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MAY 2010 N E W S A U T H O R ' S V O I C E JAPANAMERICAN EYES R E V I E W |
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N E W S
"1Q84 Book 3" Breaks the One Million Copies Barrier On April 27, Shinchosha Publishing announced that printings of Haruki Murakami's "1Q84 Book 3" had reached one million copies. April 16, the first day of sales, saw long lines and a media frenzy. Sales reached 400,000 copies in the first three days, and by April 19, 40% of bookstores nationwide were sold out. On the same day that "Book 3" went on sale, "Book 1," released in May 2009, also sold 30,000 copies. "Book1" and "Book 2" have each sold 1.45 million copies, up from 1. 21 million. ♦ Some of the book titles are tentative translations. Copyright © 2010 Shinbunka all rights reserved. "Insights into the Universe" wins Seventh Bookstore Grand Prix On April 20, Tow Ubukata's "Insights into the Universe" (Kadokawa Shoten Publishing), a historical novel set in the Edo period, was announced as the winner of the Bookstore Grand Prix, chosen by bookstore employees from across the country. Ubukata (33), a resident of Fukushima City, was the recipient of the 2003 Japan Science Fiction Grand Prix for "Marduk Velocity" (Hawakawa Shobo Publishing). "Insights into the Universe" is also the winner of the Eiji Yoshikawa Newcomers's Prize in Literature. In addition to writing novels, Ubukata is a creator of original works of manga, anime and video games. Second place went to Sosuke Natsukawa for "Medical Records of the Gods," while Shuichi Yoshida's "Yonosuke Yokomichi" took third. ♦ Some of the book titles are tentative translations. Copyright © 2010 Shinbunka all rights reserved. |
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AUTHOR'S VOICE Vol.17 interview with Hiroshi Matsumoto This summer Zen Life: Liberation from Anxiety, Loneliness, and the Fear of Death will go on sale in America. This book is a novelized version of the life of the medieval Zen priest Ikkyu, whose ideas on Zen author Hiroshi Matsumoto believes can give people the psychological means to liberate themselves from negative emotions such as loneliness, anxiety, and fear of death. Read More |
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JAPANAMERICAN EYES 
Pop, Porn and Politics: Who decides?The sentencing of 39-year old American manga collector Christopher Handley in the US state of Iowa in February on obscenity charges, and a proposed bill in Japan later that month targeting "virtual porn" issued by the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly's General Affairs Committee sent shivers of anxiety through fans of Japanese popular culture worldwide. Read More |
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R E V I E W "I Long to See You Again" by Motoko Arai 
As a writer, Motoko Arai stands alone as one-of-a-kind, with a uniqueness that no one can imitate. As indicated by the title of her debut work, "Inside of Me... , " Arai's novels might best be described as science fiction depicting the so-called world of shojo, or girls. As a result, her writing appeals not only to those considered science fiction fans, but to many young girls as well. However, since her debut, "broken shojo" characters living in distorted worlds have started to become prevalent. For example, "A Glimpse of You ..." begins with a woman making soup from the flesh of her husband, whom she has killed. "I Want You Here" is about two women on the run, although the tone is more sympathetic. In "Happy Birthday," the mind of a woman writer goes blank after the death of her husband because of her extreme reliance on him. These stories, in which young girls developing into women are pulled into warped shojo worlds and lose their minds, have great appeal. Arai's most recent work, "I Long to See You Again," also traces the family of a broken woman. The story begins with the death of Yamato's daughter, Maho. Yamato is the aunt of Mioko, the protagonist. Yamato and her husband Kyoichi love children, although they are both over forty when Maho is born. Unfortunately, Maho is in the hospital constantly from the time of her birth, and her parents are told that taking care of her will be quite difficult. When she passes away at just five months old, their grief is beyond description. Mioko thinks to herself, "Well, then, it's up to Father and I to look after Aunt Yamato. We have to protect her." Despite the many expressions of sympathy which she receives over her string of bad luck, Yamato is determined not to let anyone see her crying, so those around her think of her as a "strong woman." Having been practically raised by Yamato and knowing the full extent of her household affairs, Mioko feels that she must do something to comfort Yamato. However, Yamato appears to be in such a state of shock that she can't even shed a tear. Mioko begins to have doubts. "Can this really be my Aunt Yamato?" she thinks, wondering if Yamato's grief has perhaps led to a complete mental breakdown. She begins to suspect that Yamato might be suffering from a personality disorder. In considering ways to restore her sanity, Mioko seeks out and enlists the aid of an old friend, Otaku Kizuka, who pursues the mystery of the changes in Yamato. In the end, no detailed explanation is given. All we are told is that Yamato simply continues her broken existence in a science fiction-like dimension (a world crossing time and space). Eventually Yamato herself affirms her ongoing, broken-down existence, saying, "Perhaps I, Yamato, am the only person in this world who is happy ... That's how I see it." Mioko is what keeps Yamato tied to this world. In other words, she plays the role of "the pivot on which the pendulum swings." But also adding considerably to the burden of Mioko's existence is her mother, Yoko. The resentments of a mother, expressed by Yoko in her monologues, show how a young girl's world can be completely crushed, how a woman can become imprisoned within a limited sphere. While the mentally broken Yoko continues to preserve her happiness, Mioko, who still retains something of the softness of a girl despite being an adult now, is pulled down. As a powerful vector, Yoko serves as a strong facilitator in the novel, a character not to be lightly dismissed. Noriko Kanda
"I Long to See You Again" by Motoko Arai, published by Shinchosha ♦Some of the book titles are tentative translations. Copyright © 2010 Dokushojin all rights reserved. |
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