hill House . I mention this only because of a lovely image a bit less than halfway into Hill House: a round tower with a spiral staircase that's been turned into a library. Books all the way up, and you can reach every one of them!

[Jeroen]

I just finished Shigeru Mizuki’s Showa 1926-1939: A History of Japan. It’s a graphic novel/manga, part 1 of 4 volumes. It’s an amazing history book, Mizuki describes the historical events that eventually will lead to Japan entering WWII. Very factual, he doesn’t shy away from describing some of the darkest chapters in Japan’s history. Mizuki combines this with his own personal story, experiences and his (sometimes mystical) world view. With beautifully artwork. I found it a pretty amazing read!

[Bill]

I read his Onward to Our Noble Deaths, which was quite good.

In WW2, a unit that somehow survived a suicide charge has to try it again and do it right this time.

[Jeroen]

Thanks Bill, I'll add this title to my wishlist!

Bill wrote: "I read his Onward to Our Noble Deaths, which was quite good.

In WW2, a unit that somehow survived a suicide charge has to try it again and do it right this time."

[Alwynne]

I finished a novella by award-winning author Kazushige Abe Nipponia Nippon an intriguing variation on stories of disaffected, self-deluding youth. Meticulously constructed, I read this one through from cover to cover.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alwynne]

I finished a collection centring Japanese women writers whose focus is on lesbian culture and identity, Sparkling Rain: And Other Fiction From Japan Of Women Who Love Women, it also contains some fascinating background material outlining the history of lesbian fiction in Japan. Like most collections some pieces were more successful than others but some were really striking.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alwynne]

I finished an arc of Kafka classics in comics a manga adaptation of nine short stories by Franz Kafka by the duo Nishioka Kyodai (Kyoudai) and thought it was a brilliant pairing. I've come across their works on manga sites but this is the first official English-language publication of any of their work. Marvellous.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jeroen]

I’m currently reading The Temple of Dawn by Yukio Mishima, the third book of his Sea of Fertility tetralogy. I’m reading the part where Mishima decided to go all in describing and comparing the different perspectives of Buddhism. I’m struggling as a reader. But will persevere! Just to let you know. :)

[Carol]

Jeroen wrote: "I’m currently reading The Temple of Dawn by Yukio Mishima, the third book of his Sea of Fertility tetralogy. I’m reading the part where Mishima decided to go all in describing and comparing the dif..."

and you have my admiration and empathy, not that I've tackled the trilogy yet. Best wishes for retaining your commitment to being a completist.

[Patricia]

I'm finally reading The Lake. About halfway through & enjoying it so far. Also reading Journey Under the Midnight Sun (although my copy doesn't have the word "Journey" in the title). I've read a couple of his other books and liked them. This one is pretty long & after hitting the fourth chapter, I decided to go back and make a character list. I had to do that with his last book, so I should have known better. Anyway, once I get the characters all straightened out in my mind, I know I will enjoy it better.

[Bill]

Old monthly reads never close. Feel free to revive The Lake discussion if you're interested.

[Patricia]

Thank! I will once I finish.

[Alwynne]

I finished a collection of short stories by Yuko Tsushima The Shooting Gallery the themes and characters sit well alongside Territory of Light and Child of Fortune all exploring aspects of women's lives particularly single women and single mothers. I love the way her writing manages to be both graceful and unsettling.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Agnetta]

Jeroen wrote: "I’m currently reading The Temple of Dawn by Yukio Mishima, the third book of his Sea of Fertility tetralogy. I’m reading the part where Mishima decided to go all in describing and comparing the dif..."

Keep going Jeroen, keep going !!!
the worst is still to come with The fall of the angel... but at least it is shorter :)

[Jeroen]

Agnetta wrote: "Jeroen wrote: "I’m currently reading The Temple of Dawn by Yukio Mishima, the third book of his Sea of Fertility tetralogy. I’m reading the part where Mishima decided to go all in describing and co..."

Ha! Thanks Agnetta, I will! I am curious about the last part of the tetralogy, knowing what happened after Mishima submitted his manuscript to his publisher.

[Alwynne]

I finished Satoshi Yagisawa's award-winning Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, slight but charming, comfort read set in Tokyo's famous book district.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Monica]

Recently just finished Three Days of Happiness, by Sugaru Miaki. (日本語で：三日間の幸福) A story about a man in his 20s who decides to sell his lifespan. I enjoyed it. It was a nice light novel to get me out of my book slump.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[J]

Jeroen wrote: "I’m currently reading The Temple of Dawn by Yukio Mishima, the third book of his Sea of Fertility tetralogy. I’m reading the part where Mishima decided to go all in describing and comparing the dif..."

Good luck with this! I hope you're enjoying it more than I did. I dropped the book about midway, after realising the lobotomy Mishima did on my favourite character, Honda. It was a shame, since I really liked the first two books of the tetralogy.

[Bill]

I've just finished Mirror by Ann Sherif about Koda Aya.

I can see why the publisher was dumping copies of this for one dollar.

Out of 200 pages, we get a 30 page biography of Koda, 40 pages of Koda's stories, and the rest is rather bland, repetitive analysis of Koda's writings by Sherif. Even Sherif's selection of stories is less than ideal: she points out how Koda writes about more than just her family, yet all the stories we get here are about her family.

I would give the stories themselves three stars, and would buy something else by Koda if it were available in English.

[Alwynne]

I finished a selection of short pieces from Ao Omae People Who Talk to Stuffed Animals Are Nice: Stories Although he's writing about themes of alienation that have surfaced in a great deal of recent Japanese fiction, I found his approach disarming and unexpectedly powerful particularly when he's probing into questions of gender and gendered expectations.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alison]

I always enjoyed People Who Talk…

[Sean]

Is anyone else reading Murakami’s new book? I have about an hour to two per week that I’m using to read it. I don’t want to give anything away but am curious if others are reading it in Japanese too? I’m hardly on here so there might’ve been a conversation about this once it came out in mid-April but work and Golden Week were hectic so if you wouldn’t mind pointing me in the right direction I would appreciate it. Cheers.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

[Kim]

I can't read Japanese, but on a related note, I am making my way through Murakamis writing. I'm currently reading one of his short story books and am planning to borrow a copy of Kakfa on the Shore soon. I just got back into reading, so I am a bit behind on books I should have read, but I'm really enjoying his work.

[Alwynne]

I was gripped and fascinated by Yukio Mishima's speculative novel Beautiful Star an idiosyncratic take on post-WW2 Japan and the Cold War.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alwynne]

I finished Natsuko Imamura's debut This is Amiko, Do You Copy? now translated into English. It's a novella that started out as a handful of linked short stories and later won the Mishima Yukio Prize. It's very readable but I found it slightly frustrating partly because the representation of neuro-atypicality is so vague/broad strokes - could be because it was actually written over a decade ago - and the simple style which reflects perspective of the child at its centre could feel a little contrived. It's also recently been adapted for cinema by Imamura and released as "This is Amiko"

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jazzy]

I finished this one a couple days ago, and can recommend it

The Devotion of Suspect X (2005) - Keigo Higashino

[Jazzy]

Alison wrote: "This is where I keep track of authors’ work in translation, thought I’m working on an update.

https://readjapaneseliterature.com/a-......"

Have you read all these or just the ones that have been underlined?

[Jack]

I am about 75% through Shūichi Katō’s A History of Japanese Literature: The First Thousand Years. I like the insight into the social context of the periods that impact the literature produced. I am looking forward to the last section, “The Age of No and Kyogen”.

[Carol]

Jack wrote: "I am about 75% through Shuichi Kato’s A History of Japanese Literature, The First Thou sand Years. I like the insight into the social context of the periods that impact the literature produced. I a..."

Jack, another GR reviewer says this runs from roughly 500 AD to 1500 AD; is that the case? Is it worth purchasing, even if you're a reader like me who is more interested in the history and social context than the literature from that era (I imagine it's diaries, poetry and maybe travel essays)?

[Bill]

I've read this, too, Carol, and it's more history than literature. It's not an anthology.

[Jack]

Yes, I agree with Bill’s comment. This is a literature history work but provides context and connection among and between literary works. I am also using the text to provide guidance on future reading to fill in my historic gaps. For example, the sections "The World of the Novel" and "Women's Diaries" provided starting points to find additional works, with a description of their structures and unique points. Some have been a challenge in finding one or more translations into English. Academic libraries have been a great resource in tracking hard to find translated texts.

[Carol]

Jack wrote: "Yes, I agree with Bill’s comment. This is a literature history work but provides context and connection among and between literary works. I am also using the text to provide guidance on future read..."

Thanks to you both. Sounds excellent.

[Bill]

I don't comment on most of the manga I read, but Kurashi no Izumi is a collection of heart-warming every day stories mostly about newlyweds. 'Heartwarming' is a word that applies to just about everything Tanikawa writes, and I pick up her books whenever I come across them.

It's a hard title to translate. 'kurashi' means 'living', in the sense of 'living alone' or 'living together'. But calling it "The Wellspring of Living" doesn't express that meaning well.

Her art is way better than that cover image. Honest.

[Jack]

Bill, Thanks for this recommendation. I was not familiar with the author/artist or the Manga. I am interested with Manga and light novels with respectful relationships and character development. Kurashi No Izumi definitely aligns with that. I was very moved by the stories, especially "House 4: Yano Family".

I recently finished the 5 translated volumes of The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten, Vol. 1 (light novel) by Saekisan.

"Mahiru is a beautiful girl whose classmates all call her an “angel.” Not only is she a star athlete with perfect grades-she’s also drop-dead gorgeous. Amane‚ an average guy and self-admitted slob‚ has never thought much of the divine beauty‚ despite attending the same school. Everything changes‚ however‚ when he happens to see Mahiru sitting alone in a park during a rainstorm. Thus begins the strange relationship between this incredibly unlikely pair!"

I enjoyed the slowly developing relationship and the maturation of the two main characters.

[Jack]

I am on the Tokugaw period and final section of Anthology of Japanese Literature: From the Earliest Era to the Mid-Nineteenth Century compiled and edited by Donald Keene. I usually read the sections from one or more anthologies ahead of delving deeper into a period's literature and history.

[Jessica]

Just finished Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and thoroughly enjoyed ut!

[Alwynne]

I finally read Hitomi Kanehara's Snakes And Earrings, it's very fluid but hard not to wonder if the acclaim it received was partly rooted in a particular form of voyeurism and the ways in which it ultimately affirms and reinstates conservative gender dynamics

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alwynne]

I finished Kanai Mieko's Indian Summer: A Novel one of her loosely-connected, so-called Mejiro novels based on the neighbourhood where she lived and worked. It's a fascinating variation on a coming-of-age novel, not quite as arresting or memorable a read as the later Mild Vertigo but still worthwhile. I particularly like her emphasis on women's experiences and her cultural/social commentary.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alwynne]

I've been meaning to read Phyllis Birnbaum's selection of short stories by Japanese women writers Rabbits, Crabs, Etc.: Stories by Japanese Women for a while. The most memorable pieces were ones I'd already read but still a decent collection overall.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jack]

The pillow book, Makura no Sōshi , translated by Meredith McKinney. Reading this for the Japan Society of Boston August Book club selection. We meet via zoom once a month for book discussions.
This is the third translation that I have read and I am feeling more familiar with the work and, perhaps, have a bit deeper appreciation for it.

[Bill]

Reading Tales of Old Japan

Mitford lived in Japan shortly after it reopened in the late nineteenth century, learned the language, and wrote this book as a result. It's mostly his introduction to the country, with tales inserted.

Some of the language is a bit dated, and the transliteration is very different than what we're used to (there was no standard when he was writing!) but it's still valuable because of the wealth of information on the time period.

As an unintentional commentary on the modern USA, he despairs of the Japan of his time ever banning the individual ownership of swords.

[Jack]

Just completed: The Pillow Book Meredith McKinney Translator.
Read for the Japanese Society of Boston August 2023 book club, "Between the Lines: a Monthly Discussion on Medieval Japanese Women's Literature".
For more information on the JSB see: https://www.japansocietyboston.org/

This was the 3rd translation of Sei Shonagon's The Pillow Book, Makura no Soshi, that I have read. The others being The Pillow Book Ivan Morris Translator and The Pillow-Book of Sei Shonagon Arthur Waley translator. I have both the two volume set of Morris and the Columbia University Press single volume.

I enjoyed Meredith McKinney's translation both as a standalone and by comparison with similar sections from Morris' work. In general, I somewhat favor Morris' translation and extensive notes as more complete (in the two volume set which is hard to find now). However, I greatly benefited from reading multiple translations. As noted in various articles on translation, the translator is an interpreter of their reading of the original text, especially with classical Japanese, into English. So we, the readers, get the context through their lenses of understanding, context and unconscious biases.

I recommend Meredith McKinneyMcKinney's works. If you enjoy this translation and are engaged by her insight then a good book of hers is Travels with a Writing Brush: Classical Japanese Travel Writing from the Manyoshu to Basho

[Jack]

Just completed: Unbinding The Pillow Book: The Many Lives of a Japanese Classic by Gergana Ivanova, published by Columbia University Press in 2021 (Paperback). Fascinating reading about the history of Sei Shonagon's book, its reception, translations, and impact on literary and popular culture.

[Alwynne]

I struggled but made it to the finish of Yu Miri's epic The End of August the concept is interesting and the sentiments behind it undoubtedly sincere but I found it saggy, baggy and frustratingly uneven.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alwynne]

I finished Michiko Aoyama's What You Are Looking For Is in the Library Thinly-veiled, self-help is not my favourite form of fiction, but this has some appealing qualities and it was a fairly fluid, easy read after a run of downbeat titles.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alwynne]

I finished a collection of short stories by acclaimed author Hiromi Kawakami Dragon Palace which unexpectedly paired with my previous read What You Are Looking For Is in the Library. Both seem interested/invested in the cultural concept of kizuna or bonds between people that are represented as crucial to Japanese society but where Aoyama simply asserts the significance and desirability of these ties, Kawakami questions them as part of a wider exploration of the rifts and divides in contemporary Japanese society: between young and old; men and women; past and present. Here encased in a series of surreal/fantastical tales similar in flavour to pieces in Record of a Night Too Brief

Link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Bill]

I just read the single-volume manga Madoka's Secret .

It's a lightly-themed story about two gender non conforming grade school kids, a girlish boy and a boyish girl. There is some opposition, but mostly support, and the girlish boy gets the worst of it.

I recall reading My and Her Secret some years ago, which irked me because it was all played for laughs and was too gender-essentialist: the girl had only stereotypical masculine traits and the boy had only stereotypical feminine traits. Madoka's Secret has the same problem, which is more pronounced because it's not intended as comedy. It would make Madoka and Itsuki feel more real if they each had some masculine and some feminine attitudes.

[Alwynne]

I finished The Japanese Yokai Handbook: A Guide to the Spookiest Ghosts, Demons, Monsters and Evil Creatures from Japanese Folklore a light-hearted guide to Yokai for young adults. It's a bit rough around the edges but there are some fascinating elements and along the way fell for the author's cat who has its own insta account and looks as if he/she/they could well have Yokai connections: https://www.instagram.com/adora_0404/?

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jack]

I just completed The Emperor Horikawa Diary. I will reread the first half of the book with the translator’s academic discussion. Bill had an very articulate review. I may be able to add a little upon some reflection. I find Nagako’s narrative poignant, moving and present even after more than a thousand years.