A famous Japanese quote says: 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず。 (Koketsu ni irazunba koji wo ezu)
It literally means, “If you do not enter the tiger’s cave, you will not catch its cub.”
In other words, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You can’t do anything without risking something.”
Are you willing to venture into the realm of Japanese literature with me? It is an exciting place, for I have found Japanese authors to be like none others. They write a slice of life, dipping into and out of a character’s life only revealing a moment in time. They write of horror and villainy with a clarity which almost borders on the grotesque. They find the bizarre, the otherworldly, or an element of fantasy which few have dared to imagine. They know of peace and tranquility and hidden meanings within our lives.
This is the seventh year of the Japanese Literature Challenge. It runs from June 1 through January 30, 2014. During this time, I hope you’ll choose to read at least one work of Japanese literature. For this challenge, I expand that term to include children’s books, short stories, mystery, biography, sci-fi/fantasy, manga and poetry.
I have decided to hold an optional theme each month for which there will be a bookish prize given to one random winner. The themes and prizes will be announced at the beginning of each month, and as this is the first month I suggest that we begin with children’s literature…
Look at this lovely kitty:
Her name is Wabi Sabi, from which the book takes its title. She is a little cat in Kyoto, who has never thought about her name until friends visiting from another land ask what it means.
At last,
the master says, “That’s hard to explain.” And
that is all she says.
Wabi Sabi sets out on an adventure to discover the true meaning of her name. Each page has illustrations beautifully rendered by Caldecott-Medal winning artist Ed Young; each page includes spare text and haiku to define the world view that is wabi sabi.
I will send this book at the end of June to one random winner who has signed up to participate in the Japanese Literature Challenge 7. You can find the button here:
You can find the review site, complete with links to previous challenges and a suggested reading list here: japaneselitchallenge.blogspot.com
And, you can sign u p to venture forth here:
I so hope you’ll join me!
(Find a list of suggested Japanese Children’s Books here.)
Lovely picture book, Bellezza! I'd like to read children's books and poetry this year in addition to other books. Thanks for hosting again!
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As per usual I'll be adding poetry & other stuff.
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Bellezza, you know I'm in! How exciting! I can't wait to figure out which books to read. I'm thinking that I'm going to have buy some new ones 😉 I love that you included poetry and short stories. And I love that picture book! Wabi Sabi sounds like a great children's book! I'm so glad its JLC7 time 🙂
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I'll add my link when I've posted my introduction on Sunday 🙂
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I already signed up, I am totally looking forward to this challenge, while reading “OUT” 🙂
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Of course I'll join you! I can't wait to find my stack for this challenge.
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I've always missed out on previous Japanese literature challenges. I love Haruki Murakami but have never quite managed to expand my horizons further than that! But this time around I have at least two books on my shelves to read, so I will be joining in. Can't wait!
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Our taxi driver in Kyoto explained the meaning of wabi sabi to us and now I've forgotten it. Eck. I need to go back. Will sign up and cross my fingers I can find time. June is already booked solid. I hate that. I need to build in a bit more flexibility. I've got too many ARCs, this month.
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So excited for the latest edition of this challenge. I'm compiling some possible reads already.
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This sounds great and really would be a challenge for me because I don't think I've ever read a book by a Japanese author. I've been so overwhelmed by work lately that I've missed visiting my favorite blogs and participating in great events like this one.
Let me try to catch my breath, check my TBR shelves, and decide if I want to commit. One book has to be doable!
Rose City Reader
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As always count me in 😀 I'm SO excited that you're doing suggested themes this month!! I think it's just what I need to really get me to actually read a bunch of books this year :p In fact I think I'm going children's book shopping after this comment 🙂
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Looking forward to joining in on this one and reading more Japanese lit, especially for children and young adults. Thanks for doing this!
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Harvee, so glad you're participating again! I hope that the link to the children's literature suggestions is readily apparent. I think I should make it in a bigger font so people are sure to see it. I highly recommend Crow Boy to all if you're stuck with where to start.
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I'll be cherishing every poetry link and post you publish. Per usual. 😉
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Nadia, I so love your enthusiasm!! Thank you for participating and with such joy. xoxo
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I always love to peruse your lists, Tony, and this year I really want to work more completely through the Oxford collection of Japanese short stories. To that extent, you can probably guess that short stories will be one of the monthly (optional) themes.
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Hi Ally, I loved Out when I read it a few years back. It made me want to read everything Natsuo Kirino had written, but that novel of hers remains my favorite. I loved it not only for the story, but for her thoughts on living as a Japanese woman.
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Can't wait to see what's in the stack, Vasilly! So glad you're joining in again. xo
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I'm glad you've known about the previous Japanese Literature Challenges even if this is the first you're able to participate in. Previous years have given us quite a lovely list from which to chose a few titles to try. Of course, in my opinion one can never go wrong with Haruki. 🙂
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I'm not even talking to you about being in Kyoto…so jealous! In a good for you way! 😉 Wabi sabi, as far as I understand it, has something to do with imperfection being beautiful, and that's a concept I can readily embrace! Don't worry about June booked solid, as is the case with me. We have many months in which to read something Japanese. xo
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So excited you're joining in again, Rise. It means a lot to me to have previous participants come back for another time around. Looking forward to seeing your list!
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That was the case with me about six years ago: I'd never read anything by a Japanese author. I wasn't even aware of all Haruki Murakami had written! So, this challenge has helped me grow in what I read and understand. The genre is quite an interesting one, filled with ways which expand me as a person. I hope that you're able to join us for a book (or two). I didn't add your name to the participant's list on the review site (yet) because I didn't want you to feel pressured. Thanks for considering it!
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As always, I'm so thrilled you're in, Chris!! Don't forget, you were the very first one who encouraged me to venture forth with this idea in 2006! Children's lit is a very easy way to get started, but I don't want people to trick themselves into thinking it's easy. So often, children's literature is just as profound, if not more so, than adult. I loved Crow Boy, as I emailed you privately.
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Hi Holly, thank you for joining in!!
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Hopefully I will get a post up later this week and I will come back to add my link. I have at least one Murakami book on my shelf. Maybe others.
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I'm in! While I don't read children's books, I'll be reading lots of fiction!
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Hooray! So glad you'll be joining us, and of course there's no need to read children's lot. xo
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Oh it's that time of the year! What a pretty image for the challenge button. I am very tempted but I need to think about it. I've been so bad at not following up with book clubs & challenges. I'm going to think on this a bit and come back.
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Iliana, you think as long as you like! You have until January 30 for one book, but I certainly understand not wanting to take on any pressure when it comes to our pleasure.
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This is a very manageable challenge, I'm in! I'm going to read Murakami's Norwegian Wood at the very least, maybe I'll be able to do a few others too!
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So glad that you're going to join us! I loved Norwegian Wood when I read it this fall; it had me humming the Beatles' tune for weeks, but of course that's only a side benefit. We'll have to talk when you have it read. It's quite a moving story.
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Is it here already?!! I'm bringing out all my J-lit books! You have done massive service and raising the awareness of J-lit Bellezza. How awesome it is.
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So glad for your enthusiasm, JoV! We'll have a great time pursuing these books in the genre together. Like always. 🙂
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count me in ,all the best stu
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Bellezza, will novels by non Japanese writers count for this challenge?] What do you think of Hikikomori and the Rental Sister? I haven't read it and don't know much about it. And Three Lives of Tomomi Ishikawa by Benjamin Constable. Two fairly new books…
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Perhaps we should have a separate challenge, Japanese subjects written by non Japanese writers!
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Harvee, I think that would be fine if participants wanted to read books about Japan written by non-Japanese authors.
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So glad to have you participate this year!
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This is my first time with the Japanese literature reading challenge. I am slightly intimidated by the choice and variety of the books out there, but am looking forward to dip my toes into Japanese literature.
Also, thank you very much for the recommended book list on the Japlit challenge blog. Very useful!
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So glad you found the list helpful! I had fun putting it together from everyone's recommendations and past reviews. I'll be sure to add your name, Sylvie's, Stu's, and Iliana's when I return from vacation.
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I'm in – I just bellieve its No 7!! wow. It's come up so suddenly I've not had time to think about what I want to do. But I'm thinking I'd like to learn something about japanese film… any idea's??
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Hi! I just discovered this challenge through Harvee's blog and decided to join. I've decided 2013 is the year of Japan for me–we're going to Japan on our summer vacation in several weeks and I'm even trying to learn a bit of Japanese through an audio course right now, so this challenge is perfect!
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Hi Tamara! My family is a huge fan of Hayao Myazaki films.. have you seen any of those? We also downloaded the film version of Battle Royale last year. It's kind of a Hunger Games sort of film based on the popular book of the same title by Koushun Takami, also available in manga format. I'm not sure if this is how you wanted to explore Japanese film, but it's what little I know about it right now. Hope this helps!
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This is my 5th year! This challenge opened up a whole new world of reading to me back in 2009. I have discovered many great new to me writers and I know I have just scratched the surface.
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Hi Bellezza – I'd love to join! Better late than never right? Does Ishiguro's work count as Japanese literature…? Just to be safe, I'll start on some Soseki as well hehe
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Hello! I found my way over. Thanks so much for visiting my blog and letting me know about this wonderful challenge. I'm super-late to the party, but I'll be posting 2-3 reviews during the time left in the challenge. I'm putting up my first now and will link it over on the review site.
I hope to hop on at the beginning for the next one!
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I know it's a little late but I really want to join this challenge 🙂 I've read a few books by Japanese authors this year and I do hope to review them soon. Thanks for the suggested reading list too 🙂
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My name is Rei Kimura and I am a Japanese writer associated with the Australian News Syndicate.I would like to introduce you to my two more recent books which may interest your readers as they adddress many cultural, historical and societal issues in both Meiji era and modern Japan told in a very engaging and entertaining way.
My website is http://www.kimura-books.com
1)JAPANESE PEONY-THE PRINCESS and THE SPY (watch the movie trailer below)
https://email.animoto.com/pub/cc?_ri_=X0Gzc2X%3DWQpglLjHJlYQGszf2ptR3iv9rIbNzczbfFDzcUlLb1IwTP3VXtpKX%3DSRCWAC&_ei_=EseyZ-Mtn2U6u_BfWAsNwzI-ZYBCD1BLpnlu0inkvnxx6ltyy9U1M92igWNKZ0geY4xbNYpHlk1UrPmW8ECisKtbT05AIU-DI2FORihgIMEV78NccAeWnrhHiEy1eszbTXcF35DPcExhLzFMIrWDM9De1qngMfgdWnDfLCdA034Wy3q_b2Ld1umYK_Z4C0FT3QfGkfhvYG__Nn930E2U0L2S6PF34ndi9jf6Jh4InBnjI4ur9zXQHVtiY5IwxVVPmhx2WJ4.
It is available from the publishers,
Itoh Press LLC
535 Moats Lane
Bowling Green, KY 42103, USA
carolitoh@itohpress.com
In the US
Ingram
Amazon.com
Baker & Taylor
Barnes & Noble
Apple Books
Smashword
Sony Books
Scribd
Books-A-Million
————————————————————————————————————
2) ONNA(Woman) Rising
SYNOPSIS
This is the tense, smoldering story of four young Japanese professional women from diverse backgrounds and a big score to settle with their female unfriendly society, whose lives converged in Tokyo where they met by chance and started the “four pillars.”
Well educated, vibrant and ambitious, the four women, Suzue, Sachi, Tomoko and Emi are bonded by their common struggle to break out of the system which traditionally placed Japanese women as the coffee and tea serving ladies of the corporate world.
Through the turbulent lives and experiences of these four women told with plenty of satire and bitter sweet humor, this book also gives the reader an honest look at modern Japanese society as it struggles to co exist with die hard traditional practices, prejudices and mindset.
REVIEW
“From cover to cover, this gripping book gives readers a very honest look at life in modern Japan, through its four female characters” Hanna Laura Noack, German writer and Lecturor.
This book will make very interesting reading material for readers generally and students of Japanese studies as it addresses, in particular, issues relating to women in modern Japan.
This book is available from the publishers
Demarche Publishing LLC
P.O. Box 824
Yorktown Heights, N.Y. 10598
info@demarchepublishing.com
http://www.amazon.com
Ingram http://www.ingram.com
Barnes & Noble http://www.bn.com
Thank you and I hope you will introduce them to your readers. Part of the proceeds of “Onna Rising” will be pledged to CNN's Freedom Project in support of the fight against the abuse and trafficking of women and children. It's about the empowerment of women in Japan so is an appropriate book to for this cause.
All Best
Rei Kimura
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