The Seniors at our school are gearing up to host a Japanese-themed Carnival next Saturday and as their supervisor I’ve been finding myself thinking ALL about Japan. So I thought, why not fully embrace Japan on the brain and also do a Japanese-themed Brainstorm this week? I’ve narrowed things down to books by Japanese authors or authors of Japanese descent that highlight what life in Japan is or was like. To help myself further narrow down the list I reserved all the manga to share next week. Click on the titles to see my full review of each book including any content notes/trigger warnings.
The British Museum Haiku edited by David Cobb
The British Museum has compiled a selection of haiku by renowned Japanese poets both ancient and modern, organized them by their seasonal setting (which is traditional for haiku according to the intro), and paired them with Japanese artwork. The result was a very artistically pleasing little book. Whoever paired the poems and artwork did a fantastic job; they complemented each other exceptionally well.
Target Readers:
Poetry Fans, Works in Translation Fans, Art Lovers, Seasons Celebrators, Adult Readers (though approachable to Middle Grade & YA Readers)
Drawing from Memory by Allen Say
Picture book author and illustrator Allen Say illustrates an autobiography describing his childhood in Japan and path to becoming an artist. There’s a sequel that talks about his move to America as an older teen.
An eye-opening look at what life was like for Say as a child. The way he was tutored by a popular Japanese cartoonist was fascinating. The book looks like a picture book, but the layout is often more graphic novel-like and blends real photographs with illustrations.
Target Readers:
Autobiography Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Art Lovers, Japanese Culture Studiers, Japanese History Buffs, Nonfiction Fans, Upper Middle Grade/Young Adult Readers
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snyder
An aging math professor with brain trauma-induced memory issues and a housekeeper and her son are forever changed when an agency pairs the housekeeper to work for the professor.
A sweet story of the healing and blessings friendship can bring.
Target Readers:
Contemporary Fiction Fans, Translated Fiction Fans, Feel Good Story Fans, Math Lovers, Intergenerational Friendship Story Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA and even high reading Middle Grade readers)
I Really Want to See You, Grandma by Taro Gomi
Yumi really wants to see Grandma. Grandma really wants to see Yumi. But what happens when they both leave to go visit the other at the same time? Will Grandma and Yumi ever meet?
This had a good touch of humor and also featured a variety of transportation methods for kids who love things that go. This was originally written in 1979 in Japanese so kids get a look at what things were like pre-cell phones.
Target Readers:
Humor Fans, Things That Go Fans, Grandma/Granddaughter Story Fans, Translated Fiction Fans, Picture Book Readers
The Last Cherry Blossom by Kathleen Burkinshaw
Yuriko is a well-off girl in Hiroshima during WWII. Her father runs the newspaper. She lives with him and her aunt and younger cousin, both of whom she can only tolerate. Her best friend lives just down the street, and they like to listen to jazz secretly together. As 1945 draws closer, a lot of changes are on the way for Yuriko as her father remarries, a deep family secret comes out, and 1945 itself will change all of their lives forever when the bombs fall.
This is biographical fiction heavily based on the author's mother's childhood. The book does a fabulous job of bringing to life what life was like for an average, upper-middle class Japanese girl during WWII.
Target Readers:
WWII Story Readers, Historical Fiction Fans, Biographical Fiction Fans, Survival Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers
The Mystery of the Masked Medalist (Kudo Kids, #1) by Maia & Alex Shibutani with Michelle Shusterman
Andy and Mika are super excited to be traveling to the summer olympics in Tokyo with their parents. Their mom is covering events for a sports website, and their dad is a food writer who will be doing a little work too while they are there. Andy and Mika have plans to play an online game that introduces players to various parts of Tokyo while they try to figure out who the former Olympian designer of the game is to win the chance to be beta testers for the Olympian's future video games. Andy and Mika are playing in a team with two friends in California. Andy and Mika will play live, while their friends play in VR. All of them are very motivated to win, but someone is sabotaging the game and stealing clues. Can Andy and Mika figure out who it is and unmask the Masked Medalist? And what is going on with Mika when she isn't playing Masked Medalist?
This is a good mix of tour of Tokyo, description of being at live Olympic events, and a competition mystery.
Target Readers:
Mystery Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Olympics Fans, Travel Story Fans, Sibling Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers
Newcomer (Detective Kaga, #2) by Keigo Higashino, translated by Giles Murray
A woman has been murdered and the unassuming Detective Kaga is on the case. But this story is told from the perspective of the people who are interviewed over the course of the investigation. Each of them has little secrets or mysteries that they each have. And one of them is a murderer. Through the points of view of all this disparate people, the course of the investigation slowly comes to light to the reader, and eventually the case is solved.
Hands down one of the most unique and cleverly written murder mysteries I’ve ever read! Don’t worry about jumping into this series at #2, you don’t have to read #1 to understand what is going on.
Target Readers:
Mystery Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Translated Fiction Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to Young Adult)
The Sakura Obsession: The Incredible Story of the Plant Hunter Who Saved Japan's Cherry Blossoms by Naoko Abe
This is both the history of Japan's relationship with cherry blossoms and how it evolved over time (and continues to evolve), and the biography of Collingwood Ingram, a man who in collecting as many varieties of flower cherry trees as he could and talking about them, managed to save several varieties from extinction and encouraged the planting of flowering cherries over several nations.
You would think a book on trees and a man who liked collecting them would have a high probability of being dry as dirt (or bark as it would be), but this was an absolutely fascinating read. Naoko Abe shares that she originally wrote a shorter version of this in Japanese and was asked numerous times to translate it. In order to do so she realized she'd need to explain parts of Japanese culture and history to the English speaking world, so she expanded it for a non-Japanese audience and this is the result. And it is absolutely fascinating.
Target Readers:
Biography Fans, Japanese History Fans, Japanese Culture Studiers, British History Fans, Cherry Blossom Lovers, Botany Enthusiasts, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA Readers)
The Star Festival by Moni Ritchie Hadley, ill. by Mizuho Fujisawa
Keiko, her mama, and her Obaasan are getting ready for Tanabata Matsuri, aka Star Festival, in Japan. The dress up in their special summer kimonos and Oba relates the folklore behind the festival to Keiko. They then tie their wishes to the bamboo outside, and go to the festival to enjoy special foods. But when Oba disappears, Keiko recreates events in the folklore to find her grandmother.
This is a cute story of 3 generations celebrating a festival together with illustrations that are absolutely stunning.
Target Readers:
Japan Festival Explorers, Japanese Culture Studiers, Art Lovers, Grandmother/Granddaughter Story Fans, Japanese Folklore Fans, Picture Book Readers
While I Was Away by Waka T. Brown
When Waka was finishing up 6th grade, she ignored her mom asking in Japanese for her to help fold laundry. Her mom decided her Japanese must be suffering horribly from life in the US, and so she sets up for Waka to go to public school in Japan for 5 months from the end of 6th grade into her 7th grade year. Waka is horrified. She's going to have to live with her strict grandmother who even adults in the family avoid. She's sure she is going to be horribly behind in reading and writing, and she's afraid she won't have any friends. But as the months progress, Waka finds happy surprises in store, and much to learn from her time in Japan.
An honest memoir of an immigrant kid trying to navigate the tightrope walk between cultures. It is at times bittersweet, but relatable to any expat or immigrant.
Target Readers:
Memoir Fans, Cross-Culture Experience Story Fans, Immigrant Experience Story Fans, Japan History Studiers, Japanese Culture Studiers, Third Culture Kid Story Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Middle Grade & YA Readers
