In Spring it is the Dawn

Virtual Advent Tour: Christmas in Japan (Photo Edition)

2011-12-19T17:09:00.000+09:00

It's hard to believe that this is our last Christmas in Japan. I've taken part in the Virtual Advent Tour for the last couple of years so even though we're in the midst of sorting, packing, throwing out, and all the other craziness that comes with moving in just over two weeks (two weeks!) I couldn't let the year pass without joining in again. So, to keep it simple, here is a taste of what Christmas looks like in Tokyo this year.

Christmas in Tokyo is...

Christmas trees. Sometimes even interactive, musical ones.

Sparkly lights on trees...

Penguins. Why not?
(They're the Japan Railways mascot.)

More sparkly lights...

Colonel Sanders dressed up as Santa. But of course!

Christmas cake.
This is the cake we've ordered this year. For more Christmas cakes, click on the photo or the shop link below. Which one would you choose?

Image © ア・ラ・カンパーニュ / à la compagne

As usual, we'll also be having our annual Christmas sushi on Christmas Day.

And it wouldn't quite be Christmas without a festive outfit for your pet. Don't tell me you don't have shops that only sell doggy clothes where you live? ;)

If you'd like more details on what Christmas in Japan really means, please visit my posts from Christmases past.
A Japanese-style Christmas (2010)
Christmas in Japan (2009)
Christmas 2007

I do have to say that there are less decorations and lights around this year. Tokyo is still in a power shortage due to the earthquake in March, which critically damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant. So while there are displays of sparkly lights (mostly LED lights which consume less power) here and there, they seem more subdued than usual. Plus the general mood of the country as the year draws to a close, is one of sadness at all the destruction and lives lost this year in Japan. There was a story on the news recently how even for the annual exchanging of New Years cards, people are choosing ones that are less cheerful. We can only hope that 2012 will be a better year for Japan and that all the people and areas affected by the terrible tsunami will begin the long road to recovery.

Thanks to Marg of The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader, and Kelly of The Written World for organising another fun Virtual Advent Tour this year.

I wish you all a happy holiday season, and all the very best in the New Year!

P.S. I don't expect to have much time for blogging over the next little while until we have successfully arrived in California. However, in the meantime, please feel free to follow me on Twitter (@inspringthedawn) or to "Like" the In Spring it is the Dawn Facebook page for updates on the move, reading or the lack thereof, and life on the other side (of the ocean that is!). See you next year!

The small print: Photos were taken by, and belong to, me unless otherwise indicated. Photos or other content can not be used without permission. For more information please visit my About Page.

Hello Japan! mini-challenge: November links

2011-12-14T23:26:00.000+09:00

Thanks to everyone who took part in the last Hello Japan! mini-challenge for this year. November's task was to share five Japanese favourites. Click on the links to find out more about everyone's favourite books, TV shows and much more.

Novroz of Polychrome Interest shared her all-time favourite Japanese TV series.

Gary of The Parrish Lantern shared "five" of his favourite Japanese novels:
Kafka on the Shore, the first Haruki Murakami I read.
Strangers, Taichi Yamada & the third Japanese book I had read.
The Sea & Poison, Shusaku Endo, the book that sold me on Japanese Literature
In Praise of Shadows, this book by Jun'Ichiro Tanizaki explained to me ideas on Japanese Aesthetics
Underground, another Haruki murakami, but one that showed me, his humanity in a way far different from his fiction.
But he couldn't stop there and came back to share five more! Be sure to scroll down to the comments on the Hello Japan! November mini-challenge post to find out the rest.

Francisca shared her Top 5 Albums that she discovered this year.
1. Eternal Elysium - Spiritualized D (I got this CD frm my mother :D)
2. Boris - New Album (I have seen them live and enjoyed it!)
3. lloy - STRANGE IMMIGRANT HAUS (This album is from last year, but I got to listen it this year)
4. Church of Misery - The Second Coming (I have seen them live this year, very great live band)
5. Mono - Hymn to the Immortal Wind (Beautiful instrumental music!)

Litera of Litera-Tour couldn't decide on one category so she shared 5x5 Japanese favourites! Including favourite J-dramas, favourite short stories, favourite anime series, favourite characters from Japanese mythology, and favourite books.

Gnoe of Graasland shared her five favourite Hello Japan! topics! Thank you so much for your kind words, Gnoe! I'm so glad you've enjoyed the Hello Japan! mini-challenge. :)

For sbk of Pictures, Thoughts and Comments, the Bodhisattva, Jizo, is one of her favourites so she shared five places that she's photographed Jizo statues.

And I cheated a little since I didn't stick strictly to five, but I shared some of the things I will and won't miss about Japan after we move next month.

November's prize is a selection of Japanese candy.
- Fran MeltyKiss matcha green tea/white chocolate dipped sticks (like Pocky)
- きのこの山 (kinoko no yama): little cookies in the shape of mushrooms. Usually the caps are chocolate but for this special version they are zunda flavoured. ずんだ (zunda) is essentially a paste of crushed, sweetened green soybeans often served with mochi (rice cakes) and is a specialty of Sendai in the Tohoku region of Japan that was hard hit by the earthquake and tsunami in March.
- アポロ (Apollo) strawberry chocolates
- CRUNKY chocolate bar
- Azuki (sweet red bean) flavoured caramels
- 梅 (ume) plum flavoured chewing gum
And since 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, a little dragon figurine made out of paper. :)

And the winner is ... Litera! I sure hope you have a sweet tooth. ;)

Also, just a reminder that this was the last Hello Japan! mini-challenge, at least for a little while. Thanks again to everyone who has participated in the various Hello Japan! tasks over the last two years. (Click on the link, or the button at the top of this post, for links to all the past topics and tasks.) I have really enjoyed reading about your discoveries and adventures through literature, food, culture and everything in between. Hopefully once we're settled in and life calms down a bit, I can look at bringing it back in a modified format. Please let me know if you have any suggestions, or ideas, and in the meantime I hope you will continue to add a little touch of Japan to your lives.

Hello Japan! Goodbye Japan!

2011-12-12T22:46:00.000+09:00

As our move across the ocean gets closer, I can't help thinking about all the things that I'll miss about Japan, and equally those things I Won't Miss. So for the last (at least for a little while) Hello Japan! mini-challenge, which asked us to share some Japanese favourites, I thought I'd share some of them with you.

Showa Kinen Park, Tachikawa, Tokyo

I WILL miss ... spring-time in Japan. Spring is such a beautiful time of year in Japan, first with the ume (plum blossoms) and then a little later the sakura (cherry blossoms). I love the fact that the Japanese still celebrate nature and I love the pale pink and white petals everywhere. So pretty!

I WON'T miss ... the miserable (for me anyway) hot and horribly humid summers that follow those few short weeks of spring. From June to the end of September I always wish I were somewhere else. And I won't miss the winters either. Despite the fact that it never gets REALLY cold in Tokyo (I grew up in the Canadian Prairies!), since most homes and apartments have almost no insulation, and you generally only heat one room at a time, winter feels very chilly indeed.

I WILL miss ... traditional Japanese temples and gardens. There's something so calming and peaceful about the simple Japanese nature aesthetic. Even in the middle of crowded Tokyo, you can escape the madness just by entering one of the many beautiful gardens, and the Zen temples of Kyoto are always some of my favourite places to visit there.

Nanzen-ji, Kyoto (October 2011)

I WON'T miss ... the crowds and the lack of space though. It still amazes me that if you compare the numbers, approximately the entire population of Canada (the whole country!) lives in Greater Tokyo. No wonder the apartments can be so tiny and there are no yards. I have to admit I really miss the wide open spaces of Canada.

I WILL miss ... Japanese food, especially the variety and regional specialities. Apparently you can get some decent Japanese food in California so I guess we'll have to see. I will definitely miss Japanese vending machines! So many choices of teas, coffees and other drinks. Especially UNsweetened teas, which I'll surely miss. And the hot drinks in winter. Such a great idea!

The drinks with the red tags beneath are hot: various coffees, green tea, hot chocolate, and even corn soup.

I WON'T miss ... natto, or octopus. Or uni (sea urchin). ;)

I WILL miss ... Japanese ceramics and the artful presentation of food. I've always liked the unique and varied hand-made ceramic Japanese dishes, but ever since my trip to Kyoto in October I'm a little obsessed. I especially love the slightly rustic, rough style of traditional ceramics. It's very Japanese to see the beauty in imperfection. And I love the beautiful way that the dishes and food complement each other, both often chosen according to the season.

I WILL miss ... the shopping. Tokyo is a cosmopolitan wonderland. You can find all kinds of things here from all over the world. (Except breakfast cereal, and shoes for my big "gaijin" feet!). Everywhere you turn there are shops to explore. And don't get me started on the stationery stores with their clever erasable pens and whatnot, and the beautiful washi and other traditional Japanese products. Not to mention the polite, customer service that is standard.

Ginza, Tokyo

I WON'T miss ... lugging said shopping home on the train. I have to admit I really am looking forward to having a car again. Not having to carry heavy bags of groceries home during the hot summer months sounds fabulous!

I WILL miss ... the convenience of public transportation. The train map looks complicated but once you get the hang of it, you can get around Tokyo quite easily. After living in England, where the trains weren't always punctual *cough*, or in Victoria where the only option is the slow city bus, the reliability of the trains in Japan is pretty impressive. And I can't forget the bullet train!

I WON'T miss ... having to buy most of my books online. ;)

Showa Kinen Park, November 2011

In total, I've spent over 11 years in Japan. Not consecutively (we had our 4-year stint in England in the middle) but it's still a fairly long time, and over the last couple years I've really noticed how my perspective has changed. When I first arrived, the hustle and bustle of Tokyo was exciting and everything was an adventure. Now, 11 years on, I think if I boil it down, the main reasons I'm looking forward to leaving Japan are climate, language, and quality of life.

It's probably just me, but each summer seems hotter, more humid, and longer than the last. No fun. And somewhere along the line I lost my motivation to study Japanese. It is a difficult language but this means that there are a whole lot of things I can't do by myself, or can't do very well. Which is frustrating.

Also, even though Japan is great at creating weird and wonderful technology, the houses can still seem quite primitive, by North American standards anyway. In addition to no central heating (brrr!), my friends in Canada, especially those with kids, can't believe that we don't have a clothes dryer, or even an oven. And as I'm getting older, I find myself wanting the ease and comfort of those things too. And the Canadian in me is really longing for some space.

So, those are some of my thoughts on leaving Japan. I hope this hasn't come across as negative because I will always love Japan and I truly think that a little distance will be a good thing. Besides, we'll still be back sometimes to visit the in-laws. And by bringing some of our favourite bits of Japan with us, we'll hopefully be able to have the best of both worlds. :)

The small print: Photos were taken by, and belong to, me. Photos may not be used without permission. For more information please visit my About Page.

JLit Book Group Discussion: '1Q84' by Haruki Murakami

2011-12-03T21:35:00.000+09:00

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
Original title: 1Q84 (ichi-kyu-hachi-yon)
Book One & Two originally published in Japan in 2009, Book Three in 2010. English translation released in October 2011.
Book One & Two translated from the Japanese by Jay Rubin; Book Three translated by Philip Gabriel
Longlisted for the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize

The year is 1984. Aomame sits in a taxi on the expressway in Tokyo.
Her work is not the kind which can be discussed in public but she is in a hurry to carry out an assignment and, with the traffic at a stand-still, the driver proposes a solution. She agrees, but as a result of her actions starts to feel increasingly detached from the real world. She has been on a top-secret mission, and her next job will lead her to encounter the apparently superhuman founder of a religious cult.

Meanwhile, Tengo is leading a nondescript life but wishes to become a writer. He inadvertently becomes involved in a strange affair surrounding a literary prize to which a mysterious seventeen-year-old girl has submitted her remarkable first novel. It seems to be based on her own experiences and moves readers in unusual ways. Can her story really be true?

Both Aomame and Tengo notice that the world has grown strange; both realise that they are indispensable to each other. While their stories influence one another, at times by accident and at times intentionally, the two come closer and closer to intertwining.

After what seemed like a very long wait, the English translation of Haruki Murakami's latest novel was finally released at the end of October. I know many of you wouldn't want to wait long to read it, despite being a rather long book, so it easily filled the last slot on our JLit Book Group schedule for this year. If you have finished reading, please share your thoughts on the book below. And if you haven't quite finished, or are still waiting to read it, feel free to come back and discuss it with us once you have.

The discussion questions below are just a guide to start the conversation. If you have any other thoughts or questions about the book, don't hesitate to bring them up.
Warning: For anyone who hasn't yet read the book, the comments may contain spoilers so please proceed at your own risk!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

What did you think of 1Q84? His best one yet? Or disappointing?
There was a lot of buzz and hype leading up to the publication day. Do you think your reaction to the book was affected either positively, or negatively, by all the publicity?

How does 1Q84 compare to Murakami's other books? How was it similar, or different, to his other books that you've read?

Do you have any favourite quotes, or scenes, to share?

Who was your favourite character? Did you like the narrative alternating between Tengo and Aomame, and also including Ushikawa in Book Three? Did your feeling towards any of the characters change over the course of the novel?

When talking with Tengo about how well Air Chrysalis is selling, Komatsu says:
“But still, you couldn’t call this a commercial novel. It’s got no sex scenes, it’s not a tearjerker. Not even I imagined it would sell so spectacularly.” (p. 317)
Do you think a book must have sex and tears to be a best-seller?

On that note, 1Q84 did contain a fair amount of sex, and Murakami has been nominated for the Bad Sex in Fiction Award for 1Q84. Do you think the 'bad sex' nomination is justified?

What do you think the "Town of Cats represents? (click on the link to read an excerpt)
Have you ever been to a 'Town of Cats'?

And who exactly are the 'Little People'?

Were you satisfied with how the story ended?
In Japan, Books One & Two were originally published in 2009. Book Three followed about a year later. Would you have been satisfied if the story had stopped with Book Two?

What did you think of the translation? Especially as there were two translators. Book One & Two were translated by Jay Rubin, and Book Three by Philip Gabriel. Did you notice any difference between the two?

Well, I think that's enough to get us started. I'd really love to get a conversation going about the book so please do come and share your thoughts. And if you've posted about 1Q84, let me know and I'll link to it here.

Other thoughts:
Dolce Bellezza
Sam Still Reading - Books One & Two | Book Three
And the plot thickens...
Book Dilettante
Tony's Reading List - Book One | Book Two
Words and Peace
Experiments in Manga

1Q84 at: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | BookDepository.co.uk | BookDepository.com

I started the Japanese Literature Book Group to read and discuss Japanese literature with others, and by doing so to hopefully gain a deeper understanding of the literature and culture of Japan. I enjoyed having a little push to read more Japanese lit, and have thoroughly enjoyed reading these contemporary and classic Japanese novels with you. Please click on the button for information on all our past reads. The Japanese Literature Book Group will be on hiatus for the next few months while we pack, move, and get settled in to our new home across the ocean, but I hope you'll join me in reading some more Japanese Lit come spring 2012.

The small print: I purchased this book for my personal library. Links in this post to Amazon or The Book Depository contain my Associates or Affiliates ID respectively. Purchases made via these links earn me a very small commission. For more information please visit my About Page.

'Kokoro' by Natsume Sōseki (JLit Book Group)

2011-11-25T10:40:00.000+09:00

Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki
Original title: こころ (kokoro)
Translated from the Japanese by Meredith McKinney
Fiction, Published in Japan in 1914
(new English translation, 2010)
Penguin Classics, 234 p.

No collection of Japanese literature is complete without Natsume Soseki's Kokoro, his most famous novel and the last he completed before his death. Published here in the first new translation in more than fifty years, Kokoro--meaning "heart"-is the story of a subtle and poignant friendship between two unnamed characters, a young man and an enigmatic elder whom he calls "Sensei".

Haunted by tragic secrets that have cast a long shadow over his life, Sensei slowly opens up to his young disciple, confessing indiscretions from his own student days that have left him reeling with guilt, and revealing, in the seemingly unbridgeable chasm between his moral anguish and his student's struggle to understand it, the profound cultural shift from one generation to the next that characterized Japan in the early twentieth century.

First of all, my sincere apologies if you looked for this post last month. I think you must be tired of hearing me say that our life is rather hectic and unsettled at the moment, so I'll just say I'm sorry for the major delay and move on to a few thoughts on the book.

I’ve been a little disappointed in the Japanese literature classics I’ve read lately but Kokoro was a pleasant surprise and one of the more enjoyable Japanese classics I’ve read over the last year. Where I found The Temple of the Golden Pavilion to be very dreary, and painfully slow. And where The Silent Cry was also quite dense and failed to engage me, Kokoro was a completely readable, rather compelling human story.

The story focuses on the relationship between a young university student, and an older man he happens to meet one summer on holiday. He calls the older man “Sensei”, meaning “teacher”, and he comes to look up to Sensei although the older man lives a rather reclusive, unproductive life. Sensei insists repeatedly that he is not worthy of the young man’s respect or growing attachment, although he refuses to elaborate on the reason why he feels that way.

The book is divided into three sections. In the first one, “Sensei and I”, we are introduced to the two men. In the second section, “My Parents and I”, the young narrator has graduated and returns to his country home as his father is very ill. While he contemplates his father’s death, he receives a long letter from Sensei in which he finally explains the incident that took place in his own school days, and which has haunted him for the rest of his life. In essence, making him into the man he became. This letter, a kind of confession, makes up the final section of the book.

Even though we are kept at a certain remove from them throughout, I was interested in the characters and eager to learn more about them and their special friendship as the narrative progressed. Both of the characters live quite insular lives, and isolation is a clear theme running through the story, a common theme really in many works of Japanese literature, either classic or contemporary. Just look at the works of Haruki and Ryu Murakami respectively, to name just a couple of contemporary examples.

Sōseki, who died in 1916, and considered one of the most important writers of the Meiji era, was also quite critical of the encroaching Westernization in Japan, and the social implications of Japan’s desire to emulate the West. This study of the difference in Western and Japanese culture is apparently present in most of his work, and it was obvious in Kokoro as well. The young man has difficulty understanding the traditional values and morality that Sensei adheres to, and their relationship represents the transition to Western values.

The only other novel by Natsume Sōseki that I’ve read so far is his famous I Am a Cat. While I found that I Am a Cat was a bit too long, and lost its focus as it went along, my main complaint about Kokoro would be that I thought it was too short. The story ends with an assumption of what has occurred but we are left to imagine for ourselves the consequences of this act. When I turned the last page, I was a little disappointed, wanting to know more. However, after having let the story sit for a while, I’ve come to think that it wouldn’t have been as memorable if it insisted on wrapping things up. It wouldn’t be very ‘Japanese’ either if it did! Like many Japanese novels without a clear, distinct ending, there is a kind of elegance in leaving off where it did. And I’m definitely looking forward to reading more by Sōseki.

A final, quick note on the translation: I really enjoyed Meredith McKinney’s translation of The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon, and I think it was her smooth, readable translation that helped to make Kokoro such an enjoyable read. The translation of Sōseki's I Am a Cat (by a pair of different translators) is actually somewhat outdated, and awkward, so I hope Meredith McKinney will continue to refresh, or translate more Japanese literature classics in the future.

What did you think of Kokoro?
If you've read Kokoro, please share your thoughts or questions about the book. And if you've posted about it on your own blog, please let me know so I can link to it here.

Other thoughts:
Experiments in Manga
Litera-tour

Kokoro at: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | BookDepository.com | BookDepository.co.uk

The Japanese Literature Book Group was started to enjoy reading and discussing Japanese literature with others, and by doing so to hopefully gain a deeper understanding of the literature and culture of Japan. The schedule for the Japanese Literature Book Group for 2011 is largely made up of suggestions from fellow JLit devotees and we'd love to have you join us. Click on the button for more information about past and upcoming reads.

Our next selection will be 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami with discussion to begin on November 28, 2011.

The year is 1984. Aomame sits in a taxi on the expressway in Tokyo.
Her work is not the kind which can be discussed in public but she is in a hurry to carry out an assignment and, with the traffic at a stand-still, the driver proposes a solution. She agrees, but as a result of her actions starts to feel increasingly detached from the real world. She has been on a top-secret mission, and her next job will lead her to encounter the apparently superhuman founder of a religious cult.

Meanwhile, Tengo is leading a nondescript life but wishes to become a writer. He inadvertently becomes involved in a strange affair surrounding a literary prize to which a mysterious seventeen-year-old girl has submitted her remarkable first novel. It seems to be based on her own experiences and moves readers in unusual ways. Can her story really be true?

Both Aomame and Tengo notice that the world has grown strange; both realise that they are indispensable to each other. While their stories influence one another, at times by accident and at times intentionally, the two come closer and closer to intertwining.

Happy reading!

The small print: I purchased this book for my personal library. Links in this post to Amazon (including book cover) or The Book Depository contain my Associates or Affiliates ID respectively. Purchases made via these links earn me a very small commission. For more information please visit my About Page.

Sunday Salon: Is there such a thing as too much hype? ( + giveaways old and new)

2011-11-13T23:47:00.001+09:00

So like many people, I'm currently reading Haruki Murakami's latest book to appear in English translation, 1Q84. After waiting about two and a half years since Book One and Two were published in Japan in May 2009 (and Book Three which followed in April 2010), at last all three Books were released in English translation late last month.

Murakami fans all over the world were impatiently waiting and there was some serious hype in the lead-up to the publication date. Quite impressive for a book in translation, there were some stores that even had midnight openings to cope with the demand! And it's very long story too at around 1000 pages between the three books.

Well, I'm kind of sad to admit that while I like it (I do like it!), I'm not loving it. So far anyway. I'm about half way through Book Three, and still have several chapters to go so anything is still possible. I got quite bogged down in Book Two, and it has picked up for me in Book Three but overall it just hasn't engaged me as much as some of his other stories. Like The Wind-up Bird Chronicle. Or Kafka on the Shore. Or Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. Or A Wild Sheep Chase. Those books each grabbed me and carried me along for an often bizarre, but very enjoyable ride. However, something is keeping me from fully getting lost in 1Q84. I have to wonder, is it because of the Hype? With all the buzz and anticipation, were my expectations simply too high?

But I also wonder if it's my fault. There's a lot going on for us right now and perhaps I'm simply not in the right head space for such a long book, or for Murkami's style of storytelling. As you know, with books it is often all about the timing. Many people have already finished reading it, and loved it, so I already think I'll need to re-read it at some point once life has calmed down to see if it really was just me. Or bad timing.

I'll be talking about 1Q84 in more detail later this month and I'll let you know my final verdict once I've finished it. It's the last Japanese Literature Book Group selection for this year and the discussion will begin on November 28. So if you're reading it, or have read it, I hope you'll stop by and share what you think of it. And perhaps tell me what I am missing!

Has your enjoyment of a book ever been affected by hype, or life getting in the way?

Thank you to everyone who entered my Literary Giveaway for some books that needed new homes, held in conjunction with Leeswammes' Literary Giveaway Blog Hop last month. Announcing the winners is long overdue, my apologies for that. However, better late than never, I hope you agree. If you remember, these were the books on offer:

Each entry was numbered in the order received on the Google Form and with some help from random.org, this is how it played out. The following entrants were selected and will receive these books:

blackplume gets To Kill a Mockingbird
Sam gets Roxanna Slade
Marta gets The Big Sleep
sakura gets Comfort Woman
Jet gets Underground
miki gets The Count of Monte Cristo

Everyone received either their first or second choices. I love how that worked out!

And while we're talking about giveaways, a new one is up over at the Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge blog. Any participants of the challenge are welcome to enter so be sure to check it out.

Happy Sunday!

The small print: Links in this post to Amazon contain my Associates ID. Purchases made via these links earn me a very small commission. For more information please visit my About Page.

Hello Japan! mini-challenge: September and October links

2011-11-07T22:48:00.000+09:00

The Hello Japan! mini-challenge for September and October was When One Isn't Enough, a double dose, and the task was to compare two works or other elements of Japanese literature, culture, or entertainment.. Thank you to the two of you who took part... twice each! Click on the links below to read their posts.

Novroz of Polychrome Interest looked at both food and fiction. She compared Indonesian Lontong to Japanese onigiri. Plus she also compared the manga Death Note to both the anime and live-action films.

Ash at Experiments in Manga reviewed the novel Mardock Scramble by Tow Ubukata, as well as Mardock Scramble the manga. And also reviewed Goth, the novel by Otsuichi along with the manga version of Goth.

The general consensus seems to be that the original books are better. Although I haven't read the stories they mentioned, that often does seem to be the case. Don't you agree?

September and October's prize was a Japanese literature book of one's choice (up to $15 value). Since there were only two participants this time around it didn't seem fair that only one should receive the prize, so congratulations Novroz and Ash, you've both won! I'll be in touch soon for your choices.

And if you haven't seen it yet, the new mini-challenge for November is up. It's time to share some of your Japanese favourites, and as it's the last Hello Japan! mini-challenge (at least for awhile) I do hope you'll join us!

Hello Japan! November mini-challenge: Five Favourites

2011-11-07T16:04:00.000+09:00

Hello Japan! is a monthly mini-challenge focusing on Japanese literature and culture. Each month there is a new task which relates to some aspect of life in Japan. Anyone is welcome to join in any time. Everyone who completes the task will then be included in the drawing for that month's prize. For more information, just click on the Hello Japan! button above.

November's Topic

At the end of last year when I asked you for suggestions on possible Hello Japan! topics, Sakura suggested "Favourite characters" so we're going to go with her idea and expand it to include any of your favourite Japanese things. And since the Japanese traditionally like doing things in odd numbers, Five Favourites has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

November's Task

The task for November is to share five Japanese favourites. In keeping with Sakura's suggestion, this could be a list of five favourite characters, from Japanese books, or anime for example. Or five favourite Japanese books, or authors. Or five favourite films, or actors, or directors. Five favourite haiku. Five favourite Japanese recipes. Five favourite Japanese things you did this year. And so on.
Or as Gnoe wondered, even a list of five different favourites, one each of a favourite book/movie/actor/food/drink/etc/etc. Sure! If it's Japanese, and you like it, please tell us about it!

November's Prize

This month's prize will be a surprise. One winner will receive a small selection of something typically Japanese, most likely involving candy or other sweets.

You can complete this month's mini-challenge by writing a blog post, telling us about what you did, and adding a link to your post, or by simply leaving a comment with your answer(s) on this post. If you prefer, you can also email me at inspringthedawn AT gmail DOT com with your submission. You are welcome to post or comment more than once and add the relevant links below. I love it when you are enthusiastic about a topic!

Once you have completed the task, don't forget to come back here to add your link to the Mr. Linky below. Please submit the link to the actual post, not just to your top page, and please only submit links to posts relating to the Hello Japan! task for this month. Any other links will be deleted. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Note: Due to my delay in posting the new mini-challenge for November, and since there is not a new Hello Japan! task in December, you have until December 10th to complete the November Favourites mini-challenge.

Please also note that this will be the last Hello Japan! mini-challenge. At least for a while. Participation has been quite low over the last several months. This is partly my own fault for not having the time to promote it, or even participate in it myself, properly. However, I also wonder if there simply isn't enough interest. I will revisit the possibility of a modified version of the Hello Japan! mini-challenge in a few months so please feel free to let me know your thoughts, or ideas on how to make it more appealing. In the meantime, I do hope you'll take part this month, and will continue to enjoy all things Japanese in the weeks, months and years to come! It has been a pleasure to see Japan through your eyes! :)

The small print: Links in this post to Amazon contain my Associates ID. Purchases made via these links earn me a very small commission. For more information please visit my About Page.

There's just something about Kyoto...

2011-11-05T23:38:00.000+09:00

Kyoto Gosho (Kyoto Imperial Palace)

I can't believe it's November already! My apologies for disappearing yet again. These last couple of months have just completely slipped away from me! Sick for most of September plus a trip to Canada, and more recently a few days in Kyoto. Plus we're also in the midst of preparations, and the oh-so-fun bureaucracy involved with a big international move. It really has been a busy time but I feel bad that the blog has been so dormant lately. Sigh.

Garden on the grounds of Kyoto Gosho

Kyoto was wonderful as always though. There's just something special about Kyoto. Some places are fun to visit but once you've been, you feel that once is enough. Kyoto, however, is one of those places that you can visit over and over again. In my opinion anyway. The reason for the trip at the end of last month was because Bookfool and hubby decided to visit Japan while H and I are still here. I really wanted to visit Kyoto again before we left Japan so I was very happy to volunteer as their guide. As expected, while we were there, we saw some beautiful sights, ate some great food, and I'm already hoping that I'll get a chance to visit again someday!

Note: I'll be posting more about Kyoto with more photos over the next while. And yes, I'm a little addicted to the "Dramatic Tone" [HDR] filter on my new camera but I promise they won't all be like that!

So what have you all been up to? I hope you had a great Halloween!
(And thanks for the birthday wishes last week!)

The small print: Photos were taken by, and belong to, me. They can not be used or reproduced without permission. For more information please visit my About Page.

Across the sea and back again

2011-10-16T01:35:00.000+09:00

East Sooke Park, September 2011

So sorry for my long absence here. If you wondered where I disappeared to over the last while, a combination of illness and travel is what has kept me away from the blog for about a month. (I swear, where does the time go?) I was struck down by a nasty flu halfway through Book Blogger Appreciation Week (which made me sad that I couldn't participate fully), and then came my annual trip "home" to Victoria. I hadn't quite got over the flu by then and it decided to follow me to Canada where it turned into a lung infection. So fun! (Not really!) But even though I was a bit under the weather the whole time I was there, I still had a great time visiting with friends and family, some of which I hadn't seen for a few years! Now I'm back in Japan, mostly over the jetlag (and the lung infection), and getting back in the swing of things.

I really didn't do much reading at all while I was away. However, I did manage to bring a few books home with me. I'm impressed with my self-restraint though as I only bought one of them. Since we'll be moving soon, it seemed silly to buy books to just turn around and pack them into boxes for shipping in another month or so. But luckily I have an aunt and uncle who share my love of reading, and who just had to give me a couple. ;)

My Canadian book loot:

Lafcadio Hearn's Japan: An Anthology of His Writings on the Country and Its People, edited by Donald Richie
My uncle picked this one up for me because of the Japanese connection. I've read one of Hearn's books of Japanese folk tales so it will be interesting to read some of his other writings.

The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson
This was my Armchair BEA prize from earlier this year. As the publisher could only ship to the US or Canada, I had it sent there and it was waiting for me. I actually haven't read the first book in the series yet, but I have it and have heard good things about the author.

Annabel by Kathleen Winter
This is the one book that I bought myself. It seems to be a book people either love or ... not so much. So of course I'm curious to read it for myself. The reason I made a point to pick up a copy in Canada? Because I really don't like the US or UK covers. The Canadian one is so much better! (Yes, I can be a cover snob but click on the links - the title for the US one - to see for yourself and see if you don't agree with me).

The Winter Vault by Anne Michaels
I can't believe I still haven't read anything by Anne Michaels even though I'm pretty sure I've had her award-winning Fugitive Pieces in my stacks for a while now. Now that my aunt has given me her newer novel, I really must rectify that!

The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje
I've been hearing great things about Ondaatje's latest book so I'm thrilled my aunt picked this for me too. Now I only have to find the time to read it!

Have you received any new books lately? And do tell what I've missed in the book blogging world over the last month?

The small print: Links in this post to Amazon contain my Associates ID. Purchases made via these links earn me a very small commission. For more information please visit my About Page.

Literary Giveaway Blog Hop (October 15 to 19)

2011-10-15T13:06:00.001+09:00

It's time for another Literary Giveaway Blog Hop! The one held in June was a big success so when Judith suggested a fall version, I knew I had to join in again. Since we'll be moving soon, I'm offering some books that have been in my giveaway box for a while. Better to send them to new homes than take them with me, right?

Some of these certainly need no explanation, but here is some information about each of the books. The blurbs are taken from the back of the books themselves. For more on the books, click the titles to read about them on Amazon*. And be sure to visit Leeswammes' Blog for all the information on the Hop.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
(I bought a 50th Anniversary hardback edition last year so no longer need my old paperback copy. Slightly faded but still in very good condition.)
The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill a Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill a Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
(Read once, and has a wrinkle in the cover, but still in good condition.)
Los Angeles PI Philip Marlowe is working for the Sternwood family. Old man Sternwood, crippled and wheel-chair bound, is being given the squeeze by a blackmailer and he wants Marlowe to make the problem go away. But with Sternwood's two wild, devil-may-care daughters prowling LA's seedy backstreets, Marlowe's got his work cut out - and that's before he stumbles over the first corpse...

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
(Never read, I opted instead for the Penguin edition. Note: The print is quite small.)
The victim of a miscarriage of justice, Dantes is fired by a desire for retribution and empowered by a stroke of providence. In his campaign of vengence, he becomes an anonymous agent of fate. The sensational narrative of intrigue, betrayal, escape, and triumphant revenge moves at a cracking pace. Dumas' novel presents a powerful conflict between good and evil embodied in an epic saga of rich diversity that is complicated by the hero's ultimate discomfort with the hubristic implication of his own actions.

Roxanna Slade by Reynolds Price
(Bought used so it is a bit scuffed, and with some damage to the cover, but the pages are clean.)
Roxanna begins her story on her twentieth birthday - a day that introduces her to the harsh realities of adulthood and changes the course of her life forever. From this day on, Roxanna is quick to share with the reader the intimate details of ninety years of life in North Carolina. Her beguiling tale is one that boldly reflects the high and low moments in the development of the modern South and the nation as well as the inner strength of a woman possessed of a piercingly clear vision, forthright hungers and immense vitality.

Comfort Woman by Nora Okja Keller
(Read once, still like new.)
Comfort Woman is the story of Akiko, a Korean refugee of World War II, and Beccah, her daughter by an American missionary. The two women are living on the edge of society - and sanity - in Honolulu, haunted by Akiko's periodic encounters with the spirits of the dead, and by Beccah's struggles to reclaim her mother from her past. Slowly and painfully Akiko reveals her tragic story as a "comfort woman" to Japanese soldiers. As Beccah uncovers these truths, she discovers her own strength and the precious gifts her mother has given her.

Underground by Tobias Hill
(Withdrawn library copy, from the Cambridge Library, UK. Library binding, faded pages but still very readable.)
Among the rush-hour crowds and abandoned levels of the London Underground, someone is pushing women under trains. In his search for a killer, Casimir, a Tube worker, is led ever deeper into this city beneath the city. Below the bright crowds and tunnel musicians is a labyrinth of long-forgotten cross-passages, deep shelters and derelict Victorian stations. Hunting for the clues that will lead him to the killer, Casimir is also drawn back into his own past and the terrible secrets of his Polish childhood. In subterranean London, Casimir has gone to ground. But in his desperate search, he discovers a chance for forgiveness and the emergence of a new life.

Giveaway details
*The giveaway will close on October 19, 2011.
*Anyone can enter, the giveaway is open internationally. All you need is a mailing address anywhere in the world where you can accept packages.
*You do not need to be a follower or have a blog to enter.
*There will be six winners. You can enter to win 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or all 6 books, but you can only win one. Please rank them in order of preference on the form.
*To enter the giveaway please complete this form:
(click on the link below and the form will open in a new window)

Literary Giveaway Blog Hop - October 2011

Note: You must complete the form to be entered in the giveaway. Comments on this post do not qualify as entries. If you have any problems filling in the form, please let me know.

One of the features of this giveaway hop is that all the books being given away should be literary of some sort. So if you like well-written stories with a literary flair, be sure to check out all the other giveaways as well. See the full list of participants below.

Good luck! Now go enter to win some other great books!

*The small print: Links in this post to Amazon contain my Associates ID. Purchases made via these links earn me a very small commission. For more information please visit my About Page.

BBAW: Reading and blogging, blogging and reading

2011-09-16T06:44:00.000+09:00

Book bloggers blog because we love reading. Has book blogging changed the way you read? Have you discovered books you never would have apart from book blogging? How has book blogging affected your book acquisition habits? Have you made new connections with other readers because of book blogging? Choose any one of these topics and share your thoughts today!

The topic for Day 4 is all about the reason we blog in the first place, because of the books! I know for me, being able to share this love of reading with others is one of the best things about book blogging.

Has book blogging changed the way I read? Yes!
Have I discovered books I never would have otherwise? Yes!
Has book blogging affected my book acquisitions? Yes!
Have I made new connections with other readers because of book blogging? Yes!

I think the biggest change over the last couple of years has been the opportunity to work with a few publishers and authors. Before that, except for a handful of favourite authors, I tended to be mostly a paperback reader, waiting several months for the paperback release. But now, I sometimes get to read books even before they are published. It's exciting to read those new books and to be part of the buzz.

The downside is that it adds a certain amount of pressure to write a timely review, something I haven't been succeeding at this year, and I admit that knowing the publishers, or publicists, or authors are reading the reviews, sometimes gives me performance anxiety! lol. I kind of miss the days when I used to just read whatever I wanted and this is a direction that I think I'd like to take with my reading next year. Only accepting the books I really want to read, and spending more time reading all the poor, neglected books on my shelves. Because even though I've been getting some ARCs, I've still been buying. A lot. I lay the blame on all of you for introducing me to so many wonderful-sounding books and The Book Depository for making it so easy to buy them.

Books aside though, the best thing really has been connecting with other readers. Most of my friends and family in real life don't read a lot, so book blogging has been a great way to find others who share this obsession. In the age of the internet, it's no longer unusual to make friends online, and what is better than sharing a common interest, a love of books. Since starting to have more of a focus on Japanese literature on my blog here, this also extends to meeting people from around the world who share a fascination for all things Japanese. I love being able to see Japan through their eyes, as it sometimes give me a new perspective.

It's book blogger appreciation week, and I certainly appreciate how book blogging has become an important part of my life. Sure, I'd still have reading even if I didn't blog, but the two are inextricably linked now and I can't imagine it any other way.

BBAW: Interview with Iris from Iris on Books

2011-09-13T14:13:00.000+09:00

I missed the deadline to sign up for the BBAW Interview Swap but when I mentioned this on Twitter over the weekend, Iris kindly offered to be my partner. So today I have the pleasure of sharing with you the chat we had during the last couple days. We've divided it into two halves: the first half is over at Iris on Books, the second half is here. So if you haven't yet read the first part, be sure to head over to read Part One of our Interview, then come back here for Part Two.

IRIS: Having you ask me the question of the desert-island book, I feel I can retaliate with this: What is your all time favourite book? Is there a particular reason you feel this way? And is there a book that resonated with you most this year? (I feel my reasons for liking an all time favourite will change each year, just like yearly favourites will change as our circumstances chance). If by chance, all of these books are Japanese lit, is there a non-Japanese book you want to recommend?

NAT: I know, sorry. I always kind of hate it when people ask these kinds of questions. It’s so hard to choose just one, and I agree that favourites can change over time. It’s kind of funny though because for the one book for my emergency earthquake bag, I debated between Hard-boiled Wonderland, and Pride and Prejudice. So, Pride and Prejudice is definitely one of my all-time favourite stories too. It’s kind of my comfort read. I know the story so well from having read, and watched the drama so many times. Of course, it probably doesn’t hurt that whenever I reread it, I picture Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. ;)

There are a couple of books that stand out as favourite reads so far this year, and actually neither of them are Japanese lit. Beside the Sea by Véronique Olmi, and Caribou Island by David Vann. They are both quite dark, sad stories but so beautifully written, that even months later I’m still thinking about them.

NAT: What are your most memorable reads this year?

IRIS: The book I felt an instant emotional connection with this year was Consequences by E.M. Delafield. I have a review of it written up, but I am still a little hesitant to post it because it feels so personal. Besides Consequences, my favourite books this year include The Pleasure Seekers by Tishani Doshi and Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan. I haven’t written about the latter yet either, because it is one of those books every one seems to have strong reactions to - and I am a little afraid to become part of the discussion.

NAT: I love that you hosted A Month of Dutch Literature on your blog earlier this year, and I was sorry that I didn’t get to participate this time. (I do hope you’ll host it again sometime). For someone like me who sadly hasn’t read much Dutch literature, are there any specific Dutch books or authors that you would recommend?

IRIS: I am not at all an expert on Dutch Literature, which is in part why I decided to host the month, to “educate” myself in the literature of my own country. However, I do believe that as an international blogger, I can make a worthwhile contribution to a publishing landscape that often solely focuses on Anglo Saxon books. I cannot recommend just the one book, but I can give a short list of suggestions:

For those who love classics, two options: Max Havelaar by Multatuli for those who would like to engage with the Dutch colonial past and one of its first critics, Eline Vere by Louis Couperus for those who love Anna Karenina. For literary fiction lovers: The Ten Thousand Things by Maria Dermout (A NYRB Classic) and Tomorrow Pamplona by Jan van Mersbergen (published by Peirene). My personal favourite is The House of the Mosque, by Kader Abdolah.

NAT: I was hoping you’d give more than one! I’ve heard a lot about Tomorrow Pamplona, but I will definitely check out all the others. Thanks! I feel exactly the same way about Japanese literature. I’m in no way an expert, and there are other bloggers that are more well-read in Japanese lit than I am, but it’s nice to share what I’m reading and discovering as I go along. And hopefully in the process, I can also introduce some Japanese literature to people who may not know much about it.

IRIS: Now that we’re on that topic, what do you think is a good book/author to introduce those unfamiliar with Japanese literature (that would be me!) to the genre?

NAT: One of my favourite JLit books is The Makioka Sisters by Junichiro Tanizaki and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes Pride and Prejudice. Although it’s set in Japan just before WWII, it’s a very Austenesque story of four sisters, and is a nice introduction to life in Japan at a time when some traditions were disappearing in the face of modernity.

For something more contemporary, I’d suggest The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa. It’s such a lovely story and showcases the quiet elegance of much of Japanese literature, but is still completely accessible.

And of course I can’t not mention Haruki Murakami. His stories range from mildly to wildly surreal but there’s something special about the way that he writes that makes the ordinary extraordinary, and utterly compelling. I think everyone should try at least one of his novels! ;)

Iris at Disneyland Paris

NAT: Since you recently went to Disneyland Paris, I have to ask, who is your favourite Disney character?

IRIS: I enjoy many of the movies made by Disney, but my favourite will always be Beauty and the Beast. It was the first movie that I saw in the theatre. I went there together with my cousin and my aunt. It felt so special. And I loved the movie. I distinctly remember feeling a little embarrassed about the need to cry. Since growing up, I have become more used to my emotional response to movies and try to accept that I often tear up. Another thing that adds to my love of this movie is that I had to wait an impossibly long time for it to be released on DVD - it only became available again last autumn.

Belle is my favourite princess (though I feel uncomfortable choosing a princess as a favourite character). Especially the first few scenes make me identify with Belle: The scene in which she sings and dances and reads, accompanied by sheep at the town fountain. I always danced as a girl, on the streets, at home, at the theatre - wherever I went basically. I also loved to cuddle up with a book. And Belle’s awkwardness in the social interactions of the town - it is too hard to get into here, but let’s just say I understand that part of Belle so well.

If I had to choose another character, I would saw Wall-E. I don’t know, his interactions with Eve in the Pixar movie just make me melt inside.

NAT: I really think you need to come to Tokyo Disneyland someday! They love all things Disney here. Besides taking a few days off to go to Disneyland, what else do you like to do when you’re not reading, blogging, or writing your thesis?

IRIS: I’d love to visit Disneyland Tokyo - I am so ignorant, I didn’t even know it existed. As to other hobbies, my boyfriend and I recently got a subscription to the local cinema. It meant we could go and sit back to relax for a few hours before returning to working on our theses. However, I do not consider myself much of a movie critic. Music is probably my biggest love outside of book blogging/reading. There are times that I can hardly keep up with all the new music that is released, but music will always have a special pace in my heart. In some ways, it touches me even more directly than reading does. Unfortunately, that also means that like reading, listening to music is about engagement - and it takes time. I cannot ignore a song I particularly like when it is played and so music is never just background music to me. But because it affects me it is a good way of letting go of stress when it is necessary. Especially when I go to see a concert, which I used to do very regularly. It has dwindled down a little, since I saw most of the bands I really wanted to see at least once already - but I still go to concerts every month or two months.

Nat: I had a membership to the local indie cinema when we lived in Cambridge and I loved watching all kinds of international films there. Sadly I don’t go to the movies very often here in Japan.

IRIS: Can you give us a sneak peak in your life besides blogging? What things do you love doing when you aren’t reading? What would your typical day look like?

NAT: My life outside blogging is pretty ordinary. Some days I have a longer commute than others but generally a good part of my day is spent on trains going to lessons, and teaching. At home the chores always seem to take up far too much time. If only the laundry, dishes, and cooking and everything else, would do itself, I’d have plenty more time to blog and read! And the cats always demand their share of attention too.

Besides reading, both my husband and I like to take pictures, so on the weekends we often try to go out with our cameras to a park or a different area of Tokyo. Except in the summer when it’s just too hot to go anywhere. I can’t wait for autumn to finally arrive here so we can get out more regularly again.

Thanks for being a great interview partner, Iris, and for the opportunity to get to know you a little better!

Likewise Nat, it was fun to share an interview with you and get to know you better outside of our usual blogging and twitter exchange.

Well there you have it. If you've read all the way to the end, thank you. I hope you enjoyed our interview as much as we did.

The small print: Links in this post to Amazon or The Book Depository contain my Associates ID. Purchases made via these links earn me a very small commission. For more information please visit my About Page.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week: Community Spirit

2011-09-12T21:32:00.000+09:00

Book Blogger Appreciation Week begins today, a week-long celebration of everyone who blogs about books. This year's theme is Cultivating a Community of Bloggers and Readers, and each day there is a different topic to discuss. Today we are focusing on the members that make up this great community.

I never really know what to say exactly for these kinds of posts since I love the wide variety of blogs out there, and all the wonderful people who work so hard on them. Book bloggers are some of the nicest people you'll find online and each and every one of you is a valued member of this community. Whether you blog about classics, or literature in translation, or non-fiction, or poetry, or YA, or audio books, or kidlit, or... you get the idea. Whether you blog every day, or once a month. Whether you're just starting out, or have been around for a while (cough). The thing that draws us all together is our shared love of books.

My world has definitely widened since I started blogging and it's all thanks to you. You've introduced me to books I probably would never have heard about otherwise. You've made me see things in a different way. You've taken me to places and worlds I've never been. You've made me laugh. You've made me cry. You've inspired me to become a better blogger (whatever that is!). You've encouraged me to keep going when I've doubted myself. You've always welcomed me back, even when I've disappeared for a while. Does it get any better than that?

It's hard to try and select just a few favourite blogs to highlight when really, I just love you all (excuse the gushiness!) but I am going to single out just one special blogger though because she, more than anyone, I think deserves to be mentioned in a post about community. I'm of course talking about Dewey. While I didn't actually know her that well personally, she is like the original leader of the book blogger community. She did so much to bring bloggers together, and she created so many wonderful events, many of which, like the 24 Hour Read-a-thon are still going strong today. Her Weekly Geeks, which recently ended after a long, successful run, was a huge inspiration for my own Hello Japan! mini-challenge, and she continues to inspire to this day. For her, community was everything. Sadly she is no longer with us, and many newer bloggers never had the chance to meet her, and probably have no idea who I'm talking about. But those of us who did know her, even a little, will never forget her. I think the community that exists now is thanks in part to her early vision, and I'm sure she'd be thrilled to see how much it has grown over the years.
Thank you, Dewey.

Thank you also to Amy for bringing the book blogging community together with Book Blogger Appreciation Week. Thank you to everyone helping out behind the scenes to bring us BBAW. And thanks again to ALL of you for continuing to share your love of books with us, and for being a part of this wonderful community!

JLit Preview: 'Kokoro' by Natsume Sōseki (+ JLit Book Group Schedule Change)

2011-09-12T14:30:00.000+09:00

No collection of Japanese literature is complete without Natsume Soseki's Kokoro, his most famous novel and the last he completed before his death. Published here in the first new translation in more than fifty years, Kokoro--meaning "heart"-is the story of a subtle and poignant friendship between two unnamed characters, a young man and an enigmatic elder whom he calls "Sensei".

Haunted by tragic secrets that have cast a long shadow over his life, Sensei slowly opens up to his young disciple, confessing indiscretions from his own student days that have left him reeling with guilt, and revealing, in the seemingly unbridgeable chasm between his moral anguish and his student's struggle to understand it, the profound cultural shift from one generation to the next that characterized Japan in the early twentieth century.

The only Sōseki I've read so far is I Am a Cat, a satire, told from the perspective of a stray cat that hangs out in a school teacher's house observing the teacher and his friends, and ridiculing them throughout. I admit, I did think it was a little too long, and a little dry near the end, but there were quite a few humorous stories and overall it was an interesting, worthwhile read. (Discussion posts for I Am a Cat: Volume One, Volume Two, Volume Three).

Kokoro is generally considered to be Sōseki's greatest work, and Sōseki himself is one of Japan's most famous novelists, certainly of the Meiji period, so I'm quite looking forward to finally reading this one for myself. The copy I have is the one pictured above, a new translation published by Penguin Classics. There are other older editions of the book in English but I really enjoyed Meredith McKinney's translation of The Pillow Book so that has me eager to read this new version.

Kokoro is also the next selection for the Japanese Literature Book Group. It is on the schedule for September 26, however, I'll be very busy for the rest of this month so I hope you don't mind that I've pushed it back a couple weeks. Discussion will now begin on October 15th. The good news is that means you still have plenty of time to grab a copy and read along with us. Anyone is welcome so I do hope you'll join us! Click on the button below for more information on current and past group reads.

Buy Kokoro at: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | BookDepository.com | BookDepository.co.uk

The small print: I purchased this book for my personal library. Links in this post to Amazon or The Book Depository contain my Associates or Affiliates ID respectively. Purchases made via these links earn me a very small commission. For more information please visit my About Page.

Six Months Later

2011-09-11T14:46:00.001+09:00

I remember exactly where I was on September 11th, 2001 when the planes hit the twin towers in New York. I was in our apartment in Tsunashima (we lived in Yokohama then) watching TV in bed (the 9 o'clock evening news was almost finished). We saw the second plane hit on live TV, and we guessed that this was no accident while the reporters were still scrambling, before they even figured out what was going on. We were glued to the TV, and were horrified as we watched the towers collapse. The world changed on that day, and it has never completely recovered. Understandably, today, many people in the US and elsewhere are remembering that day ten years ago, and remembering the 3000 people whose lives were taken so cruelly.

Today also marks exactly six months since the huge earthquake and tsunami devastated large parts of northern Japan. I will always remember where I was at 2:46 PM on March 11th, 2011 as well. I was here in our apartment, this time in the eastern suburbs of Tokyo. I will remember how when the earthquake started at first I kept sitting at my desk thinking it would be over soon. You get used to having little earthquakes happen on a fairly regular basis when you live in Japan. But I will remember how it didn't stop. How it kept getting stronger. How the whole apartment was swaying dramatically from side to side. I will remember how I wondered if this might be it. The Big One. And whether the building might collapse around me. (It was a big one, but not The Big One, as far as Tokyo was concerned, as we soon found out). And then when the earthquake did finally subside, I will remember how I, a little bit shakily, went back to my desk and was glued to Twitter for news and updates. I will remember watching on TV the utter horror of incredible waves of water inundating entire towns along the northern coast.

I will remember thinking that I was glad to have been at home when it happened because practically the entire train network in the Tokyo area stopped, and H had to walk home from work. He only had to walk an hour but in this city where many people commute long distances to work, some people walked all night to get home, while others were stranded. I will remember the panicky feeling that wouldn't go away, and the difficulty falling asleep that night as we waited for aftershocks.

In the days that followed, I will remember the shortage of food, toilet paper, and other essentials as people began hoarding food and supplies. I will remember checking radiation readings online every day, and watching as the situation at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant got worse and worse. Twitter and the Internet were truly invaluable resources in getting up to date information. And most of all I will remember thinking that we were lucky. In Tokyo, we were lucky. Everything was so much much worse in Tohoku. Approximately 16,000 people have been confirmed dead, with over 4000 still missing. Entire communities have been wiped out, and the entire Tohoku region faces a very long road to rebuild. Every time I see photos of the area that were destroyed by the tsunami I'm reminded of the photos of Hiroshima levelled from the atomic bombs of WWII.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons and ChiefHira

Yesterday on Twitter, @stujallen asked me how my life has been affected by the tsunami. Well, for the first few days, and weeks, after the tsunami, it was very hard to relax, or think of anything else. Everyone was a little anxious. People hesitated to stray far from home. But as the weeks have turned to months, and now six months on, our lives have mostly returned to as they were before, except for some small, constant reminders. Tokyo still has a power shortage but thanks to the conservation efforts by businesses and residents alike, we didn't have any blackouts, even during the intense summer heat. Our electricity bills have actually gone down over the last few months as we make sure to turn off lights and appliances when we're not using them. And everywhere we go is a little darker but I kind of like it. Tokyo was too neon bright before. Now it looks more like other cities I've been to.

The stores are again well-stocked, but because of a couple cases of possibly radiation contaminated food slipping into the supply, I pay more attention to where everything comes from. I have an emergency bag ready to go at all times. Whenever I leave the house, I make sure that there is extra cat food and water, in case something happens and we can't get home right away. And every time I take an elevator, I hope that an earthquake doesn't trap me inside. I've also stopped watching the news religiously. The entire country is in a debate about the future of nuclear power in Japan, and they discuss is All. The. Time. I could happily never hear the words radiation, or nuclear, ever again. So most of the time I go about my life: teaching, cleaning, cooking, sleeping, reading. But in the back of my mind is always a niggling worry, and a feeling of grief. I didn't personally know anyone directly affected by the disaster, but every time I see images of the worst hit areas, I'm saddened again by the terrible loss.

Today is a day to remember all the lives that have been lost either through natural or man-made disaster. We must never forget, but life goes on as well, and like the stoic Japanese, we must carry on. I think the most important thing I've learned from this is that anything can happen, any time. Earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear meltdowns, typhoons, hurricanes, tornadoes, terrorism, illness, or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We need to treasure our loved ones, and enjoy our lives while we can.

'State of Wonder' by Ann Patchett

2011-09-08T23:30:00.000+09:00

Fiction, Harper Collins, 2011
ARE (Advance Reader's Edition), 349 p.
Source: Publisher/ Harper Collins

From the publisher's website:
Dr. Marina Singh, a research scientist with a Minnesota pharmaceutical company, is sent to Brazil to track down her former mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson, who seems to have all but disappeared in the Amazon while working on what is destined to be an extremely valuable new drug, the development of which has already cost the company a fortune. Nothing about Marina's assignment is easy: not only does no one know where Dr. Swenson is, but the last person who was sent to find her, Marina's research partner Anders Eckman, died before he could complete his mission. Plagued by trepidation, Marina embarks on an odyssey into the insect-infested jungle in hopes of finding her former mentor as well as answers to several troubling questions about her friend's death, the state of her company's future, and her own past.

Once found, Dr. Swenson, now in her seventies, is as ruthless and uncompromising as she ever was back in the days of Grand Rounds at Johns Hopkins. With a combination of science and subterfuge, she dominates her research team and the natives she is studying with the force of an imperial ruler. But while she is as threatening as anything the jungle has to offer, the greatest sacrifices to be made are the ones Dr. Swenson asks of herself, and will ultimately ask of Marina, who finds she may still be unable to live up to her teacher's expectations.

In a narrative replete with poison arrows, devouring snakes, and a neighboring tribe of cannibals, State of Wonder is a world unto itself, where unlikely beauty stands beside unimaginable loss. It is a tale that leads the reader into the very heart of darkness, and then shows us what lies on the other side.

Two-word review: Utterly compelling!

I really enjoyed Bel Canto when I read it a few years ago, so I was looking forward to Ann Patchett’s new book to be published this summer, despite the fact that it is set in the Amazonian jungle, which is a setting that doesn’t usually appeal to me for some reason. Perhaps I just hadn’t found the right book though because once I started reading State of Wonder, I just didn’t want to stop!

The author has done a wonderful job portraying the characters, from the meek Marina, to the intimidating Dr. Swenson, and all the cast of quirky, interesting characters in between. Ultimately this is a story of human connection and relationships, and I enjoyed how the relationship between Marina and Dr. Swenson unraveled. Even though it is outwardly Marina’s story, as we are told it in her voice, both of them must face their pasts, both personally and professionally, and during the course of their time together in the jungle they make important realizations about themselves and each other.

In addition to the beautifully developed characters, Patchett also brought the jungle vividly to life. I felt like I was transported to the Amazon through the pages of the book, although it probably didn’t hurt that I was reading this book during a very hot and very humid Japanese summer! I could completely relate to the oppressive heat of the jungle, just in my case a concrete jungle. And luckily for me no poisonous snakes!

Strictly speaking, State of Wonder is not a thriller, but the narrative pulled me right along and I never knew what turn the story would take next. There were plenty of unexpected events that took place, with some excitement and adventure along the way. Plus a daring rescue, and even some cannibals! I suppose you could call it a literary page-turner.

I was left with many things to think about, like the ethics and morality of scientific discovery, and the consequences of the medical research they were doing. How far should we go in the name of science? Who is responsible? And of course the complex relationships between many of the characters. I think it will be a wonderful choice for book groups as there is certainly plenty here to discuss.

A wonderful, atmospheric novel, and one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read this year.

For more information, visit Ann Patchett's website and the Harper Collins website.

Buy State of Wonder at: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | BookDepository.com | BookDepository.co.uk

New York Times review
The Guardian review

Other thoughts:
Wordsmithonia
the little reader
Reading on a Rainy Day
S. Krishna's Books
Leeswammes' Blog
Bibliophile By the Sea
Everyday I Write the Book
Booking Mama
If I've missed your review, let me know and I'll link to it here.

The small print: This book was received free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I received no compensation. Links in this post to Amazon or The Book Depository contain my Associates or Affiliates ID respectively. Purchases made via these links earn me a very small commission. For more information please visit my About Page.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week: Best Cultural Book Blog?

2011-09-06T16:30:00.000+09:00

If you're a book blogger, you probably already know about Book Blogger Appreciation Week, which is coming up next week. However, if you haven't yet heard about it, in the words of the original founder Amy Riley of My Friend Amy, it "was started in an effort to recognize the hard work and contribution of book bloggers to the promotion and preservation of a literate culture actively engaged in discussing books, authors, and a lifestyle of reading." In essence, it is a week-long celebration of book bloggers and the book blogger community.

One aspect of Book Blogger Appreciation Week is the Awards for Best Blogs in a variety of different categories. And I was very thrilled to find out today that In Spring it is the Dawn made it to the shortlist for Best Cultural Review Blog. I don't know who nominated me in the first place, but whoever you are, you're awesome! Thank you!

Earlier, to accept the nomination, I had to submit five posts from the last year, that I thought best represent In Spring it is the Dawn as a Cultural Book Blog. These are the posts that the judges looked at when deciding which blogs would move on from the long list and I thought you might be curious to know which ones I submitted. Just click on the links below to visit the posts.

'In the Miso Soup' and 'Audition' by Ryu Murakami (JLit Book Group)
Japanese Gothic Tales by Izumi Kyōka
'The Restaurant of Love Regained' by Ito Ogawa
Hello Japan! July mini-challenge: Non-Fiction
'Hagakure: The Code of the Samurai' (The Manga Edition)

Now the winner will be selected through a vote by all the participating bloggers, and of course I would love to have you vote for In Spring it is the Dawn. Anyone who blogs about books is very welcome to register. The Awards are just one small part of the celebration though. Besides being able to vote for your favourite book blogs, it's a week filled with guest posts, giveaways, and community activities, so I hope that regardless of who you vote for, you'll join us for some of the fun.

Congratulations to everyone on the 2011 BBAW Short Lists and to ALL my fellow book lovers for the hard work put into creating your wonderful blogs, many of which didn't make the list. Plus a very big thank you to everyone who continues to visit and for your support over the years! Here's to sharing many more posts about Japan and Japanese literature with you in the months, and years, to come!

Hello Japan! mini-challenge: August links

2011-09-02T02:32:00.000+09:00

Thank you to everyone who took part in the Hello Japan! mini-challenge for August. The topic was Origami and the task was to create some origami. Click on the links below to see the beautiful things that everyone made.

Novroz at Polychrome Interest, with some help from her good friend, Kroten, made some Sea Turtle origami. :)

Bellezza at Dolce Bellezza is a huge fan of origami and she shows us some of the many wonderful origami she's made. She also tells us how to make origami bookmarks for ourselves.

Francisca at Francisca Writes shares some origami she made recently including a paperclip holder, small boxes, and heart bookmarks.
(Note: Her blog is in Dutch but you can click on the translation button to read it in other languages).

Gnoe at Graasland teaches us how to fold a decorative origami flower in a video!

I had hoped to try making some origami corner bookmarks but the month got away from me. We did have a lovely summer holiday in Hokkaido though.

And I almost forgot to mention a late entry from Experiments in Manga, for the July Non-Fiction mini-challenge, a review of Mishima's Sword: Travels in Search of a Samurai Legend.

August's prize was a set of 3 origami doll bookmarks, a kit to make your own, and a package of origami paper in traditional Japanese patterns. With the help of random.org,
the winner is ... new participant, Francisca. :)
Congratulations!

If you haven't seen it yet, the new challenge for September and October is already up. It's time to compare some of the Japanese things we love so much.

Hello Japan! September and October mini-challenge: When One isn't Enough

2011-09-01T19:30:00.000+09:00

*Two books or stories by the same author
*Two different books by contemporaries
*Two different books in the same genre
*Two movies by the same director or studio
*Two books or movies set in the same place

*Two works of art by the same artist
*Two artists from the same time period
*Two albums by the same band
*Two dishes with the same ingredient
*Two different Japanese restaurants or cookbooks

*A book or short story and the movie based on it.
*Manga and the anime or llive action movie.
*Japanese movie and the Hollywood remake
*A sake, or green tea tasting.
... and so on.

Plus I know you're all busy, so it doesn't have to be something new. You're also welcome to tell us about something you've done/watched/read/etc previously. The most important is just to compare two things that relate to Japan in some way.

September & October's Prize

This month's prize is a Japanese literature book of your choice (up to $15 value).

You can complete this month's mini-challenge by writing a blog post, telling us about what you did, and adding a link to your post, or by simply leaving a comment with your answer(s) on this post. If you prefer, you can also email me at inspringthedawn AT gmail DOT com with your submission. You are welcome to post or comment more than once and add the relevant links below. I love it when you are enthusiastic about a topic!

Once you have completed the task, don't forget to come back here to add your link to the Mr. Linky below. Please submit the link to the actual post, not just to your top page, and please only submit links to posts relating to the Hello Japan! task for this month. Any other links will be deleted. Please let me know if you have any questions.

The small print: Links in this post to Amazon contain my Associates ID. Purchases made via these links earn me a very small commission. For more information please visit my About Page.

'The Quiet Gentleman' by Georgette Heyer

2011-08-31T06:37:00.000+09:00

Fiction/Regency Romance
First published in 1951
(re-issued by Sourcebooks in 2011)
trade pb, 334 p.
Source: Publisher/Sourcebooks

From the back cover:
Returning to his family seat from Waterloo, Gervase Frant, seventh Earl of St Erth, could have expected more enthusiasm for his homecoming. His quiet cousin, stepmother, and young half-brother seem openly disappointed that he survived the wars. And when he begins to fall for his half-brother’s sweetheart, his chilly reception goes from unfriendly to positively murderous.

One of Heyer’s most suspenseful Regency romances, The Quiet Gentleman combines an ingenious mystery plot with her signature witty style and effervescently engaging characters.

After enjoying my first ever Heyer novel, Sylvester or the Wicked Uncle, earlier this month, I was very much looking forward to reading The Quiet Gentleman, the second of the Heyer books that I received from Sourcebooks to celebrate the birthday of Georgette Heyer this month. It seemed the perfect book to take along with me on our recent summer holiday to Hokkaido, and I can tell you it made for a great holiday read.

Gervase Frant has inherited his title and the family estate after the death of his father, but it seems the other members of his family wish he’d died in the wars. He puts up with their insinuations and fancies until things take a dangerous turn. These are no longer harmless comments. Someone seems out to kill him!

This story was quite different from Sylvester, with less focus on the romance, and more on the mystery subplot. The romance is still there, but it’s very subtle. I admit it took me a little longer to get into The Quiet Gentleman, and to warm up to the characters, but once I did the characters come alive on the page, and became completely memorable. The Earl’s spoiled step-brother, Martin. The ridiculous stepmother and proud matriarch. The clever and sensible houseguest, Miss Morville. And of course the Earl himself, who with his quiet confidence, and charming ways, is a very likeable hero.

Like with Sylvester, what I loved most about The Quiet Gentleman were all the rich details of Regency life. The day-to-day goings-on at Stanyon Castle. The niceties to be observed. The Regency way of life. Perhaps it’s the English teacher in me but I also love the vocabulary of the period. I really think we should bring back the usage of “funning” as a verb!

The Quiet Gentleman has all the right ingredients for an enjoyable summer, or anytime, read. A little bit of suspense, attempted murder, with a dash of romance. All in all, it was another delightful journey to Regency England. I know I’ll definitely be reading more of Heyer’s novels! Thanks again to Sourcebooks for the chance to finally experience this well-known, well-loved author for myself.

For more information, visit the Sourcebooks website.

Buy The Quiet Gentleman at: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | BookDepository.com | BookDepository.co.uk

Other thoughts:
Dolce Bellezza
books i done read
Let me know if you've also reviewed this title, and I'll link to it here.

The small print: This book was received free of charge from the publisher for review. Links in this post to Amazon or The Book Depository contain my Associates or Affiliates ID respectively. Purchases made via these links earn me a very small commission. For more information please visit my About Page.

'Thousand Cranes' by Yasunari Kawabata (JLit Book Group)

2011-08-29T06:24:00.000+09:00

Thousand Cranes
by Yasunari Kawabata
千羽鶴 (senbazuru)
Originally serialized from 1949 - 1952
(English translation, 1958)
Translated from the Japanese by Edward G. Seidensticker
Vintage International, trade pb, 148 p.

With a restraint that barely conceals the ferocity of his characters' passions, one of Japan's great postwar novelists tells a luminous story of desire, regret, and the almost sensual nostalgia that binds the living to the dead.

When Kikuji is invited to a tea ceremony by a mistress of his dead father, he does not expect to become involved with her rival and successor, Mrs. Ota. Nor does he anticipate the depth of suffering that will arise from their liaison. But in the tea ceremony every gesture has a meaning. And in Thousand Cranes, even the most fleeting touch or casual utterance has the power to illuminate entire lives - sometimes in the same moment that it destroys them.

The novels by Kawabata, more than any of the other Japanese classics I’ve read, really make me regret the fact that I can’t read in Japanese. His writing is just so sparse and poetic. Although the translation does a good job at trying to portray the artistry behind the words, it simply must be more beautiful and meaningful in the original Japanese. I’ve heard Kawabata’s writing described as brush strokes, like writing haiku in traditional Japanese calligraphy, and I think that is a very apt description.

Kikuji, now alone after the death of both of his parents, becomes entangled with two of his father’s mistresses. Both of which can’t seem to let his father go. Chikako in her jealousy suggests that Mrs. Ota is a witch, and that Kikuji is held under her curse. Even Kikuji begins to wonder at the spell he seems to be under. It does seem to be true that none of them can escape the past. Although his father has died, “the sins of the father” live on and taint the life of his son. Not only Kikuji though, Mrs. Ota’s daughter, Fumiko, also suffers greatly under the burden of her mother’s affair.

A couple of my students study the tea ceremony, and last year I was thrilled to be invited to watch one of their lessons. It wasn’t a formal event, just a casual lesson at their teacher’s home, but it was a wonderful experience to see them perform the ceremony under their teacher’s guidance. Thanks to that, I could really picture the scenes from the novel, from whisking the tea, to admiring the pottery.

In the book, the tea ceremony is a beautiful backdrop for the unpleasant drama that takes place between Kikuji and the women. Like the tea ceremony with its precise movements, in the story each gesture, and every word, have a certain weight, a certain meaning. And what isn’t said can often be more important than what is.

Kawabata, through Kikuji, also ponders thoughts of life and death. The seeming permanence of the tea bowls versus the fleeting nature of human life. The precious bowls and other tea utensils have survived hundreds of years, treasured by each successive generation. Yet the people who used them will be soon forgotten.

The tea bowls, three or four hundred years old, were sound and healthy, and they called up no morbid thoughts. Life seemed to stretch taut over them, however, in a way that was almost sensual.

Ultimately this was a story of impossible love. It’s certainly not a happy story, and there is no clear ending, only hints at what might be. I’m pretty sure I didn’t understand all the nuances, or revelations, and it is the kind of book that deserves to be reread. Regardless, the mood of the story lingers on. I certainly look forward to reading more by Kawabata.

What did you think of Thousand Cranes?
Whether you've read it this month, or read it previously, please share your thoughts, or any questions you have about the book.

Thousand Cranes is one of the novels cited by the Nobel Committee when Kawabata was awarded the Prize in 1968, “for his narrative mastery, which with great sensibility expresses the essence of the Japanese mind”.
Nobel Prize in Literature website
Yasunari Kawabata (Wikipedia)

Thousand Cranes at: Amazon.com | BookDepository.co.uk | BookDepository.co.uk

Other thoughts:
Tony's Reading List
If you've reviewed Thousand Cranes, let me know and I'll link to it here.

The Japanese Literature Book Group was started due to a desire to read and discuss Japanese literature with others, and by doing so to hopefully gain a deeper understanding of the literature and culture of Japan. The schedule for the Japanese Literature Book Group for 2011 is largely made up of suggestions from fellow JLit devotees and we'd love to have you join us. Click on the button for more information about past and upcoming reads.

Our next selection will be Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki. With discussion to begin on September September 26, 2011.
こころ (kokoro)

From the back cover of the new Penguin edition: No collection of Japanese literature is complete without Natsume Soseki's Kokoro, his most famous novel and the last he complete before his death. Published here in the first new translation in more than fifty years, Kokoro--meaning "heart"-is the story of a subtle and poignant friendship between two unnamed characters, a young man and an enigmatic elder whom he calls "Sensei". Haunted by tragic secrets that have cast a long shadow over his life, Sensei slowly opens up to his young disciple, confessing indiscretions from his own student days that have left him reeling with guilt, and revealing, in the seemingly unbridgeable chasm between his moral anguish and his student's struggle to understand it, the profound cultural shift from one generation to the next that characterized Japan in the early twentieth century.

The small print: I purchased this book for my personal library. Links in this post to Amazon (including book covers) or The Book Depository contain my Associates or Affiliates ID respectively. Purchases made via these links earn me a very small commission. For more information please visit my About Page.

Summer holiday in Hokkaido: The Food

2011-08-28T07:40:00.000+09:00

Hokkaido, situated as it is in the north, is known for its fresh and plentiful fish. So of course a trip to Hokkaido would not be complete without some sushi. Even better, we had dinner at a popular sushi restaurant in the port city of Otaru. (See yesterday's Summer holiday in Hokkaido: The Sights post for photos of Otaru's historical canal).

To go with the sushi, Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo sake.

Hokkaido has many other specialties too, not just fish. Lamb is not very common in the rest of Japan but as Hokkaido is also known for sheep farming, barbecued mutton is very popular. This famous Hokkaido dish is called Genghis Khan, (or as the Japanese pronounce it ジンギスカン "Jingis Kan"), named after the famous Mongolian warrior.

The meat, along with a few vegetables, is cooked on a round dome-shaped metal grill. And then dipped into a special sauce. Beer is the accompaniment of choice.

Now I'm not a huge meat-eater, but H is quite the carnivore so I couldn't deny him this. We went to a very popular little hole-in-the-wall Genghis Khan restaurant in Asahikawa and when we left, people were lined up down the street to get in!

Hokkaido is also the home of beer in Japan. Most of the big Japanese brewers are located in Hokkaido. Although the production has been moved out of the city, in the centre of Sapporo, the old Sapporo Beer Factory has been preserved and is now a shopping mall, office, and museum complex.

It also houses many restaurants. Here we had handmade soba, buckwheat noodles. I ordered mine cold, to be dipped into a warm sauce. H explained that soba in Tokyo is usually made with wheat flour mixed in with the buckwheat flour, making it milder. The soba we had in Sapporo was definitely stronger tasting, and delicious!

What with all the cows, and the open spaces for them to graze in, Hokkaido is home to many dairy farms as well. A lot of the butter, milk and cheese found in the supermarkets here in Tokyo actually comes from Hokkaido. So last but not least, it wouldn't be a trip to Hokkaido without some ice cream!

Grape gelato from the Furano Ice Cream Factory

These are only a few of the culinary treats Hokkaido has to offer, but I hope this gives you a little taste of what we ate, and drank, while we were there. All in all it was a great trip!

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads.

The small print: Photos were taken by me and cannot be used without permission. For more information please visit my About Page.

Summer holiday in Hokkaido: The Sights

2011-08-27T07:20:00.000+09:00

In Japan, most companies close for a few days around August 15th for the celebration of Obon. This year, because of setsuden (energy conservation) due to the power shortage in the Tokyo area, many companies gave their employees longer than the usual 3 or 4 days off. H had 10 days off so we decided to make the most of it and travel to Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan.

I'd been to Hokkaido once before but only for a couple of days for the Snow Festival in Sapporo. But I'd always wanted to visit in the summer. Unlike the rest of Japan, Hokkaido isn't so humid, so even though the days were quite warm and sunny, the nights were cool. It was a nice break from the extreme heat we've had this summer. (Except it figures that the day I was roasting, getting a sunburn at the Asahiyama Zoo, Tokyo was rainy and cool! Loved the penguins though!)

Hokkaido is also much more open and spacious than the crowded mainland. Unfortunately, we were too late to see the lavender fields in bloom as they were harvested last month, but it was still so nice to see the rolling hills, and the fields stretching far into the distance. The top picture was taken near Miyama Pass between Furano and Biei.

I think my favourite place that we visited during this trip was Otaru. It's a small port city on the Sea of Japan coast, and has such a fun atmosphere. The old warehouses along the canal in the city centre add to the historic charm. So pretty at night too.

I was reminded of Canada a lot on this trip. I'd heard that before and it's really true. The wider roads. The fields and open spaces. Less people. The Great Nature. On the last day we went to Lake Shikotsu, and we totally could've been in Canada.

From the sign posted by the lake: Lake Shikotsu, the northernmost ice-free lake in Japan, is 363m deep and is the second deepest lake in Japan. The shoreline length is 40.3 km. The surface area is 78.8km2, almost covering the entire area inside the Tokyo's Yamanote Line loop train route.

Course, it wouldn't be a lake in Japan though without the requisite swan pedal boats!

We really enjoyed touring around this part of Hokkaido, and it was great to get out of Tokyo for a few days. Stay tuned, next will be what we ate on our summer holiday.

The small print: Photos in the post were taken by me, and cannot be used without permission. For more information please visit my About Page.

'Tout Sweet: Hanging Up My High Heels for a New Life in France' by Karen Wheeler

2011-08-19T06:06:00.000+09:00

First published in the UK in 2009,
US publication, 2011
Memoir, trade pb, 311 p.
Source: Sourcebooks

From the back cover:
Fashion editor Karen Wheeler thought she had it all: a glamorous job, a handsome boyfriend, a fabulous home, and an even more fabulous assortment of gorgeous shoes. But not all is as it seems, and on an impulse she decides to wave good-bye to her glamorous city lifestyle and go it alone in a run-down house in rural France.

Tout Sweet is the perfect read for anyone who dreams of chucking away her Blackberry in favor of real blackberrying and downshifting to a romantic, alluring locale where new friendships, and new loves, are just some of the treasures to be found amongst life’s simple pleasures.

I picked this book up last week, and once I had, found that I didn’t want to put it down. It made my long commutes fly by, and was a lovely way to escape the extreme summer heat. For a little while at least.

Karen, broken-hearted in London, stumbled upon an opportunity to buy an old house in rural France and this memoir describes her adventures trying to fix up the house, and adjust to her new life. It seems a little weird to say this in a review of a memoir, since although she is a character in the story, she is a real person, but Karen was entirely likeable. I really enjoyed her warm, honest voice sharing the ups and downs of finding herself knee-deep in home-repairs, and coping with doing it all on her own. Balanced nicely with, often humorous, tales of the people she meets in the village, some of them certainly more eccentric than others.

I spent a few months in rural France myself on a student exchange in high school many many years ago, and reading Tout Sweet brought back some nice memories of that time. The downside though is that I’m now seriously longing for the French countryside. I don’t think buying a house there, however run-down, is in my future, but oh how I wish it were. Tokyo was exciting when I first arrived, but as I’m getting older (ahem) I find myself preferring quiet and nature to the neon hustle of this crowded metropolis. The slower pace of life she describes, as well as the beautiful surroundings, all sound positively idyllic.

Rounding the chateau, I turn into a narrow country lane and keep walking. I have no idea where I am going but it doesn’t matter. Within minutes, I am in beautiful, open countryside, surrounded by lush green and golden fields as far as the eye can see. I pass the occasional field of sheep but there is absolutely no one else around but me. I walk and walk, enjoying the lemony-pale spring sunshine and grass verges dotted with poppies and bluebells. The longer I walk, the happier I feel. How could I not know that such beauty lay on my doorstep? (p. 189)

Doesn’t that sound wonderful? And even if we can’t all pick up and move to France, her story is inspiring. In addition to being a fun, entertaining read, it’s also a nice reminder that even when life doesn’t go as expected, something good is around the corner. We just have to have the courage to do something different. I’m very glad to find out that she’s already written a sequel, Toute Allure: Falling in Love in Rural France, and is working on a third book. I’m very much looking forward to more amusing, candid stories from Karen Wheeler.

Karen also blogs about her life in France at Tout Sweet: My Life in a Rural French Village. And can be found on Twitter.

Buy Tout Sweet at: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | BookDepository.com | BookDepository.co.uk

The small print: This book was received free of charge from the publisher for review purposes. Links in this post to Amazon (including book cover) or The Book Depository contain my Associates or Affiliates ID respectively. Purchases made via these links earn me a very small commission. For more information please visit my About Page.