Reading Japan

"The Fugu Returns the Favor" author Tamaru Masatomo is recognized as a leading short story author of his generation. The story boldly reframes the famous Japanese folktale "The Crane Returns the Favor" with a young man living in contemporary Japan as the protagonist. In "The Crane Returns the Favor," a crane rescued by a hunter becomes a human to repay the favor. But the story ends sadly with the crane's departure after the hunter breaks the taboo against seeing her true form. This version features a fugu, which is a pufferfish. How is the fugu going to return the favor? What ending awaits the protagonist who rescued the fish? Enjoy the pop narrative tone that deftly reboots the folktale and the ending featuring contemporary choices made by the young couple. Tamaru Masatomo, "The Fugu Returns the Favor" (from Ocean-Colored Bottle, Shuppan Geijutsusha)

Akeno Kaeruko's scary short story "Girl Talk" offers superb storytelling with a twist that involves "KOKESHI," a traditional Japanese craft. KOKESHI are wooden dolls that first spread in Northeastern Japan. There are eleven types of "traditional KOKESHI," which are made using traditional techniques and have features with distinctive charms. You can find many KOKESHI fans in Japan and around the world. The protagonist goes to interview a CEO who collects KOKESHI and hears about a miraculous doll. This bewitching KOKESHI was old but had the snow-white skin of a newly carved doll, and apparently it spoke to him. What misfortune befell the man after he acquired the doll? Welcome to the coquettish and dark world created by this miraculous KOKESHI.

One morning a 26-year-old woman awoke to the realization that "I'm never going to get married." She had zero prospects of romance or marriage and had been an "otaku" since her college days, obsessed with her hobbies and chasing after boy bands. But at 28 she got married to a college classmate after a few whirlwind months and lost her single status without much of a fuss. This otaku woman who decided to get married imagines the future she didn't choose and reveals mixed feelings about how it might differ from her present life. Essay by an OTAKU woman who writes about her take on marriage.

"Tachikawa Station, Tokyo. It was the winter of 1999, and I arrived at the lonely station late at night. I was there to meet a friend who had moved to Tokyo from Osaka." The author, who went to high school in Osaka Prefecture, had an unforgettably weird friendship with this friend. He recalls their sometimes funny, sometimes poignant youth in Osaka. The author decides to travel from Osaka to Tokyo to meet him. This essay comes from a collection of memories about various places in Tokyo.

Haneda Airport, Harajuku, Itsukaichi Highway. These are various places in Tokyo where the author spent his youth. A guy working as a security at Haneda Airport who has a mysterious vibe, an assistant at a Harajuku boutique whose fawning praise grates on the ears, and the high school classmate living along the Itsukaichi Highway who steals the author's past with a few scary lies. Each place has its own unforgettable person. These three essays come from a collection of memories about various places in Tokyo.

The story takes place in one of the convenience stores that blanket Japan. The protagonist is a fourth-year college student working at a store in Tokyo. He's in the throes of job hunting but things aren't going well. He lacks self-confidence and feels stuck. Lots of international students work part-time at the store. Ryo's monotonous days are spent on menial tasks running the store and teaching his international-student coworkers about their jobs. Then, an unexpected event puts the store in the media spotlight and mayhem ensues. In the aftermath, Ryo's coworker makes a comment that puts the wind back in his sails.

The story is about a woman with rhinitis who has no sense of smell. Naturally she's not interested in perfume or aromatherapy. But she thinks living without fragrance is a good thing when she considers her cat, Tortie, since she'd read an article that aroma oils can be harmful to cats. Once when she isn't feeling well, she runs out of incense for her Buddhist altar. Going out to buy more would be a pain, so she uses incense that she finds in her father's room. She keeps using it without much thought, since she can't smell it anyways. One day, a person appears along with the smoke rising from the incense. She asks what he wants...

"The Rumor About Mr. Aoyama" is a heartwarming essay about the author's junior high school art teacher. Mr. Aoyama cut a rather unfortunate figure, but for some reason he was popular with his students. A certain rumor about Mr. Aoyama was circulated with great authority, and it only served to enhance his image as a teacher. Kodama, the author, has worked as a teacher. Her many lyrical essays are both poignant and incisively humorous. Her writings about the family and neighborhood where she grew up and her life experiences resonate with memories that everyone shares. Get a taste of that soulful feeling with this piece about her recollections from junior high school.

"Knock" is a science fiction short story about a mysterious camphor tree and an old woman. A giant camphor tree that must be several hundred years old grows in the big park near the protagonist's house. One day, the protagonist as a little kid sees a mysterious old woman standing before the tree. There she encounters an unbelievable scene. Author Arai Motoko emerged as a talent as a high school student, when she made her debut. Her science fiction and light novels weave together stories with unique buoyancy and bring a new sense of rhythm and fresh writing style to Japanese literature. She is recognized as one of Japan's preeminent science fiction authors. Delight in Arai Motoko's charming world with "Knock."

Office work styles have changed in Japan with the normalization of remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The protagonist is a proud, middle-aged businessman who you might find at any company. He's overly stuck on the way things used to be done and struggles to keep up with new work styles. The story portrays his sorrowful figure with a dash of humor. Author Akeno Kaeruko excels at stories about work, drawing on her own experiences with office jobs.

This story is based on a Buddhist worldview in which people continually reincarnate after death. Those with the worst behavior end up in hell. And paradise is the final destination attainable only by people who are enlightened through ascetic training. In this story, Buddha Shakyamuni's impulsive whim gives a man in hell an unexpected chance. Will he be able to make the most of this opportunity? Written by Akutagawa Ryunosuke, one of Japan's leading modern literary authors. His works question human foolishness and the meaning of life and have been read by many people over the decades.

Today's episode is "The Cocoon of Stones" by Ueda Sayuri and features a bizarre cocoon that the protagonist spots one morning. Welcome to this mysterious world!

Today's episode is "YUKI-ONNA" by Lafcadio Hearn. This scary story based on a Japanese folktale is about a snow spirit said to appear in the winter.

Today's episode is "I'm Here for You" by Totoki Naoko. The story captures the nuanced emotions of a woman returning to work after maternity leave.

Today we show you two episodes from the narrative essay collection "Be Not Defeated by a Dog" by Murai Riko about her family and her beloved dog.