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June 01, 2019

Book Review The Dark Room by Junnosuke Yoshiyuki

Book Review The Dark Room by Junnosuke Yoshiyuki








A man who has had a carefree life as a writer reflects deeply on his life after the death of his wife Keiko after a car accident cut short their marriage. He has had a string of women in his life since but none can fill the gap. 


Set in post-world war II Tokyo we get insights to the man’s life as a writer, his daily rituals, work briefs and his relationships with bosses and women. 


A friend Tsunoki approaches him and asks him to consider a manuscript about a diary of his encounters with women, he tries to reject the offer but slowly accepts. 


This book it seems is that manuscript and we gain details of his relationships with inn girls, Takako, Natsue and Maki who all have a place in his life but who he never invites home.



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April 01, 2019

Book Review: Woman Running in the Mountains by Yuko Tsushima

Book Review: Woman Running in the Mountains by Yuko Tsushima





A young Japanese woman in her early twenties has a casual relationship with a middle aged Japanese salaryman and becomes pregnant, against the urging of her family. She tries to raise the child herself as a single mother at home but soon finds out the hard way the impossible and unbalanced situation she finds her self in. Humble she refuses to contact the father for help and instead knuckles down and gets a part time job in a restaurant to pay for private baby sitting until it drains her savings. Still living at home she ignores the scorn of her mother, her brothers stares and the violence of a drunk unemployed father. 

Her son Akira develops a hernia and the cost of the operation forces her to look for more stable work after having been forced to resign from her restaurant job (as she was bullied by the manager and the staff). She discovers a job as a gardener at a private company and after convincing the owners to take a woman as an employee, she joins and meets Kambayashi a fellow employee who fascinates her as he has a child with down syndrome. 

The friendship blooms but she wants more but finds herself visiting Kawano an old friend from the coffee shop she frequented as a high school student. 

A tough love novel that reveals the difficulties of single mothers in Japan and the obstacles they face.










Book Review: Woman Running in the Mountains by Yuko Tsushima


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March 02, 2019

Book Review: Confessions of Love by Uno Chiyo

Book Review: Confessions of Love by Uno Chiyo






Author: Uno Chiyo

Translated by: Phyllis Birnbaum

Publisher: Charles Tuttle Tokyo, 1990

ISBN: 0-8048-1651-4

Pages: 157 








Summary


Such places are probably no longer permitted to operate but back then there was a restaurant next to Shimbashi Station called the Yuyutei, there were several small rooms each with two chairs. Once the curtain was drawn in those rooms, even a person passing outside could’nt make out who was within. Men would go there with women and those couples would spend the time talking to each other in whispers” p33


A very humourous story about an intimate romantic history apparently based on the life of the artist Togo Seiji who is called Yuasa Joji in the novel. A kind of chronicle of life in Tokyo in the 1920’s where weak men who were irresistible to women entered relationships.



 “ I tried to sound irritated but finally let the fury stay locked up in my heart” p42




Book Review: Confessions of Love by Uno Chiyo



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