I fell out with my boyfriend. My ex-boyfriend, and co-worker at that time, started dating a girl from another division who's better than me when it comes to acting all lovey-dovey. I was the one buckling under a crushing emotional burden. I became unable to bring myself to go to the office. Soon after, I quit the company altogether. I landed a job at a department store where I'd be able to empty my mind and work straight through weekends and holidays. There, I spent 2 years working myself to the bone. 2 years later, my ex-boyfriend showed up at the department store one day. Then, I...
Reading Japan is a program of reading short stories from Japan. This time, the short story we'll be introducing is "Come Dance with Me" Part 1 by Onda Riku. A girl in a black dress is standing by herself at a party when another girl who has otherworldly eyes suddenly asks her to dance. The abrupt invitation takes her by surprise, but they dance together in the light that spills into the corridor and become friends. The girl with otherworldly eyes becomes a globe-trotting choreographer. The other girl, who becomes a journalist, has a burning question: "What prompted that invitation to dance?" (Come Dance with Me, Shinchosha)
Two girls become friends after finding themselves at the same party and dancing together. One of the girls becomes a journalist, and she has an unanswered question: "What prompted that invitation to dance?" In an effort to find the reason, she keeps watching the performances of her friend, who has become an acclaimed dancer. Will she ever find the real reason? (Come Dance with Me, Shinchosha)
I can hardly believe it! My mom is a blogger with a huge following! Natsu is an office worker who discovers a blog that her mom writes about her recipes. And it's a very successful blog with tens of thousands of followers. Natsu isn't communicating well with her mom and can't bring herself to ask about the blog, which to her dismay discusses her own life as well. But their relationship takes an intriguing turn when Natsu posts a comment on the blog. The first half of a heartwarming story about a mother and daughter as told through cooking and blogging.
Natsu learns that her mother writes a popular blog about her recipes. She finds herself checking the blog regularly and ends up posting anonymous comments. The blog reveals new sides of her somewhat uncommunicative mom. But still, Natsu feels oddly reluctant about asking her directly about the blog. Then, Natsu gets transferred to Tokyo for work. She makes the move, although she worries about leaving her mom alone in their single-family house. In the midst of it all, her mom's blog begins to change... The second half of a heartwarming story about a mother and daughter as told through cooking and blogging.
Early one morning, the protagonist Koichi finds a man collapsed at his front door. It is his only son Ryoji, who has been out of touch for the past 5 years. His wife Akiko is concerned about their son's health, but Koichi curses him as a "loser." Koichi is disappointed with his son, who didn't go to university or find a job with a big company, and has come home in an emaciated state. Then, Koichi is summoned to a company-wide emergency meeting at work.
The ravages of a global financial crisis take their toll on the company where Koichi works. He's faced with transferring to a subsidiary or taking early retirement from the firm where he's spent his entire career. Meanwhile, at home he needs to figure out what to do about his son, who is broke and unemployed. He previously spurned his son as a "loser," but now he faces unemployment himself and wonders how to face his son. What's going to happen with the family dynamics in Koichi's household?
In the wake of a global financial crisis, Koichi is faced with transferring to a subsidiary or taking early retirement from the company where he's spent his entire career. Meanwhile, at home he has to deal with his unemployed son. Koichi was stuck with the outmoded belief that his son needed to graduate from a top university and work for a big firm. Now he confronts the gap with his son, who has to survive in the current era. What will Koichi say to his son, now that he also faces unemployment?
Miyabe Miyuki is one of Japan's most popular authors, and her works span mysteries, horror, science fiction, historical novels and children's literature. This spooky tale starts on a rainy night when the protagonist encounters an elderly man while waiting for a taxi at the train station. Etsuro missed the last bus and is waiting for a taxi when the elderly man in line behind him starts up a conversation. The fellow seems nice enough and Etsuro accepts his invitation to walk home together. As they walk in the rain, the gentleman commences with an odd story about his dog.
Etsuro walks home in the rain with an elderly gentleman he met at the train station taxi stand, and the man starts talking about his dog. The dog's name was Six, and one day he randomly started following a young woman. In this odd story, the woman had been having reoccurring dreams about Six, but it was her first time to see the dog in person. She and Six took a liking to each other in her dreams, but then Six would die right away. Etsuro finds himself intrigued by the spooky tale. He thinks it was just an odd story, but it turns out there's more. Why is Etsuro so terrified, and who exactly is this elderly gentleman?
The night of Japan's State of Emergency declaration, Kahara finds herself overwhelmed by pain from one of her molars. She can't get an appointment with a dentist anywhere, and finally she arrives at a mysterious dental clinic that has no website, reviews or signs of other patients. The clinic director Kazama announces that she's experiencing "substitute pain" caused by heartache. Kahara is urged to figure out the true cause of her pain, and so she addresses her emotions. She suspects it might be her ex-boyfriend, who was cheating and recently dumped her. (Mori Eto's "The Sun" from Collection of 25 Short Stories)
Kahara is suffering from the "substitute pain" of an agonizing toothache caused by heartache. The mysterious clinic director Kazama told her that she will be burdened with the toothache until she figures out the culprit behind her heartache. Kahara suspects her ex-boyfriend, who was cheating and then dumped her. She also considers the closure of her favorite bar, annoying noises from her neighbor, and problems with her boss. Perhaps it was the cumulative bulk of all these things that was weighing her down. Can Kahara find the real culprit and come to terms with the cause of her pain? (Mori Eto's "The Sun" from Collection of 25 Short Stories)
Born in 1962, Hayashi Jyouji primarily writes science fiction and headed Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan from 2018 until 2020. He wrote this piece just as COVID-19 was spreading throughout society. What would need to happen in order to get the virus under control? This short story considers the nitty-gritty of work and social systems in a near-future scenario with regular coronavirus disease outbreaks and looks specifically at funerals. The protagonist returns to his hometown after a 20-year absence to sell his parents' old home for back taxes. He takes a temp job as a funeral proxy to pay his immediate expenses.
In the near future, coronavirus disease outbreaks have become regular occurrences. The protagonist returns to his hometown after a 20-year absence to sell his parents' old home for back taxes. He also needs money for the vaccine to renew his immunity passport, so he takes a temp job as a funeral proxy. On his way to the funeral hall, he sees swarms of people wearing proxy masks. Proxies are commonplace in funerals in near-future society due to the pandemics. At the funeral hall entrance he sees the name of the deceased and realizes it's someone who has had a huge impact on his life. He's taken aback and recalls the torment he experienced at his hands long ago.
In the near future, the social system has evolved in response to regular coronavirus disease outbreaks. The protagonist returns to his hometown after a 20-year absence and takes a job as a funeral proxy. At the funeral hall, he realizes that the deceased was his tormentor from long ago. Memories flood back, along with outrage. He'd left his hometown because of bullying at the hands of the deceased. He sees that the funeral hall is filled with locals, and he hatches a plan for revenge. He'll send everyone at the funeral an audio recording that proves that he was bullied. He puts his plan into action. What happens next?!
I'm a university student fed up with late-night phone calls that I keep getting from a certain guy. The calls are always exactly 5 minutes long. And the other guy is always messing around with me. On this particular night, I'm dealing with a life choice that concerns my future. What will I decide to do? And who is the person on the other end of the line?
The story is about an entomologist named F. His former university classmate introduces him to E, a rather unusual patient. It turns out bees have built a hive in E's abdomen. F is taken aback, but his curiosity as a researcher has been aroused and he decides to take E in. He then observes the bizarre co-existence of the bees with their host. And, a surprise ending awaits. Arai Ran, "Poking the Beehive" (from Short Short Treasure Box, Kobunsha paperback)
A junior high school girl living in a small town doesn't have any self-confidence. She can't say what is on her mind at school or at home due to concern about what people will say. She doesn't fit in and constantly feels lonely. But she has 1 prized possession. It is the promotional flyer for a movie featuring a certain foreign actor. In grade school she happened to see one of his movies and was captivated by his lonely and somehow sorrowful demeanor. She will certainly never meet him, but his very existence gradually helps her relish life.
A junior high school girl living in a small countryside town visits her big sister, who lives in an apartment on her own. She gets her sister to take her to a rental video store and gets a movie starring the actor she adores. She hears "his" voice for the first time. She becomes enthralled with the world "he" inhabits and devours novels from "his" country, losing herself in unknown worlds. She still feels self-conscious at school and keeps to herself, but one day something unexpected happens.
Shota is a young man who feels desperate after having lost his job. He randomly finds a smartphone in the park that displays the phone number for "mom." On an impulse he places a call imitating the "it's me, send money" telephone scam. These scams extort money by pretending to be a son in distress. Shota gets a promise that he can pick up the cash. When he arrives at the apartment, "mom" suddenly embraces him, and the shock throws out his back and he goes inside.
Shota goes to pick up cash from "mom," who mistakes him for her long-lost son and showers him with affection. After experiencing her kindness, he can't just run away with the money, and ends up visiting her on a daily basis after he gets a job and wants to share the news with her. They live in peaceful happiness watching TV, eating dinner and chatting together. He works in earnest and begins paying her back in small installments. Then a sudden incident threatens to bring their fake mother-child life to an end.
Fumiko, Ichiko, Saaya and Eimi are childhood friends. They've been floundering at the dating game and hatch the idea of teaming up to find a marriage partner. Their strategy is to channel their individual areas of expertise into the beautiful Eimi and have her behave like the perfect woman. This marriage-hunting dream team is ready for their first date, but an unforeseen situation awaits them. Since debuting in 2013, author Hiiragi Sanaka has released numerous works featuring female protagonists in mysteries with a heartwarming twist. This charming short story uses vivid storytelling to depict female friendship and struggles involving marriage and romance.
A girl visits Grandpa's home every summer for the Obon holiday. He's going to take her to his favorite coffeehouse in the evening. She gets dressed up in her fanciest outfit and arrives at a mysterious place. The walls are adorned with photographs of the cosmos and decorations include bear and swan figurines. She feels all grown up when she drinks iced coffee from the Perseid Meteor Shower with milk drawn from the Milky Way. In the next instant, outside the restaurant she sees Toro Nagashi, the paper lanterns set afloat on the river to send off departed souls. Then, customers leave the coffeeshop one by one.
The protagonist is tired from traveling and randomly stops at a small-town public bath. The ticket machine has rather odd names that might refer to private bathing rooms. Puzzled, he pushes one of the buttons and goes inside, only to encounter a bizarre scene, unlike anything he's ever seen. He pretends that he's not a first-timer and ventures into the bath without getting any explanation. He has embarked on a big adventure. Kumozome Yuu, "The Out-to-Sea Bathhouse" (from Short Short Treasure Box V, Kobunsha paperback)
It is the middle of the night in October, and Kannazuki, or "the month without gods," has just begun. A deep boom awakens two brothers from bed, and they climb onto the roof and peer into the distance. They see lantern-like lights along the horizon. The younger brother climbs down and calls out to his brother to follow, but the older brother keeps staring at the horizon. Just then, they hear another boom and a gust of wind stirs up a dust cloud. The boys raise their arms to shield their eyes from the dust particles, but the next morning the older brother has something that looks like a sesame seed in the white of his left eye. Day by day, more of these strange specks appear in his eye...
A small village tucked away in a valley has a legend about taking in people who were defeated in battle long ago. Now, the village has become a place that welcomes children with no home and nowhere to go. Children visit the village in the summer for three days and two nights to help out with an event called "welcoming of the insects" that involves placing over three hundred lamps on footpaths in-between the rice terraces. The custom originally warded off harmful insects with fire and smoke, but this village has turned it into a ritual to welcome insects with light. Children spend time in this village that abounds with compassion. Are you interested in paying a visit?
A girl working parttime at an ice cream shop falls for a guy who comes every other day and always orders the same thing. One day, she invites him to walk with her to the train station. She peppers him with questions, but his replies are always cool. Then, she promises to make him ice cream at his place. This tale depicts the everyday life of a girl who struggles with work and romance.
"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.
