January 12, 2024
Audio Book: 🎧 There is no such thing as a an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura
Labels: Books about Japan, Culture, Industry, Lifestyle, Review
May 09, 2022
Book Review: 🌸 Geisha in Rivalry by Kafu Nagai
Translated by: Kurt Meissner
Publisher: Charles Tuttle Publishing, Tokyo, Japan, 1963
ISBN: 0293-000141-4615
Pages:206
Reviewed by JapaneseCustomer.com. 2022. All Rights Reserved.
"This is a very interesting novel on a number of levels in terms of historical context and the topic which reveals the inner workings of a geisha house.
Probably the most important learning from this novel is the insights gained about the relationship between a business and its customer.
The flexibility required the hiding of one's own feelings, the servitude, the focus, and the importance of appearance, speed, and detail in very small things.
Overall we see the great lengths Japanese culture goes to meet customer needs.
We learn the historical aspects of the region of Tokyo where the novel is set, Shimbashi.
As a reader, we are blessed to capture the feel of the period from the clothing, food, and lifestyle, all the way down to the wood of the local bathhouse.
A fascinating novel, that is light fun, and intriguing."
Review is Copyright JapaneseCustomer.com. All Rights Reserved, 2022.
Book Review - Geisha in Rivalry by Kafu Nagai
Labels: Books about Japan, Review
March 28, 2022
Book Review: 🌸 Silent Parade by Keigo Higashino
Book: Silent Parade
Author: Keigo Higashino
Translated by: Giles Murray
Year: 2018
Pages: 344
ISBN: 978 -1-4087-1497
"This novel is set in west Tokyo in Kikuno.
The suspect for her disappearance is well known
to the police for a past unsolved crime.
Detectives find themselves at a loss of what to
do but Professor Yukawa slowly and masterfully tries to piece together the
scene.
Labels: Books about Japan, Review
July 06, 2020
Book Review: Tokyo Island by Natsuo Kirino
Labels: Books about Japan, Review, Stories
August 31, 2019
Book Review Real World by Natsuo Kirino
Best quotes
Labels: Books about Japan, Culture, Lifestyle, Review
August 01, 2018
Book Review Diary of a Mad Old Man by Junichiro Tanizaki
Author: Junichiro Tanizaki
Translator: Howard Hibbert
Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1988.
ISBN: 019-282137-7 Pages: 177
Insights into the challenges of aging in Japan
© Copyright. JApaneseCustomer.com, 2016. All rights reserved,
A light funny and insightful novel that reveals the daily diary of a seventy seven year old gentleman and the challenges of old age as he battles pains and aches in his arms and legs and the effects of a mild stroke.
His obsession with his son’s wife adds a spice to the story as he tries to find situations where he can be with here, touch her and instruct her to do things he desires.
While his wife and family look on and don’t blink at his sexual desires and continue on unabated.
We learn of the complexities of family life and the strained relationships between siblings, husband and wife and the staff who assist the family such as a live in nurse.
japan, japanese, literature, book review, diary of a mad old man, junichiro tanizaki, #japan, #culture, ##japanese, #literature
Labels: Books about Japan, Review
July 01, 2018
Book Review The Buddha Tree by Fumio Niwa
Book Review – The Buddha Tree by Fumio Niwa
Translator: Kenneth Strong
Publisher: Charles Tuttle, Tokyo, Japan.1968
ISBN: 0-8048-0995-X Pages: 380
Life inside a Buddhist Temple
© Copyright. JapaneseCustomer.com, 2016. All rights reserved,
Labels: Books about Japan, Review
June 08, 2018
Book Review Beyond The Curve by Kobo Abe
Book Review
Beyond The Curve by Kobo Abe
Author: Kobo Abe
Translator: Juliet Winters Carpenter
Publisher: Kodansha Amer Inc (February 1993)
ISBN: 978-4770016904 Pages: 248
A powerful selection of short stories
© Copyright. JapaneseCustomer.com, 2016. All rights reserved,
A superb collection of twelve short stories by the master writer Kobo Abe. The book starts with “An irrelevant death” when a man finds a dead body in his room in a boarding house and we have a front row view of his thought processes as he decides what to do in Japan. In the West we would just call the police. In “The crime of S. Karma” we learn about the life of a insurance salesman who loses his identity to his business card. The story “Dendrocacalia” shares what it is like for a man who once a year transforms into a plant and the anguish he faces.
Standout stories include: “Record of a transformation” about the horror of war but not as you may think and “Intruders” which is simple but shockingly powerful in its reality, “The Bet” where an architect learns first hand the intricate requirements of a client by visiting his office which is just hilarious.
If you enjoy the work of Kobo Abe you will definitely enjoy this new collection of English language translated short stories.
Labels: Books about Japan, Review
April 01, 2018
Book Review - The Memory Book By Jerry Lucas
Labels: Books about Japan, Review
Title: Geisha in rivalry