Lost and Found

こんにちは！

Around 2006, I was teaching English to a wonderful, studious, and generous Japanese man living in Beijing. One day, he gave me a copy of a book--translated into English--from a famous Japanese writer. I loved the book, and it hold a place of high esteem, in my opinion, with the likes of Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude. Fantastical Realism is by far my favorite genre. The Latin American writers have made an artform of this genre, but the Japanese seem to have embodied it in their literary canon as well as their pop culture (i.e., manga & anime).

Today, I rediscovered that author. The book is The Sailor Who Fell Out Of Grace With The Sea (ごごのえいこう --午後の曳航) by Yukio Mishima (三島 由紀夫). It has been many years since I have read it, but it captured my imagination. 

I just wanted to take a moment to praise this novel, as well as the works of other famous Japanese authors, like Banana Yoshimoto (よしもと ばなな) and Hakuri Murakami (村上 春樹). Please take a moment to look into Japanese literature if you are interested in seeing whole new words open before your eyes.

Also (!) please feel free to leave comments about your favorite Japanese writers, poets, and playwrights. And, as always,...

さよなら！