The Red Circle Minis Feature Modern Japanese Stories

I have a fondness for books set in Japan. Why do I love them? ­— I cannot say for sure. They make me feel warm, nostalgic (even though I have never been to Japan) and satisfied. This applies to all kinds of books, be it grief explored in Clarissa Goenwan’s Rainbirds or mystery by Keigo Higashino or the bizarreness of Haruki Murakami (my favourite being The Wind up Bird Chronicle). So it was such a pleasure when pocket sized Japanese stories from Red Circle Mini landed on my doorstep.

For starters, I loved that all the authors were new to me. I had no idea what to expect and boy! did they surprise me! I read two of them in the waiting room when my grandmom was having a regular check up at the hospital and one in the car (No, I wasn’t driving). These minis are perfect for those bursts of unexpected reading time you get.

Here are the first three titles in these editions:

1.Stand-in Companion by Kazufumi Shiraishi; translated by Raj Mahtani

Stand-in Companion was a total surprise. It is packed with twists at every chapter. A couple, Hayato and Yutori, struggle with marriage and childlessness. When they fall apart, a Stand-in Companion, a programmed android who has the memories of the partner, is issued (there is quite a bit of paper work to get an approval, mind you) for ten years to help ease into the heart break. There are not only companions available, but stand-in children and parents as well; all relationships that may depart in the course of life.

When I finished the book, I knew I wanted more. I wish this was expanded into a whole length novel. More than a sci-fic story, Stand-in Companion explores the emotional attachment and rights of androids employed to help humans. What happens when the ten year contract expires and the android stops functioning (the signal will be induced when the couple sleep, but isn’t that still scary?)? What happens if the human partner dies leaving the android a widow/widower? There is a whole set of rules to apply for another android ‘Stand-in companion’. It was more of a literary sci fic read, and very entertaining. This is Raj Mahtani’s last translation and is published posthumously.

2.Backlight by Kanji Hanawa; translated by Richard Nathan

Backlight was the first book I picked from the three Minis. It is different in tone compared to the other two, more intense and absorbing. The story is based on a real life incident where a child was abandoned in the forest by his parents as punishment.

In Backlight, two psychologists who are invited as consultants to study the boy’s case debate on the emotional trauma of being sent away. Into this discourse spills ideas of what it means to be Japanese, environmental changes and old European myths and fairytales of children abandoned in forests. It was powerful, short and gripping, and quite ‘new’ from what I’ve previously read in Japanese fiction. Hanawa is a writer to watch out for, he knows how to punch you hard with quiet prose.

 
Read : New Japanese stories about a spoilt lord and a dystopian world ravaged by capitalism
 

3.Tokyo Performance by Roger Pulvers

A chef chats away on a live TV show, and his personal tragedies and insecurities leak into the cooking monologue. I really enjoyed this book. The chef and host, Norimasa Inomata has not been able to accept his divorce gracefully. He has regrets; he has an ego. He exposes his vulnerabilities and toxic masculinity on his live TV show. The prep instructions for the dish are generously interjected with his personal tid-bits. A paragraph would look something like this — “I’ll peel the aubergines for you while I talk… she (wife), I mean always reads books to the kids at bed time, after all I was too busy making a name for myself in the weekly magazines… and make sure you slice up your aubergines right away after peeling them and sprinkle salt on them to degorge them otherwise they’re bitter…and, you know, I had to stay up late because you don’t build a popular career overnight, but we always made up in the morning,… and there you have it, four beautifully sliced Kamigamo aubergines, sitting in salt, waiting for the excess harsh liquid to be drawn out of them.”
 

As we read, we have absolutely no idea what kind of a man Inomata is. We are introduced to his perspective only, a mix of disconnected talk, whining and urging his ex wife to call him on the live show. But we connect to his character and listen to him in solidarity. If you ask me, this book reads like a transcript of the TV show, leaving ample room for the reader to form their own opinions. The best part was the abrupt end that made me go ‘Wait, tell me more. What happens?’
I was thrilled to get acquainted with contemporary writers from Japan. Each book was different from the other, so it is safe to assume that the future titles would also fascinate and intrigue the reader. I want to pick a favourite among the three, but I am at a loss. I loved Stand-in Companion for the emotional aspect of an android heavy world, Backlight for the psychological dissections and Tokyo Performance for the way it seemed like an actual TV show. In short, they are a cry to modern lives; about relationships, abuse of power and letting go.

A word about the design of the Minis ­­— they are as elegant as they look. Minimal, pocket sized and short (These are perfect for lunch break reading as they are less than 50 pages). I liked the description of the cover design process and the names of colours used (torinoko-iro, haiume, minatonezumi). The mark on the cover incorporates the Japanese character for bean, which covers all things miniature and adorable. In short, great design and great fiction juxtapose in the Red Circle Minis.

 
Three short reads from the finest contemporary writers of Japan — androids as companions, a psychological novel and a live cooking show that gets a bit too personal Click To Tweet  

Disclaimer : Much thanks to Red Circle Minis for sending me these titles. All opinions are my own.

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