Tag: japanese

Comfort books by Japanese authors

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I certainly chose a fantastic time to leave California and head back to Montreal, didn’t I? The weather in this entire half of the continent is certainly something else right now. I am so thankful I work from home these days, and that my folks are retired and don’t have to leave the house in this disaster.

That being said; what better time to curl up with a fantastic book and a warm cup of genmaicha and let your mind drift to a different country, a different climate, a different time, a different world? I’ve been meaning to start doing fiction book reviews here to go along with the more kimono-specific non-fiction, and it looks like the universe just gave me the nudge I needed.

This first post will include a couple of novellas and shorter novels all in one entry, and if you enjoy it I will work on writing longer ones about individual books in the future! I also don’t want to give too much away, as these should all be read somewhat “blind” to truly appreciate them.

As always links to purchase the books, where available, will be included. And if you’re wondering why I’ve used stock images for the covers, it’s that several of the physical copies for these stayed behind in California and the rest are on my e-reader.

The Samurai’s Garden, by Gail Tsukiyama

Okay, right off the bat, parts of this book are definitely less relaxing than others. Set against a backdrop of tuberculosis, racial tension, and a dawning war, this is the story of Stephen, a young Chinese man sent to rest and recuperate on his family’s property in Japan on the cusp of WWII.

Without giving too much away, he forms a bond with the gardener and learns so much more than just gardening. The stories of past and present both unfold and open up slowly but steadily, much like Stephen himself.

This one is a classic for a reason, and if you have not had the opportunity to read it (or anything else by Gail Tsukiyama), now is the time. It should also be mentioned that Tsukiyama is American of Japanese descent and this is the only book on the list that was written originally in English.

Read The Samurai’s Garden on Amazon | Abebooks | Kobo

 

Kitchen, by Banana Yoshimoto

What do love, loss, food, and gender expression have in common? They’re all things that are very important to me, and they all play roles in this next book.

I cannot express how much I love Kitchen. I’m a fan of all of Yoshimoto’s work but this little diamond in particular will always have a special place in my heart. So much so that I’ve replaced two physical copies and am on my third, and I have a digital copy as a backup. I picked up my first copy in the early nineties and have utterly lost track of how many times I’ve re-read it since then. Yes, I’m old. Shush.

The book is typically printed as two novellas, the longer eponymous one and a shorter one entitled Moonlight Shadow. Both are stories of people learning to cope with a new status quo after losing loved ones and both contain secondary characters who, to different extents, have begun experimenting with gender presentation or cross-dressing as coping mechanisms. Kitchen focuses much more on the role of food as ersatz therapy, but Moonlight Shadow also has a tea thermos play a pivotal role. At their hearts though, they’re both about beautifully imperfect people learning how to move forward after painful losses.

Including stories that revolve around death may be an interesting choice for “cozy” books, but it’s handled with such a gentle, soothing touch and hopeful notes  in both cases that it’s an incredibly cathartic and comforting read. Especially if you’re dealing with similar feelings in your own personal life.

Amazon | Abebooks | Kobo

 

The Cat Who Saved Books, by Sosuke Natsukawa

Did I initially pick up The Cat Who Saved Books because I suspected the cover art was by one of my favourite artists, Yuko Shimizu (no, not she of Hello Kitty fame – the other, cooler Yuko Shimizu)? Yes. Yes I did. Was I correct about the cover art? Also yes. Have I read it several times since then because I love it so much? A third, resounding yes.

This is one of the coziest books I’ve read recently, and is often cited as an emblematic example of iyashikei, 癒し系 or “healing” literature. In the past few extraordinarily stressful decades, iyashikei has emerged as its own subset of Japanese media, primarily anime and manga but extending to fiction and live-action.

The Cat Who Saved Books falls into the genre of magical realism and fantasy, so if that’s not your bag you might want to skip it. But if you love books, and if a nerdy teenager and his talking cat who run through mazes and puzzles to save forgotten books from irresponsible owners sounds appealing to you, read on! Rintaro Natsuki inherits a bookshop from his grandfather and is initially going to close the shop, until Tiger the shop cat starts talking to him. They set off on adventure together to protect the written word. This book is, well, a love letter to books.

There is also a sequel, The Cat Who Saved The Library, which I have not had the chance to pick up yet but it’s also on my list! I would also love to see this made into an anime or movie.

Amazon | Abebooks | Kobo

 

The Kamogawa Food Detectives, by Hisashi Kashiwai

What if someone could recreate a dish from your memory, one that could transport you back to a place, a person, or a time long since past? Set in a little restaurant off the beaten path in Kyoto, this is the story of a father and daughter who help heal people in small doses, one bite at a time. More like a series of interconnected stories, each one focusing on a specific guest, recipe, and memory. This also makes it great bedtime reading, as you don’t feel compelled to stay up all night to finish the book, when you can finish one part at a time.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives will make you feel wistful, happy, peaceful, and incredibly hungry all at once.

This is the first book in a trilogy, and the other two books are very near to the top of my reading pile. While I can only speak for the first one, I have linked to the other two below as well.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives on Amazon | Abebooks | Kobo
The Restaurant of Lost Recipes on Amazon | Abebooks | Kobo
Menu of Happiness on Amazon | Abebooks | Kobo

I hope if you decide to read any of the above books, I hope you find them as lovely and soul-enriching as I did. I have more similar books to read soon, including What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, The Convenience Store by the Sea by Sonoko Machida, and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa. If you have any other suggestions of other cozy books I should read and review, or any other novels to check out, let me know in the comments!

 I purchased this item myself and chose to review it.This post contains affiliate link(s). If you choose to purchase, I receive a small rebate or commission which goes to the continued maintenance of this site. 

W is for Wa

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Wa, 和, Harmony, unity.
Used to designate traditionally Japanese concepts.

When I sat down to figure out a topic for today’s entry, I realised I had a surfeit of words beginning with W. Not just W, but “wa”. Then it hit me, these words all have the same root and explaining why that is, and what that root really means, would be a perfect subject. Rather than pick one word, I’m essentially doing all of them!

I’m sure you’ve noticed the common thread of wa- used in Japanese items. Here are some of the more common ones that crop up, especially amongst kimono collectors and fans of traditional arts and crafts. But why is that, exactly?

The character 和, Wa, alone is most frequently translated into English as harmony, like I mentioned above. However, it’s really so much more than that. It’s come to represent an intangible quality of a Japanese-ness, a cultural identity that defies any real definition. It’s often used as a way to distinguish the Japanese version or aesthetic of something that has a western or cross-cultural equivalent as well. For example, where yofuku means “western clothes”, wafuku means “Japanese clothes” and is used for kimono and all related bits and bobs. Yogashi are often elaborate, French-style desserts like tiny pastries and cream cakes, whereas wagashi are the iconic, minimalist, seasonal sweets made from traditional ingredients like bean paste and sakura leaves. Less frequently but becoming more common, yoshitsu can be used to describe rooms (particularly hotel bedrooms) that have a raised western-style bed and legged chairs and tables, where washitsu regularly describes the idealised Japanese room with tatami flooring, sliding screens, and seating on the floor.

There are so many more examples of words using this root, but here’s a small selection that are the most likely to crop up on this blog. This list is far from complete, but if you see a word that begins with wa and is written with the和 you can be fairly certain that it’s got at least something to do with traditional Japanese arts and aesthetics.

 

“Iki, wabi-sabi, what now?” – The language of Japanese aesthetics

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Language is a fascinating thing. There are so many different ways to express certain things. Nowhere is this more apparent than when dealing with multiple languages. Often, there is no way to translate a kimono-specific word into English, because there’s not been a need for it. Loanwords are a fantastic solution for most of these, things that can easily be clarified with a glossary or reference chart with a short definition.

Sometimes, however, a simple glossary isn’t enough. These concepts are more abstract and can’t easily be translated into English or explained in a sentence or two. I thought it would be both useful and interesting to break down some of the more common terms or expressions that often get used when describing certain styles. I use several of these, and they’re more complex than any floating tool-tip or single line definition, so here they are collected in one easy reference.

Iki – いき

The concept of iki evolved from the streamlined and urbane sense of style of the merchant class during the Edo era. In stark contrast to the overly ornamented, almost gaudy fashions worn by samurai and the ruling classes, a sense of iki evolved from simple colours and patterns and thoughtful unexpected touches. A sense of refinement would be clear in the quality of fabric and attention to detail more than flamboyant colour and embroidery. Think of the fashionably effortless appeal of a young Parisian woman, and there you will find a western analogue for iki.

Wabi-Sabi – 侘寂

Wabi-sabi is probably the aesthetic term most commonly referenced in English when discussing Japanese style. Here in the west, it has almost come to mean “anything Japanese”, but in reality it has a more precise usage. When something is truly wabi-sabi, it embraces the fragile imperfection of nature. It evokes a sense of transience, a slight roughness of aspect that reminds us all of where we came from. Raw slubbed silk, uneven handmade pottery, naturally winding and twisted branches are all wonderful examples of wabi-sabi.

Shibui – 渋い

Shibui is quite possibly the most straightforward of these terms. Like a sense of excellent, refined taste, shibui is simple and elegant, again focusing on quality craftsmanship and sparse lines. If iki is a stylish young woman, shibui is her refined grandmother. Unlike some of the others mentioned here, shibui may aim for perfection, but with the implicit understanding that it will never be fully achieved. Subtle but exceptional decoration and luxurious fabrics and materials are essential here.

Mono no Aware – 物の哀れ

When you think of the fleeting, ephemeral beauty of the short-lived sakura blossom, appreciating the moment all the more because you know it’s going to be over soon, you’re experiencing mono no aware. There is a distinctly Japanese awareness of the constantly changing essence of the natural world around us, as evidenced by the seventy-two micro-season calendar.Mono no aware not only acknowledges the impermanence of things, it focuses on that impermanence, as well as the wistful feelings it engenders.

Mottainai – もったいない

A bit of an outlier, mottainai isn’t a sense of aesthetics so much as a general philosophy of regret about waste and excess. It comes into play especially when it comes to vintage pieces, which are often remade into new things. It’s very common to find fukuro obi that may have been stained or are too small converted into hanhaba obi or tsuke-obi. Less common but still frequent are conversions like turning a kimono into a haori, or into a western-style dress. There is beauty in the history of a garment, and in giving it new life instead of creating more waste. This becomes more and more vital as a preservation method as traditional techniques start to die off, and a way to protect our increasingly fragile environment.

Kawaii – かわいい

If you’ve spent any time on the internet, odds are you’ve encountered kawaii. It’s absolutely a more modern concept than the others mentioned here, and may not necessarily be as relevant in the world of kimono, but it’s definitely starting to have more of an influence. We’re seeing more pastels, more frills, more lace, than ever before. Kawaii as an aesthetic isn’t just “cute”. It’s cute beyond cute. Cute as a lifestyle choice. It’s about embracing the youthful and girly in a way that can feel almost subversive in a world that encourages us all to grow up fast.

Are there any other terms like this you think should be included? Something you’ve heard or read but aren’t sure about? Please leave a comment below!