I discovered The Best Japanese Short Stories while browsing on Bookshop.org. The book is published by a small company named Tuttle, founded in 1832, and was translated by Lane Dunlop, who has won several awards for her translation work.
I was interested in delving into some more of the literary works from early 20th century Japan, and this collection was a good choice. The fourteen stories were all published before and recently after World War II, and I felt they gave me an interesting and varied insight into Japanese life and culture from those periods.
Actually, I felt the stories that took place during and after the war were the most fascinating. I think that’s because they weren’t big, encompassing stories about the country. Instead, these were about individuals and how their lives were affected by events.
“One Woman and the War” was one such story. It takes place in the final days of World War II, as the Japanese mainland was being bombarded. The story follows a woman living in a village who has been changed by the war. She’s at the point where she looks forward to the bombing raids, the explosions, the fires. When she hears the bombers flying overhead, she goes outside to watch the devastation. She’s prepared to die, but there’s still a small glimmer of hope still inside her. But is it enough to keep her alive?
There was also a story that genuinely surprised me. “Ugly Demons” was a surrealistic story that follows two young lovers and a strange discovery they make on the seashore. The author, Yumiko Kurahashi, was known for her experimental works, and this story is an interesting read. She was known to exclude reality from her stories in order to allow her characters to “…commit the most purely outrageous actions…”. It’s a strange story, but a fun read.
The collection also has a Translator’s Notes section at the back that contains a short bio on each author and a few notes on their respective stories. Personally, I would have liked to have had more details on both the authors and the stories themselves. Being unfamiliar with Japan and Japanese society during that time period (early to mid-20th century), more context would have helped me to enjoy the stories more.
Still, the stories stand on their own, and they provide interesting insight into the mindset of the people of that time.
Overall, it was a good read, but not my favorite short story collection. If you’re interested in Japanese literary fiction, this may be a good place to start, but as I noted, you may find yourself wanting to know more.
RB
Great pick up. Love this sort of stuff.
Absolutely! I love discovering new fiction from around the world.
Fascinating, Richard! 💞
A wonderful literary discovery—Japanese short stories often carry a unique blend of subtle emotion, atmosphere, and quiet depth that stays with the reader. 📖✨
Very much so, Safia. Thank you for stopping by and commenting. 🙂
I’m somewhat of a Japanophile, so this piques my interest.
I think you’d enjoy it, Swabby. I’m currently reading another short novel by a Japanese author that you might enjoy. I’ll post a review of it soon.
I would like to read ‘One woman and the war’
It was a very good story, Nusrat. I hope you get an opportunity to read it.
this sounds so intriguing – the Japanese have some scary stories… will it keep me awake all night??
Oh, no, I don’t think there’s anything in this collection that I would consider scary. These lean more literary and run the gamut from sad to happy to…odd. It’s an interesting batch, for sure.
I am intrigued!
I don’t know much about Japenese culture and history. I usually think of bonzai trees, tea rituals and a boom in the tech world.
But too often I forget they had their own struggles and while horrible, it does usually create great authors and stories.
I am particularly intrested in the strange story. I like those !
If this book pops up in my book app, I will definitely listen to it!
It’s a pretty good read, overall, but some stories are much stronger than others. Hope you get a chance to read it. 🙂
Sounds interesting Richard, thanks for the intro.
My pleasure, Sheree! Thanks!
Fascinating variety of short stories, Richard.
Very much so, Pat. Thanks!