"Strange Weather in Tokyo" by Hiromi Kawakami is a tender and quiet story that follows Tsukiko, a lonely office worker in her thirties, who unexpectedly reconnects with her former high school teacher, Sensei, in a Tokyo bar. Despite their age difference and differences in personalities, the two form an unlikely companionship that slowly blossoms into a delicate and heartfelt romance. The book explores themes of loneliness, connection, and love through the lens of everyday interactions, food, and sake, creating a dreamlike atmosphere rooted in Japanese culture and societal norms. Kawakami's writing style is spare yet mesmerizing, drawing readers into the evolving relationship between Tsukiko and Sensei with subtle humor and poignant observations.
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Has Romance?
The novel features a significant romantic element as the relationship between Tsukiko and Sensei develops.
From The Publisher:
Shortlisted for the 2013 Man Asian Literary Prize, Strange Weather in Tokyo is a story of loneliness and love that defies age.
Tsukiko, thirty-eight, works in an office and lives alone. One night, she happens to meet one of her former high school teachers, "Sensei," in a local bar. Tsukiko had only ever called him "Sensei" ("Teacher"). He is thirty years her senior, retired, and presumably a widower. Their relationship develops from a perfunctory acknowledgment of each other as they eat and drink alone at the bar, to a hesitant intimacy which tilts awkwardly and poignantly into love.
As Tsukiko and Sensei grow to know and love one another, time's passing is marked by Kawakami's gentle hints at the changing seasons: from warm sake to chilled beer, from the buds on the trees to the blooming of the cherry blossoms. Strange Weather in Tokyo is a moving, funny, and immersive tale of modern Japan and old-fashioned romance.
Ratings (23)
Incredible (4) | |
Loved It (10) | |
Liked It (3) | |
It Was OK (4) | |
Did Not Like (1) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (97):
Read It (22) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (61) | |
Did Not Finish (2) | |
Not Interested (11) |
2 comment(s)
I thought this was quite a good read, its quite poetic. The characters are well described, although the plot is pretty slow but its quite an easy read. Its quite a nice piece of escapism. I've always liked Japanese writing, the Japanese culture (what I know of it) and so on and I was given this book recently and I did enjoy reading it, even though I perhaps felt a bit mystified by some of the Japanese terms used. Its a short read and I found it quite pleasant - it isn't gratuitous, although there are some sex references (indicated at the least, though nothing very explicit) but for the most part its a tale of a respected elder and an younger lady opening up and learning about each other, reflecting on various things.
The girls who get it, get it, but unfortunately I'm kind of lukewarm on this one. Fully convinced that I'd like it more if I read the original, in Japanese.
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