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Read Real

Short Stories bụ Contemporaru Writers

a narrated BY Reiko Matsunaga

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Starting from the back of the

~_-tunningin the opposite directio

JAPANESE-ENGLISH DICTIONARY

NOTES

Note from the publisher Ail Japanese names are given in the Japanese order, sur- name first (except on the jacket, title page, copyright page, and CD)

Photo Credits: Copyright @ Bungei Shunja, pp 15, 39, 49, 107 Copy-

right © Thomas Karsten, p 139 Photo on p 73 courtesy of Banana

Yoshimoto

CD narration by arrangement of PSC Produce & Management Re- cording and editing by The English Language Education Council inc

Dictionary, pp 3-48 (starting from the back of the book), compiled

Distributed in the United States by Kodansha America Inc and in the United Kingdom and continental Europe by Kadansha Europe Ltd

Published bụ Kodansha International Ltd., 17~14 Otowa 1-chome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8652, and Kodansha America Inc

“Mukashi yuhi no kaen de” (pp 40-47] copyright @ 2006 by Otsuichi

“Nikuya Omu” (pp 50-71) copyright @ 2005 by Shinji Ishii

First edition, 2008

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Read real Japanese fiction : short stories by contemporary writers / edited by Michael Emmerich ; narrated by Reiko Matsunaga

2007052677

www.kodansha-intl.com

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PREFACE

The phrase “best-kept secret” gets on my nerves, in part because I usually

turn first to the restaurant reviews when the newspaper parachutes through

our mail slot, and this overdone expression seems to crop up in every third review Sometimes, though, you simply have no choice but to use it Take, for instance, the Japanese language You've heard rumors, no doubt, that Japanese is an extremely difficult language for English speakers to master

Impossible, even! Well, rest assured, fellow student-—those rumors are false

One of the best-kept secrets around, really and truly, is that Japanese is not actually all that hard

Learning a language, I would suggest, is like jumping on a train without having any idea where it’s headed, and staying aboard until you get there—

wherever “there” is Trips of this sort can be a bit unnerving, sure, and with

Japanese you have to travel a long way before the scenery starts to change,

and it can get kind of boring just sitting there, staring blankly at your flashcards That’s the rub, really—it’s not that the language is hard, per se, you

just have to take your time getting into it, and that’s true of any language

Japanese grammar is much simpler than that of German or French or,

say, Punjabi, with its array of nominative, genitive, accusative-dative, instru- mental, ablative, locative, and vocative cases—one for every day of the week

And you know those “three writing systems” you hear so much about? That,

as our Russian friends say, is a bunch of hooey Japanese is so wonderfully fun and rich precisely because it mixes three scripts—kanji, hiragana, and

katakana, the second two of which can be learned, in a pinch, over a long

weekend—into a single, very versatile writing system It takes a while to learn the 1945 kanji identified by the Japanese government as appropriate

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Of course, I don’t expect you to take my word for it I hope you won't—

this book is only meant to tide you over until you reach the stage where

you can saunter casually into a Japanese bookstore, scan the table of new

releases, and pick out a book that looks like just the thing you're in the mood for And, of course, until you have a versatile enough vocabulary and

a subtle enough sense of recent trends in Japanese book design that you actually do end up with what you want, rather than something that looks eerily similar to what you want but turns out to be a recently retranslated philosophical novel about vomit or some such thing

That said, I hope you will take my word for it, as you stand at the begin-

ning of what may well be a rather extended commitment of energy and imagination, when I say that the stories in this book are all very, very good

I hope, too, that you will trust me when I tell you that it will be best not to

believe is a good sequence, in an order that makes sense, like a well-planned meal Which reminds me—I ought to explain each of the courses

Soup Course

“Kamisama” by Kawakami Hiromi This is the perfect starter Refreshingly light and fairly easy to read, the prose has a delightful, humorous quirkiness to it that matches to a T the wackiness of the plot—not that there’s much of a plot “Kamisama” is what you might call an “idea” piece And the idea is great! You'll find, I’m sure, that it offers an utterly enjoyable introduction to a few different varieties

of language—notably the polite, even ceremonious speech of the bear (it’s wacky, I told you!) and the written de aru style There aren't too many Kanji, and the grammar you'll learn is usefully basic in the sense that it will give you a good foundation to build upon as you go on and read the

rest of the stories

Appetizer

“Mukashi yũhi no koen de” by Otsuichi

A glance at Otsuichi’s photograph tells you that he’s going to be confident and bold, and that’s precisely what he is in this story “Mukashi yihi no köen de” complements the charmingly desultory, warm-and-fuzzy atmos- phere of “Kamisama” very nicely with its cool, dry, perfectly in-control but

irritating spellings in order to become even moderately competent as a

spellor—or rather, speller

So you see, Japanese isn’t an impossibly hard language The problem stems from the fact that it just takes so much time to travel from here to there, the train ride gets old fast, we start to hate our flashcards, if only there were some fun way to while away the hours, a book to read, perhaps and that's where Read Real Japanese enters the picture The book you are holding in your hand right now is designed to be the perfect reading material for you on the linguistic trip you're taking: to help you have more fun getting where you're going, and to help you get there faster

» ,

THE STORIES

The six stories in this collection are all amazing I spent months putting together a list of candidates for inclusion, then mulling over the titles, try- ing to whittle the list down The stories are also totally contemporary: only one, Kawakami Hiromi’s “Kamisama,” was first collected in a book prior

to 2000; half of them were published between 2005 and 2008 And the

authors, who write in all sorts of different literary genres—from horror to fantasy to mystery to avant-garde experimental fiction to children’s stories to well, “literary fiction,” whatever that is—are all major figures, mas- ters of their craft, writers who will leave you wanting to read more They shouldn't be seen, though, as representative of Japanese fiction being writ-

ten today, because there are just too many incredible writers producing

unique, powerful works for any six figures to represent them all; despite their great stature, this magnificent six could have been augmented by any number of other writers, had the need for concision been less press- ing The dozens of stories and authors I had to cut from my original list were as fun and exciting as the ones you're about to read Contemporary Japanese literature is, as you'll see, extremely good

PREFACE 8

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there are more kanji, the vocabulary is more advanced (“Mukashi yũhi no köen de” is about an elementary school student, while the narrator of this story is in college), and you'll encounter a greater number of culturally spe-

cific references “Hyakumonogatari” will also give you an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the different styles of speech that men and women often use in fiction—and, to an extent, depending on the age of the men

and women in question, in real life You'll find, too, that it illustrates beautifully what a good writer can do with a language that doesn't require that the subject of a sentence be explicitly stated

Dessert

—

“Kakeru” by Tawada Yöko And finally—a delicious little taste, just a mouthful, of an incredibly rich, dizzyingly, dazzlingly mixed-up story “Kakeru” is pure linguistic play Per- haps you could compare it to a flourless chocolate cake, except that instead

of omitting the flour, Tawada Yoko leaves out the plot Completely Wow

It might sound difficult, but it’s not—this story was made for the language student It was made for you

THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK

If the stories have been arranged like a six-course dinner, the book as a whole has, more or less, the structure of a three-ring circus In the main ring are the stories; in ring two, notes to the stories and a full-fledged dic-

tionary containing every word that appears in the six texts, with the excep-

tion of certain particles and proper nouns; and in ring three, a CD with a recording of each of the stories, beautifully read by the actress Matsunaga

As the title indicates, the whole idea behind Read Real Japanese is to give students of the language a chance to enjoy (yes, enjoy!) reading some real Japanese literature So we've done everything we can to keep the stories

as they were: not only are they presented in their full glory, unabridged and unedited—though Tawada Yoko kindly gave us permission to print a

special, concentrated rewriting of “Kakeru” that she uses when she gives

live readings—they have also been printed vertically, right to left, laid out just as they were in the Japanese books in which they were first collected

©

@

nonetheless gripping take on horror—if that’s the word Perhaps it isn’t

There are no blood and guts, after all, just suspense Impressively strong suspense that lasts right to the last line The writing is sharp, simple, and focused; the kanji are quite manageable; and the vocabulary is everyday

Fish Course

oe

“Nikuya Omu” by Ishii Shinji

It seems a bit odd to have a story about a butcher for the fish course, but that's what we've got tonight—and I think you'll enjoy it This piece, which echoes the playfulness of “Kamisama,” is a good deal more plot-driven A whole lot happens in its eleven pages “Nikuya Omu” may be a little more demanding than “Kamisama,” too: the author, Ishii Shinji, uses some not- so-common words, tosses in a few more new styles of speech for us to get used to, and spices up his text with a sprinkling of kanji that you may not have learned I think you'll discover, though, that learning kanji by reading a story like this is a lot more fun than simply pouring over flashcards

Meat Course Tan

“Miira” by Yoshimoto Banana Come to think of it, it's even odder—in fact it’s beyond odd, it’s even a tad gross—to have a story about a man who makes mummies for the meat course But “Miira” has all the punch of a good steak (Or perhaps, if you're

a vegetarian, of a really, really good tomato.) Yoshimoto Banana’s writing

is harder than most experienced readers think, but it’s worth making the

effort to figure her sentences out She uses Japanese in a way that few other

writers do, skillfully melding the poetic and the colloquial, precise descrip- tion and unspoken implication, the ordinary and the lovely and the pain- ful and the profound, and doing it all in a way that looks (but isn't) almost unplanned Her writing has its own, very particular flavor Take your time with this story, savoring its challenges

Cheese Course aren

“Hyakumonogatari” by Kitamura Kaoru This story has something of the flavor of “Mukashi yahi no kéen de”: it’s suspenseful and even a bit scary The language is more challenging, though:

PREFACE 10

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This is a good way to solidify your grasp on new words, and to train yourself to say new things, in a new accent and intonation

I started out with a train ride and ended up talking about training Either

way, learning a new language is one of the most exciting intellectual ang

cultural activities a person can undertake, and the moment when she begins

to read in that new language is one of the most thrilling in the whole long, frustrating, rewarding, mind-bending, eye-opening, and, of course, practi-

cally useful process I hope this book helps you get wherever you're going

with Japanese faster, and with a good deal more pleasure than you would have without it

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to extend my warmest thanks to the people who, in various ways, indirectly or directly, made this book possible: All my Japanese teach- ers, but especially Makino Seiichi, Mizumoto Terumi, and Uemiya Mariko;

It6 Kiyo, the most wonderful host mother imaginable; and Michael Staley, whose editorial astuteness and savvy made this book not only possible but real and useful and, I hope you will agree, exciting

The paragraph numbers will help you locate the tentative translations I offer, on the pages facing the texts, of potentially puzzling phrases; they will also guide you to the notes at the end of the book, which cover everything from grammatical patterns and the deep shades of meaning cast on sentences by seemingly insignificant particles, to the explanation of ges- tures and other bits of cultural background I’ve done my best to keep the

notes from becoming too mind-numbingly dry, and tried to strike a bal- ance between reinforcement and repetitiveness Most of the translations I

give are for phrases rather than words, since you can look up individual

words (using the convenient furigana readings!) in the dictionary at the

end of the book, and because meaning is a product of context, and generally inheres in phrases and sentences, not words You will notice, too, that

the translations don't necessarily correspond in a “literal” one-to-one fash-

ion to the Japanese phrases they translate, the way the English definitions

in the dictionary correspond to the Japanese words they define The trans-

lations are, ultimately, meant as samples: you will, I hope, come up with even better translations of your own

On to the dictionary and the CD Like any dictionary, the one you have here comprises a list of words in dictionary form In order to use it, you need to be able to derive this dictionary form from the conjugated form that appears in the text; when this seems likely to pose a problem, I give the game away in the notes Generally speaking, Id recommend that you limit your use of the dictionary—steer clear of becoming a dictionary addict This book is called Read Real Japanese, after all, not Look Up Real Japanese In the Dictionary The CD, on the other hand, is something you

‘will want to listen to repeatedly Try listening to each story before you read

it to see how much of it you can catch The stories were read at a natural speed, so they will seem fast at first Then, once you have taken your time reading through a given story, getting comfortable with it, go back and listen to the CD again, following along in the text with your finger—or, if you prefer, without your finger If you can keep up, you're well on your way to becoming a fluent reader Finally, listen to the CD once more and try to repeat after the narrator—shadowing her voice, as it were—doing your best to learn as much as you can from her pronunciation and enunciation

PREFACE 12

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ome authors never let you down In my experience, Kawakami Hiromi is one of these: I’ve enjoyed every one of her books, from her first collection of stories to her most recent novel _

As it happens, the story you are about to read, “Kamisama”—“Gad”

would be a decent translation, though you might be able to come up

1994, took the prize, and had the pleasure of seeing

it published in GO Japan When the collection finally came out from the publishing house Chddkéron-

Shinsha in 1998, it was awarded both the Murasaki

Shikibu Prize and the Bunkamura Deux Magots Lit- erary Prize And Kawakami has only gotten better since she started She won the prestigious Akuta-

il £ 3h

gawa Prize in 1996 for the story “Hebi o fumu” (‘To

Tread on a Snake”) and the Tanizaki Jun’ichiré Prize

for her novel Sensei no kaban [The Teacher's Brief- case} Either of these two works would be.a good place to start reading more If you're feeling ambi- tious, the 2006 novel Manazuru (the title is the name of a town about

an hour from Tokyo by train) is a quiet, gorgeous masterpiece

Kawakami was born in Tokyo on April Fool’s Day, 1958 At the time

of writing, then, she is likely ta have eaten about 54,364 meais in her

lifetime—give or take a few Judging from her fiction, she has probably savored just about every one Kawakami is an unmistakable “foodie,”

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of the talk we had when I accepted my soba ™ (EtM7:LEIE the

i in the hot season " C5LT in this way ®§ FAECHOTHCOI COE a e z & Ð n e $

we set out on a hike, rather than a walk " 3` L†t 2v perhaps fF b #4 © ds BRS ix Ke ce 2| SEI, BORFLEC EC E*SETHKA the bear was a mature : 2 z 2 5 LÍ me HEL Hie

tom that now seldom plays a part ina move " 5/@&L##X (see note & #5 Y L 2 sa »

expect # 44° in various ways ®§ EDYICMTARRAUELO -_ a BỊ Ð kc

bear and I © H#BAROMAL WI DIF CEEVCE that we were not = VÀ

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19

*L#ÑR7z<# noticing the nameplate on the door, the bear

©L*® €lÄ you wouldrt, by any chance, happen to be ‡ m 3M

OTHE a native of such-and-such a town

tS he asked ™ HEAIC indeed lam "§ ¢#ASE when I re

plied = DARTS EMA Taek ROKR AORMREWIA a person

who was, evidently, the uncle of a certain someone who had given the

bear a lot of assistance ©" MORMBBIKCHoktV4 had served at town hall as deputy mayor, he said " #@Jf#Ø# this deputy

mayor's family name ®* DELOEMEMUTHY) was the same as mine, and = 72¢2TA4E when you trace your way back » /3%

=247:4 be one and the same as § HSPRLPDAPSMALI_M

2°) CH 42s it was an almost nonexistent relationship, and yet =

72\3€4 considerably = RRBERIT I< looking deeply moved = [RJ + WIE4GHBO RRL ELT making liberal use of words of the

“ønishi” variety M v25 È3Ñ~Š7?> wenton © EF SLV judg-

ing from appearances, [the bear] seemed to be " 7|š#LØ‡#‡#Ø‡t

FEW, COMED FHEvVavs the fashion in which he introduced himself to his new neighbors, the way in which he spoke =§ FAG

€# an old-fashioned type of bear BROLIRNALYAYHOLARCE something between a walk and a

hike =» BPMliUstHL< &V»MT I don't know much about animals, so

Malay bear ®§ H¢MJ*o THIS asking him right to his face = EALCHSABTS I had a feeling it would be rude #§ GALI THILVsvsO™-» how should I address him? = CHHILTAKOTC

& 2 I tried asking but 8 #124 #23‡—pEbv>všxz *###R#ˆU

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+Ø@k>52 for the time being § 4idH) EAL I have no name,

and moreover ® ML2< EAV2%ZVO* 4 if] really am the only bear |

= 44% in the future, as well § BEGOSLEREVDI CH

that means there's no need to introduce myself by name, doesn’t it? m

MUI OBERL UTS BA, MHA CT 1 like the word anata as a

form of address " 22% yes, that’s right " RFORA anata written

could have the kanji rather than the hiragana in mind, but =» #4, &

FSO RAIMTL COBROUK SV it’s not a big deal, feel free to address me however you like

LEDER CHS was his answer § £4 HPL" it does indeed appear

that = DK < ¥CHS he is a somewhat antiquated bear = kR{tz32\z#8ÑM#lf not only is he antiquated, he also has a

taste for logic * &&7 I concluded that

WERE COWIE the road to the river * KHICMOTWS ran along the edge of some rice paddies = #32 S%17238 T the road was paved, and = 3#!) from time to time " 28384 a car would pass by 8 È°

DE every car (lit., “no matter which car it was”) 8 2/2L/*5Ø%

BIC a little before they reached us 8 4—F#i#f©L would slow

swerving way out to avoid us 8 3‡tb2‡3) A l‡£v* no one passed

by, going in the other direction # 7zv*^ẢšŠV* it was sweltering

paddies, either 8 (EDEMTATTVEEHE, PT HELLY

*Èv3 # the faint scrape of the bear's feet treading the asphalt = #24]

1ELS<3#< sounded regularly 84#%\v*? arertyou hot?

EEC TAT TV OWA & when I walk on asphalt for a long time

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| 14, 33#<4/zv*4»b, K3 it’s not that far, though, so Pll be okay = =

DB< 728 0TH 9244 thank you for your concern

i 15; #€'7CH5 he continued # S5lctd then H ở? ì tà š 34 ©O —¬ —

ing me every consideration § D7:LIZHFEDROTWRKL I was z % rs l b -¿ 8 x 3

self » —AkL7:4°>72 wanted to take a break "5 LILS< ME CE ệ 5 ` « Ike 2 z đổ: ` i"

72 we walked on for a while without speaking 8 b» 3 # “ <2 § ờ

bank © #729890 L720 LTS were swimming and fishing and n ° % c a P * °

so on *# fÿ#Jj# 2L I set down my bags and " FFVCFERC > > l} CT? IỀ 1e: ARS L k ht

72 wiped away my sweat with a towel #§ GEMLTPLHEAWCWS : o tC Tre fc $ L 1d 2+ RẺ

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19 €3#Z#$Ÿ+ it’s a bear!

Be oR), #0 2177220 LTW 722% was pulling the bear's fur and kicking him and so on, but then = RfRlc [V'-Y F] LM AS

finally he yelled “Punch!” and " < £O{%0H72 1c in the vicinity of

the bear’s stomach © TERLEROT THO, HoCTotTLEs? after

hitting him with his fist, he ran off "§ S5S5¢#%i89 wandered

25| ARR EHL hey, hey, it’s a bear! is 3 đãi $ ° â I = + x $

t

26: TRIE|23> several times 8 ‡t2Ÿ this back-and-forth ™ #0 KSN7- was — ® 3 < ¢ — ? ‡* š `

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32) £385 with that = AV CMNORSABVCHOTLE SF he hur 4 eB BB CP DB *z Mem ried off toward the edge of the river a — 2 i 3 3 f đc ° 2 5

33) “hS 2 HHV-A small, thin fish = TVTVPKVY CWS were effortlessly « 0 IR FRE Ui» sy 2s pat và $

the sides of a long, narrow rectangle " COMA HOMEY ZO, men mF i it ° và 9

3 that rectangle must be the fishes territory ® 2È without moy- _ A I UE ° ~ Kk GC FG

ing ®§ <EDAICSKOMSAMECMUICRATHSD CHAI H did +» # $ KD Jie

Bx Sok KiC<C G+ he quickly thrust his right hand into the wa- & iS li % b pn và lđ

long, slender fish swimming along the bank " =f#l‡#) 3Ø Ễ WM fv A th Mã iz > zt

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started moving — Ba bm mC F eFC CUBR

" ROOM the fish's fins » MSIF TC in the sunlight = &5%23% A fv ff Blom & 45 WA > & b&b š

& glittered § CHSeIHS LCM MALTS were pointing in oy; L b5 3 25 *z 3 & ER Ã 0 direction, talking about something " < Xlia-720 R57 the bear Pie lik FC < b5 ®# ` L È # L ¢

39] SLHITELLY this is for you 8 4H@Ñ8&\7 as a memento of this Pe © West HRW 1 ° 5 L 56 #8

the bag hed brought with him " RUMLZAID DAD PD DIk from PR 7ô 3 2 7 ° & He & H *

a small knife and a chopping board emerged é #šHll*+ƒ 7### Fé J & Kk & EF Bok T 3` 2

T making dexterous use of his knife = #fA< & when he had cut ] 2 & ^ ik dike iz 2 — ff š `

317 the bear sprinkled on with a few shakes, and 8 JKt:3@ Fy b & ` + t} ct 2Ÿ

\*#L#£ iv*?- set it down on some leaves that he had spread out Po SP vw BS 4 k& và @

42| {2° { XT everything, from start to finish 8 ƒfšjRv*⁄: attentive Ẫ Š ổ = * ˆ k iB z 5 (2 :

to detail D ¢ Chm @ HR & iF H

he had made = #TLAQ OBGTU an onigiri (rice ball) with umeboshi ik 5 ° = mm 5 6 3

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distance away 8 #ñ|2 <3XLIZffš he went off to flip = yk Pp > AN 8 > š `

4È when he had finished drying them " ‡#27zL\*#‡#L?: handed 1a Sứ? A Tt zB Hh iz

use this #§ HILTONN\A LH LOLEKWCAETF I'm going to take a lit- Fil ‘ ek š # te b

RZOAL PHT VV by now only a few people remained F 2 : n H : ?

Jr

Osa

SUN USES SICOHRCE]

ANS LASER

CH

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## l0 tHU *2Ÿb while taking out the key

‡#£+*2+32Ø82#&f#7Z=v›b@*€Œ3 #1 certainly hope we'll hak

#i2"C waving his hand energetically back and forth

ÈA€È #v` not at all

Clad well then

tUbKAILTFSE I said, and was just making to leave when

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KOBRE HOTS EEMLITSA I looked up at the bear, wait

for him to go on, but * SUSULTHoTWS he remained sileni

fidgeting " W&@2J§'€ in the back of his throat 8 [2JLJLỊ Èv3

+f#7<C#2ŸÐ making a sound along the lines of “ururu” «

WLEDICLTWS he was looking bashful " 3š#šZF#\=t+ whe

he talked using words » AMER URBPIEEO CH SM he used hi voice the same way humans do, but * BHICh5>eWH SH pp Rw

soon " $#‡#£34O3ÄZ## the vocalization proper to bears

PLVALH NSE EORBOB BLOTS this is the custom in m

hometown when two people who are close to each other Say good- bye © &L ERASE E4ZAWUO CHAS of course, it’s quite all right

if you don't want to

PL ISAAILE I assented

€#t‡— ft H2 È the bear took a step forward and = Hex

<J&VF spread his arms wide 8 OMX b72 LOBIEDL wrapped

those arms around my shoulders ® Med LOMICCO HH)?

rubbed his cheek against mine " < D4v.AST4 he smelled like a bear = /2x}O38 his other cheek = fall’ K31C in the same way ® 4

2—# once again = BUICAeANTHRLOBEHMVZ he hugged

my shoulders, putting a lot of strength into his arms ® Boz knye

£OM(LG 72207: the bear’s body was colder than I expected

GFAIRIEAL FIRLA oF CF I really had a wonderful time today BOC NHATLTROTAKLIGRHECT I feel as if I’ve traveled

somewhere very far, and then come back home again = JED MRO

BEARDSELOLICSMYOIEXETIKIIC may the blessings of the

bear god rain down upon you, too # HAXVSHEXAMS doesnt keep very long, so

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BEIM ROCRE BES, BUEICAY, IRORICDLA RE BVA: [ wẹn

back into my apartment and grilled the fish, had a bath, and wrot

a bit in my diary before going to bed " FROMLIZEO LI GQOW HURL TH 222 I tried to imagine what the bear god might be like, *

but 8 R12*22>*#2*57°? I hadnt the sliphtest idea m đš<#Uà—R 5

72% it wasn’t a bad day

a Kh 3

2 HD -@

7p HR và 2> 4 &

o A &

° %»# 2z L 3

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n 1996, when he was only seventeen and still in high School,

Otsuichi was awarded the Jump Prize for Novels and Nonfiction

a work of horror, narrated from the perspective of a corpse, titled

Natsu to hanabi to watashi no shitai (Summer, Fireworks, and My Dead Body) This was the start of a dazzling, genre-hopping career a=

for Otsuichi, who devoted his energies early on to fiction in an illus:

trated, usually paperback genre known as “light novels” that tends to “# target fairly young readers, but soon began writing hardback books for adults A number of his works have been turned

into manga and movies

Otsuichi was born in 1978 in Fukuoka Prefec- ture, which makes him the youngest writer in this book by a good twelve years He’s such a skilled storyteller, though, that he seems as if he ought to

be a grandfather If you enjoy the story I’ve included here—“Mukashi ythi no kéen de” (“Long Ago, In the Park at Twilight”), which first appeared in book form in 2006 in ZOO 2—you might want to try reading some of the other stories in ZO0 2, or in

Z00 1 (both volumes published by ShUeisha) Then

maybe you could see the movie that was made of five of the stories

in this series For a very different sampling of his fiction, I'd recom- 3 mend the 2003 collection Ushinawareru monogatari (A Tale of Being Ặ Lost), which pairs five stories from Otsuichi’s “light novel” days with a ạ few newer pieces The title story, told from the point of view (so to

except for the sense of touch, and that only on his right arm—is =

marvelous

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isL 4 AOA Long Ago, In the Park at Twilight 4 3 2 '

borhood * COA EHVEL“L AM alittle park = Rv IH hc Be Cc 27 3 fie Ae L )) it was surrounded by tall buildings,and 8 #7\22# + when e lø 8 * ° —° ‡ AS BS J ph ANE ning fell *§ HOBPADSbHE the noise of the cars and the soun pe DW 6 SF Xo BRA 2 ic are

of people ® #1224 vanished, leaving no trace ® HLIt, Ihe Fe Cc È D Q Cz” ; ANS # Be

2

Š#ŸÄÍí a small chilđš shoe that someone had forgotten # zz Bae Bio HB ze WB Oo tế L

A

2, YSRORF IC %5C when dinnertime rolled around ® V35L¢ IRE: it 2s 2 is ° 5 W : Re BH: H

wenthome w EJfi2Vi-2'C< 5 š*€ until my parents came home w ï# Pu Ae b Bs CỐ L 5 Š t 2 MEORLT WAI NIST ea oz Thad to stay there killing time To oe lH b là * 2 ® :

self on the swings = ZS Cad SMHENZ LIAS almost as though _ ne bt Aw te 9

park there was a sandbox = BB FRR SIT IY ISIE) alice Đo L 2 “ : 2 = i

swings and the slide that "§ O—HlLVvO4RNSNTWZ: that cor ey Rr PRE Hỗ — re & bH

ZB

the buildings "§ #%%< without a sound = HILAR IL EASY 4 Iz ệ ye Fine 4 a Is

#7 evening, which makes the world run with red " §#LjR#b%¿ - LE it: id % Bl Zp wee

Trang 21

= Bley» I took my shoes of and " H2}2EI°fb}‡+@sgc

piled sand on my feet = HILO) LLT the sand felt cold, and

SEMPEDEOREICAN AAT OMDML DOT it felt gỗ having the tiny grains slip down between my toes

BOP Feoo chev AHO SLZ I amused myself, as we

by thrusting my hand deep down into the sand 8 3H1Ø@}+ tức:

>> 23?>*È how far down into the earth the sand went = FE

WOH (<i HI LiAtre when I stuck my arm straight do

into the sand " ©€CETS all the way # RKbCNLA burrow down deep = (“l3 until finally "§ BE CASO CAE dar

pened # [MHI LRILHSARDS, CAZTFRHSM “the san, box has a bottom, you know—how could that be possible?” £

Fic, PAHO CBULES ETS ASOZ my arm really did go all the:

way into the sandbox = {4H again and again * @7* that [my

arm went in all the way]

#‡ht‡ the time when something happened = MHEOCLE Kopp ˆ

by then © AROMICEA TSX the tree growing in the corner of

#&O2+3CRÄ.Ã 2#] the time of day when it looked like a pitch- -

black shadow picture " #š‡#zlf#fØrt(R‡ €X#SL1ÄAAvCv32 1

had my right arm thrust down in the sand up to my shoulder ® ‡##

{PAH EoTWSL4 oz something seemed to be buried

AMOS SHE

42

Trang 22

to the very bottom of the sandbox " :“‡#Ø@22:lfi22*5 3 L''CRụ `

of reach ® €OA»49") instead ™ HIM DAAC DERE 1 fel tử 7h we D ¢ ` fh ` we &

something twining itself around my fingers P3 Fe ih ra 2 nh bà ® < ` a và ie 10; BAe 5|SIRVYCHERET 4S & when I pulled my arm out and looked it ove : 7 Bk & ^^ Ha KR > He? tp 5 »

" <?tl+Ev+vŠØ*6?32}= it was long strands of human hair = fay F7: zx eA Bn it 2) Bie 2 +

% several strands = 791 CHA T7222! they were dirty and damaged P78 2 Te tụ #£ OD TC bie ` 3 Jee yz 9

touch the thing that was buried in there ™ $BEld this time » w¢e, = PoC an Ft c Af ® - met p t

13) ASH all ofasudden *§ WOR \ANTW LAF my right hand, which ere as & RY fh HP ic wm DO 7 was down in the sand ™ .IC{TAASOA Lik 72 AAsL7 I had the | ae L Et 4# UL 2 ft wm Bw 9 sense something had bumped up against ©§ AA°< S03 COO -: + fe b ww & E ỦY oO rhe WAKA te, ANS Ze RRS 7257: it was just a small touch, as if fish were = ¬ We Re 3 ° ¿ &¡ L6 tee pecking at me with the tip of its mouth a * a 2 is i 2 5 Re

14, OB #Ri< right after that =§ FH OMENZ something seized hold | ee ¿ WwW i aD 2 Op at

of my wrist "§ 200 tightly =" FAALMOOtFSNS my wrist was Ẵ lẻ 2 5 TC B® ° và OD A 3š

Trang 23

" BJ\}#IƒA„ŒÈ even when I called for help ® ee IF:

building-enclosed park

HEN MPD TROL my fist, which I had been clenching tight

a HMSO RIS 572 was forcibly pried open "8 FOUHIc, NS

someone's fingers on my palm *® ©4-PSXFeBV WSS Lind pees

\k409V% I realized that she seemed to be writing something

ZMOSKLT get me out of here

WOHIZV.S7EHA NL whoever was down there in the sand = "25%

vz wrote those words w #b_El*#572#lfi my left arm, which wag

above ground ™ D9L#R< (2 down into the deepest reaches of

BFREOPACHRARNAOFO AIC on the back of whoever’s hanc

was holding my right wrist

REEACROAFELILGLZ released my hand, seeming disap

pointed ™ FUP both arms ® CHAR after that = Dwi ASe

3>5?> I didn't go near the sandbox "§ ABMRSNTYY Yavice

4&% when [I heard] the park was to be wrecked and turned into an

apartment building § MIA ORT © AIC{T 722 I went to take aloo

look deep enough for anything to be buried within it

HS

SH Ae ALANS

17

t7 r@£

me OBE fit Ø

a

LS

Ze L

° 3Ÿ + `

Trang 24

ingly inventive writers started high-kicking their way into the lime,

light from backstage regions that seemed all but unrelated to the

favorites, got their start as punk rockers Kawakami Hiromi, whose

story “Kamisama” appears in this volume, was a biology teacher: Abe

Ishii Shinji is a half-member, 'd say, of this motley crew: as a young

man he was determined to enroll in art school, and only ended up study-

ing French literature at Kyoto University because this dream didn’t p out He kept drawing, though: his first book, pub- |

lished in 1994 by a company that specializes in

the air of an author of children’s books—is a funny,

poignant, quirkily charming “illustrated travelogue”

called Amusuterudamu no inu (An Amsterdam

Dog); his second, the irresistible novel Buranka

nori (A Kid on a Swing), includes pictures, attrib- uted to the narrator’s younger brother, that Ishii

himself drew at the age of four

Ishii was born in Osaka in 1966 and raised in Kyoto He has a distinctive, addictive prose style, a

nose for evocative details, and is an incredibly good storyteller He has

authored or co-authored more than twenty books—novels, short story

Parrot Meat Market”), was first published in book form in Shiro na tori

to kuro no tori (White Birds and Black Birds), which came out from x

Kadokawa Shoten in 2005 If you want to read more of Ishii Shinji's:

work, this collection is a great place to start If you feel ready to lose”

s h 5S h

LềUt*¿U

Trang 25

51

Ay 3 t The Parrot Meat Market

[ABS 4 t| (x “Parrot Meat Market” © MiLTHOIEDY oes

a dusty farm road at the edge of town ® .\c TV 7: stood alo

" BSU7RARER ECM with a rusty iron sign perched

ing § #Bicid seen from a distance ™ PRRUNA ORE EOD, 2s

empty bottles or something * KAKA LHO< ICON as you grad ally drew nearer ® HEOHIZG SSE HMBALIOZV which no

could possibly mistake for any other ®§ HDEADFRACZ that voice, belonging to the proprietor, becomes audible

SH, FAV? so, is cow you want, is it? M FROIF?P if it's a cổ

it's like this 8 7# ‡3 3v I #, v›vfÃŠŠ?323 buoooooh! Hơi

72 and as a matter of fact, this meat had a real nice moo

could almost always be seen " fa% SITLEMLbBOX housewi

holding baskets = /E5G\< in front of the store # 1F< 7: 51k we a3

FOE on the way to school #§ PLOTABE AON EHEC

72 would always hear the butcher doing his imitations = (48h

F4#% (both the elementary school and the junior high school © #

shot him a sideways glance ®§ )AQVOEAD, BLAITRMOS AZ Roi, WHI hoTME RK DEC THEY LZ the plum

butcher would be bellowing, his eyes bright red, frantically puffin;

up his cheeks #" BALttL\\%255 while signaling to each othé with their eyes

Trang 26

us kids * @NLAEOR-LST with even more enthusiasm than th

(ie selling meat) § RBOWENIODMETEW CMS LG AZ

it looked as though he was pouring his heart into his domestic anim

imitations IZA E ACR o7: was truly amazing ® LTSOMAS Bony

if a stranger were to pass by ®§ F57*V»%4< without any doubt =

BOREL BVCARCLRAA he would have gotten the im

pression that the place was an animal shed belonging to some large

farm

AL\CIR, 3E(< 38 cows and pigs, sheep and chickens " BL< BR ays:

tele SAEED SBv TSE on the rare occasion when a high

pitched whinny came bursting forth from the entrance to the store

" iÄ[#\v›$ +7: the housewives walking along the farm road a

£47 sounds like some horse meat has come in 8 'F\*l‡?:Z#š#„~ 7

" OSOOBSE CHALT WZ he reproduced even the clip-clopping _

of their hooves 8 ¥¥9+'%) thank you for your continued patron-

age # Lo, BARI NABONEC EOL eb tteor hed say, giving the empty can into which he'd put the change a clattery shake

Be) on the way back from school ®# KEREBRMHELIS

ARWMERD COR COED BLTC NE the proprietor of The Parrot

would secretly let us in on the tricks of his mimicry

#@7 (an exclamation that means something like “you see,’ “the

thing is,” “look, etc.) = FLELAFU 2, PORSZZAMSEMIARL

milk cows and meat cows, they've got a different sort of tremolo in their voices

on the skin of his neck:

Trang 27

11 10

3+3? make a sound like air being squeezed out of a leại

bag " # 2Ÿ? XLv*À/# ifs a gentle sound " ALL with ị a

EARSLEREY—-—ARZBAK ZF the butcher used to be in the Bo J z, L bè 3# CY Be Be cus § COWOLA GH, EAE CS any kind of voice, any sort PK, Hạ 1 L& L A fi “~ 9 b <

nity as the “Parrot Man,’ who could re-create = IFC ILEH4EH- # Aa WF Av Fas He D> 3% & Aw sy

Ve%edso72 I wasn't yet born then ™ MTROLY YY 55: : Hl # 4 DĐ mas L b 5 L A Bt VØ#L, #*i#£O*#) +, {23 the engine of an airpl : Ẹ $ #⁄ # pk Ban Tt zt & [Az

&UT everyone would close their eyes and § ROMA 5B 3 FÒ g5 in 4È 2 + x 3 ¬ 2€

m1}—?XC2E¿?⁄!R§# Ti, b5 Cvša2#z2‡šS52*⁄17*2?†zbLwà Ễ xe > 2 Ø và Fev 0 ae và D 5

with the bosss daughter ®§ BTAY £iRO7cMlL deciding to appren- 1 B * +3 (x iz ` g5 3 ` 5

acted since he set up shop in our town A ® > & & TC Be C % =r

RIZELTS even if it had been thirty years earlier * CAGKIEK fz fa 2D, #8 ¢ & #F BR

Trang 28

m IEC RBIWE TEAL IREBL GD OT we just couldnt 1514 3

lieve it was true # IHREEARVOOBAKAS Foote buổ

REALOSOIETE TIT after he opened his eS ke 3 R ass & ia l2

was the boys name w Z—t‡l‡€725ÈkRIVrP3#t°2-ko'Cvieat: ° 2 bv ~ =o a | & pe ae 5 _

Dip kb Bold LHoe BS he had to have been at least five ye 6° ) 2 R š 5 & + fe ow

someone had stood up on its hind legs " X‡X‡2ZZ#H #6 : L3 2 A 7B ¬: eS >

just as he wished # F—léROKVLOOI LILA MS RWIS? F52 Ễ > Đập » 7S dou kẽ rt š 7: Laa appeared to know only one word © #2387}, FRU) }, ; Re 2 # 5 : b x 2 i `“ wy

LawizewEfkO—A BF and an enormous only-son unable to say : - 1K 2 IW O® b > #F te ‘3 anything but “Laa!” = ZA &b*Do7LRIK an indescribably pe a BRE Ic ; 2 tt ER š 5 % 2 liar family = BTICtEtHOBICS PAO O7 it was clear to ~, kà e e : Xã Hư NT:

wk having lightly brushed us aside with one hand as we clun; BF và ` `_ & 7

Trang 29

17| CHLITICVo722b OZ gleefully cry out,

18) 7-EOVAN Y ik wrestling with Laa © Rote Y lot of fun, but *™ ZNHLYVDEFIRK HEOHEL BATWRO NE AK ih N A BER _ captured our hearts even more than that " ###'€ffib‡Lz [ i w® B is Bi ot OD 5 ts

®IXO#£1{EšÃ the work of dismembering the cows and pigs $3 5 D 6 6 | 3 & L — LORE SIP carrying a tanned-hide bag 8 fịÈZ>»Z-@Gạy ? Ge a ữ iz ` ‘s te ? t would set out in his old truck " B}'flf\=3*?Ð2Øl‡2~— Laa w Qe BPA 2 & FR Ho 3% và

truck, two or three lucky kids, including me, would be crouched 7 L *L £ fh HP Ê ae + % dling their knees in their arms " (#<i‡©5A#3»b [1ZHL| | L ‹ È te? Q, 2 tà D

watch the “carving” 8 4È‡\(=bvvi22t2»27> my father điểnt s 4 "go “<5 ee N X ee x

xe 5

Y =

19] BORD, HNLbn, THILO OLAAMETEL LDF pois fs a ye L ep

that one, and that guy over there " #l‡3*‡ #§@2JÑ*Š a freckled farmie it HEE RE = YF b #

of the blade was different every time) @ Y¥4%, Yr *¥YLRA CS PZ eu bw 8 Dg

C xu 0 HE 7 2õ poo me Oe eT RB

+ ER MES te Bw

Trang 30

EAN We SIF CHILES the butcher would approach

mal, the knife dangling from his hand *§ LeACA CHR D1} he would bend down and put his mouth to its ear BEA SA SILL AVS your deaths won't be wasted PHOAWVEDTHTSE LIB SLEPBECW he'd say in ay, full of warmth, a voice like a caress with some soft object

FERED? HOAKBOBOLAICILVS you're going to end y

my stomach, and the stomachs of everyone in the village m >-c VWREICZSATE you'll be a very good source of nutrition = 3

& TVNTS be able to keep living

BeuaL<BokRBWOOETI into the throat of the animal, ;

docile "§ —BROKv% %< without a moment's hesitation = J Doe RSI thrust the tip of the blade " 152372 kq

Die 72 VY CLITS the head farmer would catch the gushing blog,

in a tub ® WF CE WOA S72 XA supporting the animal’s b with both hands # E=—-WV OREN LMLZS lay them down o

raising a ruckus outside the hut # CA%< FAS even the slightes

and son, and the head farmer and the rest # TV AVIV}

carefully pick up and gather and ©" KHOCOAR SIRS EY leave nothing, not even a single piece, for the dogs " #ICCUH2 AMOLTF<1d, SMV STIL HSMSNZ the drops of blood cling:

ing to the curtain would be completely wiped away 8 Z—2‡#2 T&KE/NY TC with the stale bread Laa brought along ® (tas

& when the work was done " Z—l‡#†L# X55“C Laa would tea

it (Le, the bread) up and = J#0 OM AIC FH sitting in the bed df

silence § COMMREIZ(OBILEKOKNEBITATWS evenn

my tongue still remembers that taste very clearly " 7ZRfễ\v#Ø/Ÿ

t‡ +3/£BE2*‡L? the red-black bread had a flavor like " HE

HBC ESCAPREDBEDCIOTWHALIZGMHALE salty and fatty :

it tasted just as if we were chewing our own fingers

Trang 31

27 26 25

DPABIFERE THEY OIF THB I've got him tied up with rope to thelaa B Í mủ waa wo L 5 J

in our back garden © Fo7e(LACOBWCLELTHELE He 4 & I & Bet We 5 a é L ỹ gone and done something pretty damn unbelievable = 4#— pe te << vb > ~ x s5 ` ở it B OCTEBUALI LOVE RWVLO TLS Il give him one long, ¢ DA A B ype H 1] B *z ON

26] 7278, BVA ROMO PSKORSE, IF RE oO a c ⁄ = mn i x e * x y

his daughter had been the one to put the moves on Laa " F—j4} 5, Oo pe 2p fig? O z ^x aD Poe

around creeping into other people’s beds uninvited " 747% 0 2 và LÀN Rv we tee ia sc OG

town, still naked = RBHWCKNIT according to the maid 8 « pS AK 2 fz HO RS © ABB tỷ a BšØ##\=l# on the wall by the bed # UY V-#H SHU LAR Bo id it ° BLA Ø & rn 4 c BRERNACAMROTWZH a large dent had been left, as if som Ey os iz 7S Jus » M8 D L t 6 B had pounded it with a hammer " ##2!70##212#tÄ¿: [uy zf park B ¿ 4 BÁC r ix L3 #5 3

NENT KOLIE MAB ORIMIC SNDEY CORT EK the be 5 ep ; alo SRS : bp ne

pasture along the canal *§ HO F—-LKAPIECHOT AICS to engay eh 2 b nm |» 3 Ð Ry và A A

Vs : Shel # z ị < kì > ies “-

` i È 6 ~& BES > ` 8 Đ , 73 ? Sg L9

" < D tz & MEN TC a =F

if 63 ARBSE WiEb3b 62

Trang 32

piece # HAVILARCHO-LIH£BS OT or perhaps because he am

cerely felt for the daughter in her pain " PFUCO%OSF with em

uttering a single complaint = $C SEMI BICAALL signed te

AM 2126 e OL 412 fB 5+ his face puffed up like a pumpkin =

PLICAZ EM) C but with a spring in his step * ABR 5-7

came back to the meat store ™ #2\“&v»‡2 without saying a w

" 2?LTRƯƠ#&LC stood up a bịt straighter and " 2;Ø+3\:£

2B#\fAlI#AkI\3zE patted his soms shoulders, which towe

above him like a cliff = BfikGOtrS his son lowered his head fOS? V7 he murmured

2‡#® 3 some are of the opinion that was responsible for the butck

him of his last bit of strength # EF SOSW7Z others said that 8 vx#Ÿ‡Ll#+ whatever the case " Bj†L2ÖH‡#'€llX-2»

CELE BAS AV? there was no doubt that he had been workin;

like a machine until the day he collapsed § HSPUMMAT MOT

va72gkld already aware that he was sick, he = E7*H)13445 wi

he could still work = Ht#}#-37 enough to pay the amount he owe

in compensation ® FRRWEIELLOMASLUNAV perhap

had tried to earn § BRRBAtOEAIL the brave proprieto Parrot ®§ BOD ACHAASRVELTWZ had miscalculated i

two respects § #EOFEMIE his last hour ®* HAP CHSOTURLOF.,

4¢G out in the cold ® HA#H*eLZCE that he went overboar several days in a row ®§ HOMMCOLOeE OZ actually hastene his death

Trang 33

32| LA Ftd what follows * MEGA CRELZEBHZ is a sto Bs 37 36 35 34 33 32

33| HoW<BRT his face deathly pale * #25 from his bed = 3} _ RL ep ct #

Ø8 š 721t C with only the movement of his mouth = (43 gre4 tr nm w® F LC ° Aw BS wH EB Fe

on her lips where she had bitten them hard 8 4! *2##Ä'Cv›z h + w A Ut Ft uy x BH fae # š By

of the bed " HIBS TW was sliding his fingers a Bb fb we 3 2 Be ` to S 3 34) POA UA, LMOLIICS) WAZ his body suddenly arc H # Le 32 > ` _ ee a ie 2 gz i, like a bridge * HTT hurriedly = ENS % Hi LZ got the inj x £ Bs Ø ` kẺ se is mat tion ready © HA &ts< 2H his father, whose eyes were rolled b DL on ‡ +, DeLee: 3

38) HES MES < OPAL ASV 7 whispered over and over again ic 2 5 + is ỉ Ẻ

Trang 34

a LH <¢ YICBAL LZ began to sound just like his father =

as he slept 8 KRBiCHoA RoC gradually grew easie labored " Ø2 #*LC, #Jv*È53*b IS DA #0 +

that, as the son of a butcher, he had been accustomed to hearing since he was small = —L< with all his heart "8 BR ODA

ina mild tone *§ 2OEAHIA SET until his father stopped breg

ing 8 X#?ä*2“\??* continued whispering

3⁄¿v`š 4 to pay of completely 8 —®È3*4*Ð 23*57° it didn't evel

take a year " E#Rljl‡WR, KISMEOMBLAICL by day he was the butcher; by night he did maintenance work on the riverbank Foe ENEMST without feeling the slightest bit tired = Bx #2

doz: moved around ® ALAMMOMIL RoC NLERCNTW?: the

toward the end of that year, my family "5 BVROBANE toa city far off in the east * FloRL ELE moved § ATOR CHLOE

RADFMEIC ENE according to a letter froma friend " FEE a still

birth = 3246 the following year ™" X7}* yet again! § 7—O+-#§

RACbS CEC Roz became pregnant with Laa’s child =§ ~#HO

FEOILTRICER £H1F the second child cried out vigorously when —

it was born, and =» #*¢2%2°6 grudgingly " BL) ORME ROR &

allowed the two to marry

BEEK EKSOMUCMATNICBoTWHSEAD probably still stands

in the back of the shop ™ BIZ BEIT7 suntanned 8 2Z?v*Šš his young wife ™ MW##‡Tb#bL claps her hands together and " BANTA

SVICHeANTS calls out brusquely to the customers

Trang 35

4 N

44

born infant *" G&RBHOF—Z is the young father, Laa

MORVFlL his deep voice = BAG EHP T OIG 25 LY,

(<42< has just the right tone for soothing a baby 8 JX\*CØ0 gi

C on his broad palms " ##+4#vš#4`b7*l‡ the tiny body ty

OT MME ZADE F< like fresh meat just cut from the animal «3

shines brightly = 3)-Ftd the infant * £43) every so often m

AHF looks up at his father » EXUEELS uncertainly = 2

&o and no doubt * 43 LIZS<#EO5 51C after a little tim

passed " Ct in this world " 45<=% here and there =

S&£SE WF lots of other different sounds * #443 l2 start mimicking

HA DOES

RTS Stone

STF GEOR

OF

Sh BEREEE

US HOR

SH Att

Trang 36

hances are, seeing as you're reading this book, that you’

come across the name Banana Yoshimoto—perhaps even

Japanese, as Yoshimoto Banana—before She is one of very few

Japanese authors who have been lucky enough to gain access, through

translation, to a wide and avid international following Or rather, she

tunate enough to have available in translation Her first book, Kitch (Kitchen), sold almost two million copies in Japan when it was pub:

on to be translated into twenty-eight other languages It’s English translation blipped onto the New York Times bestseller list in 1993

and Yoshimoto has had devoted fans ever since

Yoshimoto, who was born in Tokyo in 1964, has

received too many prizes to enumerate, including

three in Italy—most notably the prestigious

Maschera d’Argento, which she was awarded in

1999 She has published more than thirty works of

while her essays (though very good) may not need

to be penciled in at the top of your reading list, her

ers nowadays do She’s really a great stylist If you feel like reading

some more of her work, I’d recommend Kanashii yokan (1988, A Sad

Premonition) or Mizuumi (2005, The Lake), which are two of my favor- «;

ites You might also be interested in Moonlight Shadow, a beautiful bilingual edition, in Japanese and English, of Yoshimoto’s powerful

first work, which was published, with pictures by Hara Masumi, in

2003 Asahi Press, ¥1280 Needless to say, | did the English 2 The story I’ve included here, “Miira” (“Mummy], was first published’!

in the short-story collection Karada wa zenbu shitte iru {The Body.”

Trang 37

he she'll ever be and *§ HOPZEAOHSLMOPICFomVL ER! Ý he CT BRE a* AW ` Lv Boe

- Cv\529)0122Cvv#bØ###* thinks shểs gọt the whole world » H 8ì b €6 +

L thing " ZOAVEY OANA (CMA RELL this hormonal MU AS te DO Kk ®# yep & HM

2z*£4 + *34Ÿ€ä 2##£tv›2 98t *t‡vš2 there are, iÝ only very me ˆ Z ) & FZ XK PM + b Ø rarely, beings able to catch the scent of people in that state Le ww 2 FL jc old

C5 Ee PER

park " Z#Øi8#v*È7Zl7 way up high in the sky " 3Ÿ bÈ+##‹‡# > : : ; B ? oY tie < m As zz ie % cit me

Trang 38

a lived nearby, and whom I ran into in the park ® LIZTS<Ricigiay, Ề & Hs & ms h ? và và it HRP

a 7M 212D CHS I was unable to return home for some time : tf = 3 in đu l‡ 5 c Tc, Hs 5 xà

ye

Ee 4| RISER LV I ZOWRE LPM MA O72 all I knew about that a2 2 BA Be A ° ie bà + =

: young man, whose last name was Tajima, was " ASBARKL 3 2 es i Ave Bs H» ` Wait và i >

: S&È that he was a graduate student and " jÊB‡Ø3šjj2#{zvàœ ke KE Hie aS — 3 ja 2 3 L %

‘| and spent half of every year in Egypt =" £<¢ HICBEITTVT he hada 2 7 \} Soy ở Et BRE O°

who wore glasses § 5 LOLOTEIERERMOBREA I TOR hy Š BÉ L ® it & th iB 4f a young man of the nice-young-man-who-works-as-a-home-tutor- = 5 ¿& tả Š è ao Ke

Lo

‘FUF7: lightly bowed my head § Fi XMEBU CHEM R TRI fe wy & 3 le Be

Trang 39

alone, it’s dangerous § oT HIF E52? want me to walk you home?:

BATH REECE AEDES HS who's to say you're not | it #

3Á, yeah " 325@2*Š#1? to my university " Rl37À+2!27-} they 2 Tả

I raised my hand to my neck ®§ ROBO, MIRROR GO tĩ ° Ware IZA 5 lswAMoTV 7 the truth is I had already read, in `

Trang 40

(~BRBOA seized momentarily with fear of = BERENS tay # 2, zZ m2» LF W & % x Cc

và Oo S walking alongside him = AMICI MlZe, EH BEADS Ề a et iy

ở» 5 # & 3 is %

Tiêu đề	Giáo trình học tiếng Nhật trung thượng cấp - 本当の日本読む日本語能力試験対策
Trường học	Trường Đại học Ngoại Ngữ Hà Nội
Chuyên ngành	Japanese Language Study
Thể loại	Giáo trình học tiếng Nhật
Thành phố	Hà Nội

Định dạng
Số trang	103
Dung lượng	9,14 MB

Giáo trình học tiếng nhật trung thượng cấp - 本当 の 日本 読む 日本語 能力 試験 対策

Giáo trình học tiếng nhật trung thượng cấp - 本当の日本読む日本語能力試験対策