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Tomo: Friendship Through Fiction: An Anthology of Japan Teen Stories
This aptly named fiction anthology—tomo means “friend” in Japanese—is a true labor of friendship to benefit teens in Japan whose lives were upended by the violent earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011. Authors from Japan and around the world have contributed works of fiction set in or related to Japan. Young adult English-language readers will be able to connect with their Japanese counterparts through stories of contemporary Japanese teens, ninja and yokai teens, folklore teens, mixed-heritage teens, and non-Japanese teens who call Japan home. Tales of friendship, mystery, love, ghosts, magic, science fiction, and history will propel readers to Japan past and present and to Japanese universes abroad.
Portions of the proceeds of Tomo will be donated to the Japanese non-profit, HOPE FOR TOMORROW, to support ongoing relief efforts for teens in Japan.
Contents:
Shocks and tremors: Lost by Andrew Fukuda
Shuya's commute by Liza Dalby
Half life by Deni Y Béchard
Kazoku by Tak Toyoshima
Aftershocks by Ann Tashi Slater
Friends and enemies: Bad day for baseball by Graham Salisbury
Half a heart by Mariko Nagai
The bridge to Lillooet by Trevor Kew
Blue shells by Naoko Awa, translated by Toshiya Kamei
Borne by the wind by Charles De Wolf
Ghosts and spirits: The ghost who came to breakfast by Alan Gratz
House of trust by Sachiko Kashiwaba, translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa
Staring at the Haiku by John Paul Catton
Kodama by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Where the silver droplets fall by transcribed and translated from Ainu into Japanese by Yukie Chiri, translated and illustrated by Deborah Davidson
Powers and feats: Yamada-san's toaster by Kelly Luce
Jet black and the ninja wind by Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani
Hachiro by Ryusuke Saito, translated by Sako Ikegami
The lost property office by Marji Napper
Anton and Kiyoshime by Fumio Takano, translated by Hart Larrabee
Talents and curses: Love right on the yesterday by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga
The dragon and the poet by Kenji Miyazawa, translated by Misa Dikengil Lindberg
Just wan-derful by Louise George Kittaka
Ichinichi on the Yamanote by Claire Dawn
A song for Benzaiten by Catherine Rose torres
Insiders and outsiders: Fleecy clouds by Arie Nashiya, translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter
The zodiac tree by Thersa Matsuura
One by Sarah Ogawa
Love letter by Megumi Fujino, translated by Lynne E. Riggs
Signs by Kaitlin Stainbrook
Wings on the wind by Yuichi Kimura, translated by Alexander O. Smith
Families and connections: The law of gravity by Yuko Katakawa, translated by Deborah Iwabuchi
The mountain drum by Chloë Dalby
Paper lanterns by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
I hate Harajuku girls by Katrina Toshiko Grigg-Saito
Peace on earth by Suzanne Kamata
Portions of the proceeds of Tomo will be donated to the Japanese non-profit, HOPE FOR TOMORROW, to support ongoing relief efforts for teens in Japan.
Contents:
Shocks and tremors: Lost by Andrew Fukuda
Shuya's commute by Liza Dalby
Half life by Deni Y Béchard
Kazoku by Tak Toyoshima
Aftershocks by Ann Tashi Slater
Friends and enemies: Bad day for baseball by Graham Salisbury
Half a heart by Mariko Nagai
The bridge to Lillooet by Trevor Kew
Blue shells by Naoko Awa, translated by Toshiya Kamei
Borne by the wind by Charles De Wolf
Ghosts and spirits: The ghost who came to breakfast by Alan Gratz
House of trust by Sachiko Kashiwaba, translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa
Staring at the Haiku by John Paul Catton
Kodama by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Where the silver droplets fall by transcribed and translated from Ainu into Japanese by Yukie Chiri, translated and illustrated by Deborah Davidson
Powers and feats: Yamada-san's toaster by Kelly Luce
Jet black and the ninja wind by Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani
Hachiro by Ryusuke Saito, translated by Sako Ikegami
The lost property office by Marji Napper
Anton and Kiyoshime by Fumio Takano, translated by Hart Larrabee
Talents and curses: Love right on the yesterday by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga
The dragon and the poet by Kenji Miyazawa, translated by Misa Dikengil Lindberg
Just wan-derful by Louise George Kittaka
Ichinichi on the Yamanote by Claire Dawn
A song for Benzaiten by Catherine Rose torres
Insiders and outsiders: Fleecy clouds by Arie Nashiya, translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter
The zodiac tree by Thersa Matsuura
One by Sarah Ogawa
Love letter by Megumi Fujino, translated by Lynne E. Riggs
Signs by Kaitlin Stainbrook
Wings on the wind by Yuichi Kimura, translated by Alexander O. Smith
Families and connections: The law of gravity by Yuko Katakawa, translated by Deborah Iwabuchi
The mountain drum by Chloë Dalby
Paper lanterns by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
I hate Harajuku girls by Katrina Toshiko Grigg-Saito
Peace on earth by Suzanne Kamata
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 6, 2012
About the author
Holly Thompson
20 books151 followersHolly Thompson (www.hatbooks.com) is a longtime resident of Japan originally from Massachusetts. A graduate of the NYU Creative Writing Program, she writes poetry, fiction and nonfiction for children through adults. She is author of the verse novels Falling into the Dragon's Mouth, The Language Inside, and Orchards; the picture books Listening to Trees: George Nakashima, Woodworker; One Wave at a Time; Twilight Chant and The Wakame Gatherers, and the novel Ash. She compiled and edited Tomo: Friendship Through Fiction—An Anthology of Japan Teen Stories, a collection of 36 Japan-related short stories, including ten in translation. Holly teaches writing in Japan and the U.S. and visits schools worldwide.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 20, 2012
Though this anthology is marketed for teens, I enjoyed it as well, from the stories that reminded me of my recent trip to Japan to the ones that showed me something new. The stories are varied and well-written. There are even some translations to stories originally written in Japanese.
I recognized the names of a few authors (Katrina Toshiko Grigg-Saito, for one, who also has a piece in The Chalk Circle: Intercultural Prizewinning Essays) or at least the names of their more famous works (in the case of quite a few of the Japanese authors) that were mentioned in their bios.
The design of the book is very attractive. Proceeds from the volume are benefiting young people affected by the 2011 East Japan earthquake and tsunami.
I recognized the names of a few authors (Katrina Toshiko Grigg-Saito, for one, who also has a piece in The Chalk Circle: Intercultural Prizewinning Essays) or at least the names of their more famous works (in the case of quite a few of the Japanese authors) that were mentioned in their bios.
The design of the book is very attractive. Proceeds from the volume are benefiting young people affected by the 2011 East Japan earthquake and tsunami.
March 1, 2017
Meant for teens and about teens, but I liked these stories, too. There is something for everyone: a Tohoku earthquake survival story, a WWII internment camp baseball lesson, the toaster of death, a dream come true, bullies, a new love, an annoying "chanto shita" girl. Almost all stories are set in Japan and flavored with Japanese words and phrases. There are a few translated legends that Western ears may find awkward, but the stories of Japanese "yokai" spirits are fun.
March 11, 2012
Editor Holly Thompson and Stone Bridge Press pulled this collection of mostly original stories and translations together in less than a year, in time for the anniversary of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, but there is nothing slapdash about it. This is a book that will endure.
Thirty-six writers (plus 10 translators) contributed a dazzling variety of stories featuring ninja, scientists, baseball players, yokai (spirits), pop stars, Little-Bo-Beep-look-alike Harajuku girls, and ordinary kids. Interestingly, a lot of writers chose to write across gender.
It's impossible for me to choose a favorite, or even favorites, but I especially enjoyed Andrew Fukuda's "Lost," about an amnesiac girl post-earthquake; "Aftershocks" by Ann Slater, about the reverberations of the 3/11 disasters in a bicultural family in Tokyo; "Kodama," an illustrated story in notebook form by Debbie Ridpath Ohi; and "Fleecy Clouds" by Arie Nashiya. But ask me tomorrow, and I might name different stories. I enjoyed every single one.
The proceeds of this book will benefit teens in northeastern Japan who survived the earthquake and tsunami.
Thirty-six writers (plus 10 translators) contributed a dazzling variety of stories featuring ninja, scientists, baseball players, yokai (spirits), pop stars, Little-Bo-Beep-look-alike Harajuku girls, and ordinary kids. Interestingly, a lot of writers chose to write across gender.
It's impossible for me to choose a favorite, or even favorites, but I especially enjoyed Andrew Fukuda's "Lost," about an amnesiac girl post-earthquake; "Aftershocks" by Ann Slater, about the reverberations of the 3/11 disasters in a bicultural family in Tokyo; "Kodama," an illustrated story in notebook form by Debbie Ridpath Ohi; and "Fleecy Clouds" by Arie Nashiya. But ask me tomorrow, and I might name different stories. I enjoyed every single one.
The proceeds of this book will benefit teens in northeastern Japan who survived the earthquake and tsunami.
April 28, 2012
One of the best anthologies I've read in years. This is a fascinating mix of authors -- emerging and established, Japanese and American, novelists and graphic novelists/artists. It offers many perspectives on Japan, from the realistic to the magical, that teens and adults will enjoy. A percentage of proceeds from the book benefit teens affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Wonderful introduction by editor (and novelist) Holly Thompson is an added bonus. This collection is one to keep on a shelf and revisit; it will also make a great gift for Japanophiles of all ages.
June 8, 2012
I won this book through Goodreads and was not disappointed. What a wonderful book which supports such an excellent cause. A great mix of stories from all walks of life without being too heavy. A book you can put down and come back to at a later time without any difficulty. Fab!
October 24, 2019
There are standouts stories here, that I am still thinking about. A great collection that should be in secondary school libraries.
May 15, 2020
Buku ini merupakan kumpulan cerpen remaja, yang dibuat dalam rangka membantu korban bencana nuklir Fukushima di Jepang pada 2011. Kontributornya berasal dari berbagai negara yang punya hubungan tertentu dengan Jepang, entahkah memang warga asli Jepang, keturunan Jepang, pernah tinggal di Jepang, ataupun menetap di Jepang. Kebanyakan berasal dari Amerika Serikat; ada juga yang dari Kanada, Selandia Baru, Barbados, sampai Filipina. (Sayangnya, tidak ada yang dari Indonesia :-/) Yang ditulis oleh orang Jepang sendiri kira-kira ada 1/4 dari total jumlah cerita.
Ada 36 cerita dalam buku ini yang dibagi menjadi 7 segmen:
Shock and Tremors (5 cerita)
Friends and Enemies (5 cerita)
Ghosts and Spirits (5 cerita)
Powers and Feats (5 cerita)
Talents and Curses (5 cerita)
Insiders and Outsiders (6 cerita)
Families and Connections (5 cerita)
Kalau boleh saya bikin penggolongan sendiri, jadinya kurang lebih seperti ini.
1. Cerita-cerita yang berhubungan dengan bencana gempa dan nuklir.
2. Cerita-cerita yang berlatarkan Perang Dunia II, baik yang menyangkut keturunan Jepang di Amerika Utara maupun warga asing/blasteran di Jepang pada masa itu.
3. Cerita-cerita yang berhubungan dengan tradisi Jepang, termasuk yokai atau cerita hantu
4. Cerita-cerita dongeng
5. Cerita-cerita tentang pergulatan identitas remaja hasil perkawinan campur
6. Cerita-cerita tipikal teenlit shojou (dari sudut pandang cewek dengan tokoh pendamping cowok yang cool sekaligus bijaksana, semacam manic pixie dream boy?)
Tidak semua cerita berbentuk cerpen sebagaimana lazimnya (yang melulu teks dalam paragraf-paragraf padat), tapi ada juga yang berupa grafis serta puisi.
Cerita pada umumnya berlatar di Jepang, dengan tokohnya remaja asli Jepang, remaja hasil perkawinan campur (antara Jepang dan bangsa lain yang biasanya kulit putih), atau remaja asing (misalnya sedang mengikuti pertukaran pelajar). Cerita-cerita yang berlatar di luar Jepang, terutama Amerika Utara, biasanya memiliki tokoh keturunan Jepang.
Ketimbang cerita-cerita yang menunjukkan simpati terhadap korban bencana gempa dan nuklir, yang lebih mengemuka justru cerita-cerita tentang "penderitaan" warga asing atau blasteran atau sedikitnya pernah menghabiskan beberapa lama di luar negeri sebelum kembali ke Jepang. Mereka pada umumnya merasa terpencil dan kurang diterima oleh warga asli, di samping itu rata-rata bersekolah di sekolah internasional. Di Jepang tampaknya ada stigma tertentu terhadap warga asing serta haafu atau anak hasil dari perkawinan campur. Malah ayah tokoh dalam salah satu cerita di buku ini sampai putus hubungan dengan keluarganya di Jepang gara-gara menikahi wanita asing.
Dalam konteks Indonesia, saya bayangkan situasi terhadap mereka akan lain. Mereka justru akan dipandang tinggi, dielu-elukan, dan ditawari main sinetron. Mereka adalah warga kalangan menengah ke atas yang tidak relatable dengan kebanyakan warga Indonesia. Mungkin karena itulah, saya merasa kurang relate dengan kebanyakan cerita dalam buku ini. Dari ketujuh segmen, yang relatable buat saya paling-paling bagian "Talents and Curses". Dari 5 cerita dalam segmen itu, ada 3 di antaranya yang masuk dalam pilihan saya.
Selain itu, mungkin karena ditujukan bagi remaja, kebanyakan cerita dalam buku ini cenderung pada penyelesaian yang terlalu mudah bahkan berkesan gitu aja atau kurang memuaskan. Beberapa malah seperti sekadar awal dari cerita yang semestinya lebih panjang, sehingga menimbulkan kesan tanggung. Hanya sedikit cerita yang terasa utuh dengan penutup yang benar-benar makjleb, hingga menimbulkan gereget untuk menerjemahkannya ke dalam bahasa sendiri.
Kalau mesti memilih dari 36 cerita, hanya 8 yang bagi saya cukup memuaskan sampai sangat memuaskan.
Ada 36 cerita dalam buku ini yang dibagi menjadi 7 segmen:
Shock and Tremors (5 cerita)
Friends and Enemies (5 cerita)
Ghosts and Spirits (5 cerita)
Powers and Feats (5 cerita)
Talents and Curses (5 cerita)
Insiders and Outsiders (6 cerita)
Families and Connections (5 cerita)
Kalau boleh saya bikin penggolongan sendiri, jadinya kurang lebih seperti ini.
1. Cerita-cerita yang berhubungan dengan bencana gempa dan nuklir.
2. Cerita-cerita yang berlatarkan Perang Dunia II, baik yang menyangkut keturunan Jepang di Amerika Utara maupun warga asing/blasteran di Jepang pada masa itu.
3. Cerita-cerita yang berhubungan dengan tradisi Jepang, termasuk yokai atau cerita hantu
4. Cerita-cerita dongeng
5. Cerita-cerita tentang pergulatan identitas remaja hasil perkawinan campur
6. Cerita-cerita tipikal teenlit shojou (dari sudut pandang cewek dengan tokoh pendamping cowok yang cool sekaligus bijaksana, semacam manic pixie dream boy?)
Tidak semua cerita berbentuk cerpen sebagaimana lazimnya (yang melulu teks dalam paragraf-paragraf padat), tapi ada juga yang berupa grafis serta puisi.
Cerita pada umumnya berlatar di Jepang, dengan tokohnya remaja asli Jepang, remaja hasil perkawinan campur (antara Jepang dan bangsa lain yang biasanya kulit putih), atau remaja asing (misalnya sedang mengikuti pertukaran pelajar). Cerita-cerita yang berlatar di luar Jepang, terutama Amerika Utara, biasanya memiliki tokoh keturunan Jepang.
Ketimbang cerita-cerita yang menunjukkan simpati terhadap korban bencana gempa dan nuklir, yang lebih mengemuka justru cerita-cerita tentang "penderitaan" warga asing atau blasteran atau sedikitnya pernah menghabiskan beberapa lama di luar negeri sebelum kembali ke Jepang. Mereka pada umumnya merasa terpencil dan kurang diterima oleh warga asli, di samping itu rata-rata bersekolah di sekolah internasional. Di Jepang tampaknya ada stigma tertentu terhadap warga asing serta haafu atau anak hasil dari perkawinan campur. Malah ayah tokoh dalam salah satu cerita di buku ini sampai putus hubungan dengan keluarganya di Jepang gara-gara menikahi wanita asing.
Dalam konteks Indonesia, saya bayangkan situasi terhadap mereka akan lain. Mereka justru akan dipandang tinggi, dielu-elukan, dan ditawari main sinetron. Mereka adalah warga kalangan menengah ke atas yang tidak relatable dengan kebanyakan warga Indonesia. Mungkin karena itulah, saya merasa kurang relate dengan kebanyakan cerita dalam buku ini. Dari ketujuh segmen, yang relatable buat saya paling-paling bagian "Talents and Curses". Dari 5 cerita dalam segmen itu, ada 3 di antaranya yang masuk dalam pilihan saya.
Selain itu, mungkin karena ditujukan bagi remaja, kebanyakan cerita dalam buku ini cenderung pada penyelesaian yang terlalu mudah bahkan berkesan gitu aja atau kurang memuaskan. Beberapa malah seperti sekadar awal dari cerita yang semestinya lebih panjang, sehingga menimbulkan kesan tanggung. Hanya sedikit cerita yang terasa utuh dengan penutup yang benar-benar makjleb, hingga menimbulkan gereget untuk menerjemahkannya ke dalam bahasa sendiri.
Kalau mesti memilih dari 36 cerita, hanya 8 yang bagi saya cukup memuaskan sampai sangat memuaskan.
September 16, 2012
Tomo is a charity anthology (in the wake of the recent tsunami) that brings together a wide range of voices writing about young people related to Japan in some way. Japanese, ex-pat, male, female, young, old, professional and amateur; the authors of this anthology represent a varied array of experiences with disasters, youth, and Japan.
Holly Thompson, whom I know from the fabulous children's book, "Wakame Gatherers" (which never fails to make me cry when I read it) edited the anthology.
It's well worth reading. There are "slice of life" stories along with stories of the fantastic, folktales. classics (Kenji Miyazawa), manga, and poetry.
You won't get bored.
The story opens with Andrew Fukuda's "Lost", about a girl awakening after a disaster who has lost her memory and must start over.
But it is the last stories of the anthology (in the section titled "Families and Connections") that resonated with me the most. (No surprise as I am married to a Tokyo boy and have two bicultural/biracial daughters forming their own identities in the US).
"The Law of Gravity" by Yuko Katakawa and translated by Deborah Iwabuchi features the voice of a young Japanese man, Kai, who is questioning the "perfect son" role he has played all his life for his parents; who all but ignore his little sister, Maika. It is Maika who ends up giving Kai a reason for continuing, and it is in their relationship that I find a bitter hope; parents can never really know the life of their children, but siblings can sometimes be the greatest support to eachother.
"Paper Lanterns" by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill uses the conceit of a dead friend who accompanies a haafu (biracial) girl to visit her grandparents in Japan to be the voice of the "clueless foreigner." The snarky voice of the dead friend clashing with the half-exasperated, half-embarassed voice of Mina as she explains funerary customs brings to light the complicated ways we deal with grief.
"I Hate Harajuku Girls" by Katrina Toshiko Grigg-Saito is a tale of another biracial girl, for the first time in Japan confronting in reality the place her beloved father had only shown her in tales. She attempts to come to terms with fer father's death by finding a certain shrine he loved, and instead confronts some stereotypes.
"Peace on Earth" features Taiga, a biracial son of an American mother and Japanese father living in Tokyo after the earthquake and tsunami. While the world around them begins to recover from disaster, Taiga's family also deals with upsets and differences. This story really hit home for me; especially the descriptions of the sacrifices each parent makes for the other's country, as well as the mundane things such as blueberry pancakes vs. Miso soup and rice for breakfast!
This Book's Snack Rating: a smorgasbord of voice, styles, and genres all flowing together into a thoughtful feast on youth, disaster, and Japan.
Holly Thompson, whom I know from the fabulous children's book, "Wakame Gatherers" (which never fails to make me cry when I read it) edited the anthology.
It's well worth reading. There are "slice of life" stories along with stories of the fantastic, folktales. classics (Kenji Miyazawa), manga, and poetry.
You won't get bored.
The story opens with Andrew Fukuda's "Lost", about a girl awakening after a disaster who has lost her memory and must start over.
But it is the last stories of the anthology (in the section titled "Families and Connections") that resonated with me the most. (No surprise as I am married to a Tokyo boy and have two bicultural/biracial daughters forming their own identities in the US).
"The Law of Gravity" by Yuko Katakawa and translated by Deborah Iwabuchi features the voice of a young Japanese man, Kai, who is questioning the "perfect son" role he has played all his life for his parents; who all but ignore his little sister, Maika. It is Maika who ends up giving Kai a reason for continuing, and it is in their relationship that I find a bitter hope; parents can never really know the life of their children, but siblings can sometimes be the greatest support to eachother.
"Paper Lanterns" by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill uses the conceit of a dead friend who accompanies a haafu (biracial) girl to visit her grandparents in Japan to be the voice of the "clueless foreigner." The snarky voice of the dead friend clashing with the half-exasperated, half-embarassed voice of Mina as she explains funerary customs brings to light the complicated ways we deal with grief.
"I Hate Harajuku Girls" by Katrina Toshiko Grigg-Saito is a tale of another biracial girl, for the first time in Japan confronting in reality the place her beloved father had only shown her in tales. She attempts to come to terms with fer father's death by finding a certain shrine he loved, and instead confronts some stereotypes.
"Peace on Earth" features Taiga, a biracial son of an American mother and Japanese father living in Tokyo after the earthquake and tsunami. While the world around them begins to recover from disaster, Taiga's family also deals with upsets and differences. This story really hit home for me; especially the descriptions of the sacrifices each parent makes for the other's country, as well as the mundane things such as blueberry pancakes vs. Miso soup and rice for breakfast!
This Book's Snack Rating: a smorgasbord of voice, styles, and genres all flowing together into a thoughtful feast on youth, disaster, and Japan.
October 17, 2013
I picked up this book because I thought it was an anthology about March 11, 2011 (earthquake and tsunami) written by foreign authors who had some stakes in Japan. But most of the stories were nothing to do with it, and there were quite a few about the WWII concentration camp and Pearl Harbour. It's not that I don't want to admit that Japan has done some wrong too, but it wasn't enjoyable reading the word "jap" over and over. Plus I think it's a book meant for Non-Japanese people to get a better understanding of Japan. I should have figured that out based on the fact that it's written in English. I think it's an okay book, but I didn't enjoy it very much.
February 7, 2017
An interesting set of short stories, poems (I skimmed these) and amateur comics along with a smattering of translated older works. While billed as a teen collection, they are mature enough to be enjoyed by anyone. I really liked some of the ghostly monster stories, many others are quite well done, especially considering most of the writers are new to print.
August 4, 2012
I've read a few stories, and so far I love it. I gave a copy to
a teacher to give to his family. His wife's sister lives in and was affected by the earthquake in Japan. Their daughter has read several stories, and her teacher has asked her to pick a couple of her favorites and class will read them. It is gread for middle school through adults. Check out the book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZyDrA...
a teacher to give to his family. His wife's sister lives in and was affected by the earthquake in Japan. Their daughter has read several stories, and her teacher has asked her to pick a couple of her favorites and class will read them. It is gread for middle school through adults. Check out the book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZyDrA...
June 3, 2012
I enjoyed this anthology very much. Written after the March 11, 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami it combines stories all tied in some way to Japan. Some dealt with the tragedy, others with WWII. The struggles of Japanese-Americans both in Japan and in the U.S. were explored in several stories. Ghosts, graphic stories, poetry--it's all here. A taste of Japanese flavor. I really want to visit Harajuku Station!
August 13, 2013
Having been to Japan recently, I loved reading all the references to the place I so enjoyed visiting. The essence of Japanese culture came through in the stories so strongly that it was hard to believe these stories were written by teens. Several of the stories will stay with me long after I have put this book down.
April 17, 2015
This collection of short stories and poems written and published to raise funds to benefit those affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan is wonderful! There is something for everyone in this book - ghost stories, romance, family stories, self-reflective journeys and more.
March 30, 2016
Interesting collection of short stories, all connected to Japan, both by Japanese authors (in translation) and ex-pats living in Japan. All proceeds from this book go to earthquake/tsunami relief efforts as well, which was inspiring to see.
October 22, 2019
Okay, I literally don’t care about finishing this book. I feel really bad about it but there are way too many other books I want to read and I feel like I’m just wasting my time reading this. Some of the stories were entertaining, some not. You can expect a full review from me soon!
February 29, 2012
can't wait to read it!!!!
Want to read
April 4, 2012a AWESOME Book about Friendship!
June 2, 2012
reserved! I can't wait to read it.
Read
November 17, 2014This is a collection of stories, most about the Sendai Earthquake in 2011, all about the Japanese or Japanese-American experience, many are works in translation.
September 30, 2015
nice book not outstanding but a nice book
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews