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Parade
A brief, disquieting companion to the bestselling Strange Weather in Tokyo, set during a summer afternoon and featuring a mischievous pair of creatures called tengu.
On a summer afternoon, Tsukiko and her former high school teacher have prepared and eaten somen noodles together.
¡°Tell me a story from long ago,¡± Sensei says.
¡°I wasn¡¯t alive long ago,¡± Tsukiko says, ¡°but should I tell you a story from when I was little?¡±
¡°Please do,¡± Sensei replies, and so Tsukiko tells him that, when she was a child, she awakened one day to find something with a pale red face and something with a dark red face in her room, arguing with each other. They had human bodies, long noses, and wings. They were tengu, creatures that appear in Japanese folktales.
The tengu attach themselves to Tsukiko and begin to follow her everywhere. Where did they come from and why are they here? And what other invisible and unacknowledged forces are acting upon Tsukiko¡¯s seemingly peaceful world?
On a summer afternoon, Tsukiko and her former high school teacher have prepared and eaten somen noodles together.
¡°Tell me a story from long ago,¡± Sensei says.
¡°I wasn¡¯t alive long ago,¡± Tsukiko says, ¡°but should I tell you a story from when I was little?¡±
¡°Please do,¡± Sensei replies, and so Tsukiko tells him that, when she was a child, she awakened one day to find something with a pale red face and something with a dark red face in her room, arguing with each other. They had human bodies, long noses, and wings. They were tengu, creatures that appear in Japanese folktales.
The tengu attach themselves to Tsukiko and begin to follow her everywhere. Where did they come from and why are they here? And what other invisible and unacknowledged forces are acting upon Tsukiko¡¯s seemingly peaceful world?
96 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2004
85 people are currently reading
8,328 people want to read
About the author
Hiromi Kawakami
106?books3,189?followersKawakami Hiromi (´¨ÉϺëÃÀ Kawakami Hiromi) born April 1, 1958, is a Japanese writer known for her off-beat fiction.
Born in Tokyo, Kawakami graduated from Ochanomizu Women's College in 1980. She made her debut as "Yamada Hiromi" in NW-SF No. 16, edited by Yamano Koichi and Yamada Kazuko, in 1980 with the story So-shimoku ("Diptera"), and also helped edit some early issues of NW-SF in the 1970s. She reinvented herself as a writer and wrote her first book, a collection of short stories entitled God (Kamisama) published in 1994. Her novel The Teacher's Briefcase (Sensei no kaban) is a love story between a woman in her thirties and a man in his sixties. She is also known as a literary critic and a provocative essayist.
(from Wikipedia)
Born in Tokyo, Kawakami graduated from Ochanomizu Women's College in 1980. She made her debut as "Yamada Hiromi" in NW-SF No. 16, edited by Yamano Koichi and Yamada Kazuko, in 1980 with the story So-shimoku ("Diptera"), and also helped edit some early issues of NW-SF in the 1970s. She reinvented herself as a writer and wrote her first book, a collection of short stories entitled God (Kamisama) published in 1994. Her novel The Teacher's Briefcase (Sensei no kaban) is a love story between a woman in her thirties and a man in his sixties. She is also known as a literary critic and a provocative essayist.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 450 reviews
September 4, 2024
Part of the beauty of a good novel is the connections we form with the characters, empathizing their pains and celebrating their successes along with them as we read through. When it ends, a good novel still lingers in the mind and sometimes we find ourselves missing the characters like a friend we wish we could phone up and check on. Hiromi Kawakami feels the same about her own characters she creates, writing Parade as a brief ¡®memento of a story that has ended,¡¯ and returning us to the relationship between Tsukiko and her former teacher, Sensei from her lovely novel
Strange Weather in Tokyo
. Elegantly translated by and with soothing and sweet illustrations by Takako Yoshitomi of geometric faces and shapes in two-colors, Parade is a brief yet beautiful fable-like story within a story that returns us to the sweetness of old friends in a passing, tender moment.
Kawakami has become an author I turn to when I need a little dose of serenity. Her writing, always expertly translated by Allison Markin Powell, just puts me in a peaceful state that allows the emotions of her stories to wash over me like a cool breeze through a field on a warm day. Parade is short, easily a one-sitting short story read, but it captures this feeling and is such a nice snack of storytelling. It has an endearing innocence to it. We begin with Sensei asking Tsukiko to tell him a story as the odd couple picnics outdoors, weaving their tenderness touching hands in the field with a fairy tale-esque story about her as a child followed around by two tengu, mischievous creatures of Japanese mythology.
Illustration of a tengu
I¡¯m reminded of something I read where mentioned it is a shame Western readers usually demand a story have a purpose, that there should be some direct ¡®point¡¯ or clear message, and that he enjoys allowing a story to just be a story. Parade would fit the latter and I actually felt a bit of an affinity between this and some of the anecdotes that add texture and nuance to his novels. Which is much of the charm here with Kawakami attempting to capture the ineffable through a chronicle of images and emotions that don¡¯t necessarily add up to anything concrete yet linger in the mind as meaningful and emotionally poignant nonetheless. Like memories of childhood that seem too big to be contained.
And there are some beautiful moments here. Much of the story, awash in fable qualities, deals with children all having some sort of mythological creature that harmlessly attaches themselves to them and there is a vague understanding of it as a sort of coming-of-age milestone. The illness of Tsukiko¡¯s tengu coincides with childhood cruelty shown to a member of her class, and, like the best of fables, ideas on morality lurk just under the surface. Yuko shouldering the cruelty with grace becomes a beautiful idea that Tsukiko can only partially grasp, and the imagery of glowing skin and the kindness of her voice resonates well as something you observe but feel it is too delicate to actually touch, like a butterfly¡¯s wings.
The one catch about this book is that it reminded me that I kind of don¡¯t like Sensei. Even Tsukiko gets annoyed with him¡ªhe is fairly critical of her and blunt¡ªbut she also acknowledges that ¡®Sensei will be¡Sensei,¡¯ so good for her and him making it work. Men in Kawakami books do tend to get a lot of passes for uncool behavior and the women tend to be easily pushed around, which isn¡¯t my favorite, but her novels are breathtaking nonetheless.
Parade is a lovely little read that fans of Strange Weather in Tokyo are sure to enjoy, though it would still work if you had not read the original. It is a cute moment, one it is nice to see paused to bask in it¡¯s tenderness before it is washed away in all the other little moments that make up a life. Short, sweet, and very fablesque, a charming little read.
3.5/5
Kawakami has become an author I turn to when I need a little dose of serenity. Her writing, always expertly translated by Allison Markin Powell, just puts me in a peaceful state that allows the emotions of her stories to wash over me like a cool breeze through a field on a warm day. Parade is short, easily a one-sitting short story read, but it captures this feeling and is such a nice snack of storytelling. It has an endearing innocence to it. We begin with Sensei asking Tsukiko to tell him a story as the odd couple picnics outdoors, weaving their tenderness touching hands in the field with a fairy tale-esque story about her as a child followed around by two tengu, mischievous creatures of Japanese mythology.
Illustration of a tengu
I¡¯m reminded of something I read where mentioned it is a shame Western readers usually demand a story have a purpose, that there should be some direct ¡®point¡¯ or clear message, and that he enjoys allowing a story to just be a story. Parade would fit the latter and I actually felt a bit of an affinity between this and some of the anecdotes that add texture and nuance to his novels. Which is much of the charm here with Kawakami attempting to capture the ineffable through a chronicle of images and emotions that don¡¯t necessarily add up to anything concrete yet linger in the mind as meaningful and emotionally poignant nonetheless. Like memories of childhood that seem too big to be contained.
And there are some beautiful moments here. Much of the story, awash in fable qualities, deals with children all having some sort of mythological creature that harmlessly attaches themselves to them and there is a vague understanding of it as a sort of coming-of-age milestone. The illness of Tsukiko¡¯s tengu coincides with childhood cruelty shown to a member of her class, and, like the best of fables, ideas on morality lurk just under the surface. Yuko shouldering the cruelty with grace becomes a beautiful idea that Tsukiko can only partially grasp, and the imagery of glowing skin and the kindness of her voice resonates well as something you observe but feel it is too delicate to actually touch, like a butterfly¡¯s wings.
¡®I realized something in that moment. Yuko had somehow resigned herself to the situation. She had given up being sad or being disappointed. Just like my grandmother when she had taken her last breath, Yuko had purposely stopped feeling things.¡¯
The one catch about this book is that it reminded me that I kind of don¡¯t like Sensei. Even Tsukiko gets annoyed with him¡ªhe is fairly critical of her and blunt¡ªbut she also acknowledges that ¡®Sensei will be¡Sensei,¡¯ so good for her and him making it work. Men in Kawakami books do tend to get a lot of passes for uncool behavior and the women tend to be easily pushed around, which isn¡¯t my favorite, but her novels are breathtaking nonetheless.
Parade is a lovely little read that fans of Strange Weather in Tokyo are sure to enjoy, though it would still work if you had not read the original. It is a cute moment, one it is nice to see paused to bask in it¡¯s tenderness before it is washed away in all the other little moments that make up a life. Short, sweet, and very fablesque, a charming little read.
3.5/5
February 26, 2021
Parade by Hiromi Kawakami
This is a very short book, really a short story, that is somewhat a continuation of the author¡¯s novel Strange Weather in Tokyo. That novel, which I enjoyed and reviewed, is about A May-December romance between a woman in her late 30s and her former high school teacher, now in his 70¡¯s.
Although I say romance, it¡¯s a platonic relationship and she calls him Sensei.
In Parade, the relationship may have progressed a bit. At least they touch hands. But mostly it¡¯s a very sensual story of them preparing simple food. Then Sensei asks her to tell him a story from her youth. She tells him about when she was a little girl and she and her friends were accompanied by magical beings called tengu. The story, like the book, is simple and understated, fable-like.
The book has numerous illustrations, a bit like abstract woodcuts.
A very calming read with simple but good writing.
The author, Hiromi Kawakami (b. 1958), has written about 10 novels and has won several of Japan¡¯s literary awards. Many of her books have been translated into English and some have been made into movies. (The author should not be confused with Mieko Kawakami, b. 1976, who wrote Ms. Ice Sandwich.)
Book cover by Takako Yoshitomi who did illustrations for the book, from amazon.com
The author from irishtimes.com
This is a very short book, really a short story, that is somewhat a continuation of the author¡¯s novel Strange Weather in Tokyo. That novel, which I enjoyed and reviewed, is about A May-December romance between a woman in her late 30s and her former high school teacher, now in his 70¡¯s.
Although I say romance, it¡¯s a platonic relationship and she calls him Sensei.
In Parade, the relationship may have progressed a bit. At least they touch hands. But mostly it¡¯s a very sensual story of them preparing simple food. Then Sensei asks her to tell him a story from her youth. She tells him about when she was a little girl and she and her friends were accompanied by magical beings called tengu. The story, like the book, is simple and understated, fable-like.
The book has numerous illustrations, a bit like abstract woodcuts.
A very calming read with simple but good writing.
The author, Hiromi Kawakami (b. 1958), has written about 10 novels and has won several of Japan¡¯s literary awards. Many of her books have been translated into English and some have been made into movies. (The author should not be confused with Mieko Kawakami, b. 1976, who wrote Ms. Ice Sandwich.)
Book cover by Takako Yoshitomi who did illustrations for the book, from amazon.com
The author from irishtimes.com
September 10, 2024
A short story and related to this author¡¯s novel Strange Weather in Tokyo.
A surreal mix of fact and fantasy.
A surreal mix of fact and fantasy.
June 4, 2022
i once again accidentally picked up a companion novel to a book i didn't read.
this time, against the odds, i liked it anyway. honestly......i liked it more than the book it's a spinoff from, once i finally got around to that thing.
as a contextless, short lil read, this is fairytale-esque. it's very kind and lovely and i enjoyed it a lot!
it's basically a fairytale. just very kind and lovely.
bottom line: ignorance really is bliss!
------------
currently-reading updates
i have to stop picking up novellas. my average read this year is going to be approx 19 pages
------------
reading books by asian authors for aapi month!
book 1: kim jiyoung, born 1982
book 2: siren queen
book 3: the heart principle
book 4: n.p.
book 5: the hole
book 6: set on you
book 7: disorientation
book 8: parade
this time, against the odds, i liked it anyway. honestly......i liked it more than the book it's a spinoff from, once i finally got around to that thing.
as a contextless, short lil read, this is fairytale-esque. it's very kind and lovely and i enjoyed it a lot!
it's basically a fairytale. just very kind and lovely.
bottom line: ignorance really is bliss!
------------
currently-reading updates
i have to stop picking up novellas. my average read this year is going to be approx 19 pages
------------
reading books by asian authors for aapi month!
book 1: kim jiyoung, born 1982
book 2: siren queen
book 3: the heart principle
book 4: n.p.
book 5: the hole
book 6: set on you
book 7: disorientation
book 8: parade
May 25, 2022
Very strange book that looks at imaginary friends an bullying - impressionistic in tone. I guess when you are bullied as a child you kind of retreat into a kind of 'cocoon world' that is safe; at least I did when I was a little boy. But it made me look at books as friends - and now here I am!
August 28, 2021
| | | | | |
In this short volume readers will be reunited with Tsukiko and Sensei, from Hiromi Kawakami's Strange Weather in Tokyo. After sharing a meal together, Sensei asks Tsukiko to ¡°tell me a story from long ago¡±. Tsukiko obliges. When she was a child two tengu started following her around. Other children in her class age were also being followed by spirits and creatures from folklore. Kawakami's sparse prose has lulling quality. She combines quotidian moments or reflections with surreal elements. Tsukiko is regretful about her behaviour towards one of her classmates, so that some of what she recounts is given a bittersweet note.
Throughout this short story there are two-colour illustrations by Takako Yoshitomi (geometric shapes and patterns as well as anthropomorphised figures).
I love Kawakami's prose, the timelessness of her stories, the vague sense of nostalgia that permeates her narratives. Parade felt just a bit too short.
In this short volume readers will be reunited with Tsukiko and Sensei, from Hiromi Kawakami's Strange Weather in Tokyo. After sharing a meal together, Sensei asks Tsukiko to ¡°tell me a story from long ago¡±. Tsukiko obliges. When she was a child two tengu started following her around. Other children in her class age were also being followed by spirits and creatures from folklore. Kawakami's sparse prose has lulling quality. She combines quotidian moments or reflections with surreal elements. Tsukiko is regretful about her behaviour towards one of her classmates, so that some of what she recounts is given a bittersweet note.
Throughout this short story there are two-colour illustrations by Takako Yoshitomi (geometric shapes and patterns as well as anthropomorphised figures).
I love Kawakami's prose, the timelessness of her stories, the vague sense of nostalgia that permeates her narratives. Parade felt just a bit too short.
December 30, 2020
Parade is a short story - now this is sorta confusing ¨C that was originally published in 2002 (Heibonsha Co. Ltd.) and re-published in English in 2019 (Soft Skull Press), and it, according to the author, is a memento to ¡°Strange Weather in Tokyo¡± (Counterpoint, 2017, first published in English as The Briefcase, 2012; originally published in Japanese as Sensei no kaban, 2001). In an Afterword to this story, Parade, she says that:
? ¡°Sometimes I think about stories that have ended. As the author of these stories (told in Strange Weather in Tokyo), I have created so many different episodes and emotions. In the moment, when I am writing them down, these people and events become just as real to me as anything else that exists in the world. However, once I have finished writing, all those things that ¡°existed¡± for me become part of the past¡ªa memory¡ª just like what happens to things in the present, within everyday real life. ¡ As time goes by, I find myself thinking again about a certain story. I wonder, Is that world really over and done with?¡±
? So this short story is another chapter, if you will, in the lives of two of the main protagonists in ¡°Strange Weather in Tokyo", Tsukiko and Sensei .¡
It is difficult for me to understand regarding what was the takeaway that the author wanted us to get from this story. It¡¯s a story within a story. Tsukiko tells Sensei, a former teacher of hers and much older than she is and now her boyfriend/lover, a story about a girl Omachi who one day finds herself in the company of two tengu. Tengu are a type of legendary creature found in Japanese folk religion. They are considered a type of y¨kai or Shinto kami. The tengu were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey, and they are traditionally depicted with both human and avian characteristics. From:
And that¡¯s pretty much it. Let¡¯s see. I want to rate this a ¡®3¡¯ because on the whole I like Kawakami¡¯s works. And it¡¯s an offshoot of ¡°Strange Weather in Tokyo¡± which I loved¡ªit was shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2013. However, if you have not read that novel, I can¡¯t recommend you going over hill and dale to get this short story. Unless of course you want to brag and impress and scare all your friends by telling them ¡°Yep, I just finished a study by Kawakami published in Soft Skull Press¡±. People might wonder with a name like ¡®soft skull¡¯ what on earth you were reading. ?Despite the fact that it¡¯s a super-benign story, but they don¡¯t need to know that. ?
Having said all of this, I would say I think I need to take an appreciation course in Japanese literature. I think there are certain styles perhaps peculiar to Japanese literature that I am missing. It is obvious the three reviewers below were able to gather a great deal more in ¡®Parade¡¯ than I did.
Note
? This is a cool link that the translator of this work and xxx has set up, and is a database of Japanese literature that has been translated into English¡ ?
Reviews (all very positive)
?
?
?
? ¡°Sometimes I think about stories that have ended. As the author of these stories (told in Strange Weather in Tokyo), I have created so many different episodes and emotions. In the moment, when I am writing them down, these people and events become just as real to me as anything else that exists in the world. However, once I have finished writing, all those things that ¡°existed¡± for me become part of the past¡ªa memory¡ª just like what happens to things in the present, within everyday real life. ¡ As time goes by, I find myself thinking again about a certain story. I wonder, Is that world really over and done with?¡±
? So this short story is another chapter, if you will, in the lives of two of the main protagonists in ¡°Strange Weather in Tokyo", Tsukiko and Sensei .¡
It is difficult for me to understand regarding what was the takeaway that the author wanted us to get from this story. It¡¯s a story within a story. Tsukiko tells Sensei, a former teacher of hers and much older than she is and now her boyfriend/lover, a story about a girl Omachi who one day finds herself in the company of two tengu. Tengu are a type of legendary creature found in Japanese folk religion. They are considered a type of y¨kai or Shinto kami. The tengu were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey, and they are traditionally depicted with both human and avian characteristics. From:
And that¡¯s pretty much it. Let¡¯s see. I want to rate this a ¡®3¡¯ because on the whole I like Kawakami¡¯s works. And it¡¯s an offshoot of ¡°Strange Weather in Tokyo¡± which I loved¡ªit was shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2013. However, if you have not read that novel, I can¡¯t recommend you going over hill and dale to get this short story. Unless of course you want to brag and impress and scare all your friends by telling them ¡°Yep, I just finished a study by Kawakami published in Soft Skull Press¡±. People might wonder with a name like ¡®soft skull¡¯ what on earth you were reading. ?Despite the fact that it¡¯s a super-benign story, but they don¡¯t need to know that. ?
Having said all of this, I would say I think I need to take an appreciation course in Japanese literature. I think there are certain styles perhaps peculiar to Japanese literature that I am missing. It is obvious the three reviewers below were able to gather a great deal more in ¡®Parade¡¯ than I did.
Note
? This is a cool link that the translator of this work and xxx has set up, and is a database of Japanese literature that has been translated into English¡ ?
Reviews (all very positive)
?
?
?
March 18, 2023
Parade:
I first met Tsukiko and Sensi in Strange Weather In Tokyo (which is a lovely book) they werein a bar and I hung out with them a few days while they were cooking, and eating delicious Japanese food and getting to know each other again. One day I went with them and their friends to the country to mushroom pick.
¡°Cordyceps in woods
Fresh mushroom soup with miso
Ru-ru, not alone.
Now they are at Tsukiko¡¯s house and Sensi is lying on the floor with his eyes closed. Tsukiko is in the kitchen cooking noodles for dinner. She comes into the living room and Sensi says
¡°TELL ME A STORY FROM LONG AGO.¡±
¡°WHEN YOU SAY ¡®LONG AGO,¡¯ HOW LONG ago do you mean?¡± Tsukiko
¡°Long ago means long ago.¡± Sensi
¡°I see.¡± Tsukiko
A moment or two of silence and Sensi starts to pick on her about some lumps in the noodles. Their communication is like that at times. Yet they are are honest and unique characters and I¡¯ve grown quite fond of them.
So she started telling him stories from young school days when the tengu came into her life. (See below for a definition of tengu from Wikipedia.)
The tengu aren¡¯t visible to many. A school friend sensed they were there in the room when nice things happened to her and would pretend they were in the room physically just in case. Tsukiko¡¯s mom allowed them to eat the butter when they came into their house.
In Thailand they have devas and tree spirits and other assorted spirits. It¡¯s part of thier country¡¯s culture. I also enjoyed hearing Tsukiko tell her tengu stories.Part of the charm of the book is hearing her do so and hearing the wisdom of the tengu.
Tengu (Japanese: Ìì¹·, lit.?'Heavenly Dog' or 'Heavenly Sentinel') are a type of legendary creature found in Shinto belief. They are considered a type of y¨kai (supernatural beings) or Shinto kami (gods or spirits).[1] The Tengu were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey and a monkey deity, and they were traditionally depicted with human, monkey, and avian characteristics. Sarutahiko ?kami is considered to be the original model of Konoha-Tengu (a supernatural creature with a red face and long nose), which today is widely considered the Tengu's defining characteristic in the popular imagination. He is the Shinto monkey deity who is said to shed light on heaven and earth.
I first met Tsukiko and Sensi in Strange Weather In Tokyo (which is a lovely book) they werein a bar and I hung out with them a few days while they were cooking, and eating delicious Japanese food and getting to know each other again. One day I went with them and their friends to the country to mushroom pick.
¡°Cordyceps in woods
Fresh mushroom soup with miso
Ru-ru, not alone.
Now they are at Tsukiko¡¯s house and Sensi is lying on the floor with his eyes closed. Tsukiko is in the kitchen cooking noodles for dinner. She comes into the living room and Sensi says
¡°TELL ME A STORY FROM LONG AGO.¡±
¡°WHEN YOU SAY ¡®LONG AGO,¡¯ HOW LONG ago do you mean?¡± Tsukiko
¡°Long ago means long ago.¡± Sensi
¡°I see.¡± Tsukiko
A moment or two of silence and Sensi starts to pick on her about some lumps in the noodles. Their communication is like that at times. Yet they are are honest and unique characters and I¡¯ve grown quite fond of them.
So she started telling him stories from young school days when the tengu came into her life. (See below for a definition of tengu from Wikipedia.)
The tengu aren¡¯t visible to many. A school friend sensed they were there in the room when nice things happened to her and would pretend they were in the room physically just in case. Tsukiko¡¯s mom allowed them to eat the butter when they came into their house.
In Thailand they have devas and tree spirits and other assorted spirits. It¡¯s part of thier country¡¯s culture. I also enjoyed hearing Tsukiko tell her tengu stories.Part of the charm of the book is hearing her do so and hearing the wisdom of the tengu.
Tengu (Japanese: Ìì¹·, lit.?'Heavenly Dog' or 'Heavenly Sentinel') are a type of legendary creature found in Shinto belief. They are considered a type of y¨kai (supernatural beings) or Shinto kami (gods or spirits).[1] The Tengu were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey and a monkey deity, and they were traditionally depicted with human, monkey, and avian characteristics. Sarutahiko ?kami is considered to be the original model of Konoha-Tengu (a supernatural creature with a red face and long nose), which today is widely considered the Tengu's defining characteristic in the popular imagination. He is the Shinto monkey deity who is said to shed light on heaven and earth.
February 3, 2020
I loved this little book. Spare, sweet and unpretentious. This was more a short story, than a book. In the author's note she says that she wondered what a day might be like for the two characters Tsukiko and Sensei who are the main characters of her book Strange Weather in Tokyo. The story stands alone but I will definitely pick up a copy of Strange Weather. Another aspect of the book that adds to its enjoyment are the quirky illustrations some of which I don't fully understand...double pages of tiny hatch marks? Worth a look.
January 18, 2023
I haven't read the parent story, but I chose to read it in order to get a taste of Hiromi Kawakami's writing. On the one side, this story aroused my interest, but on the other, it felt a little rushed because the idea wasn't entirely clear to me. I may enjoy the writing style and character development because of the way it is presented, thus I believe I will read the parent narrative.
October 25, 2019
Read this in one sitting and it was an absolute delight. Short and (bitter)sweet, full of playful language (props to translator Allison Markin Powell for such flourishes as 'dillydally,' which add so much color to the story, but never seem out-of-step with the author's voice), and structured so as to pull you right into it. (Also loved the illustrations, which offer a completely unexpected¡ªand again, playful¡ªvisualization of the mythological tengu.) This is a companion story to the Hiromi Kawakami's Strange Weather in Tokyo, but you needn't have read the novel in order to dip into this (I hadn't). But Parade does make you want to spend more time with Sensei and Tsukiko, so I'm looking forward to picking up Strange Weather very soon.
June 8, 2020
Simplistic, yet charming.
This is a bite-sized, slightly fantastical little read. I enjoyed it immensely.
This is a bite-sized, slightly fantastical little read. I enjoyed it immensely.
December 3, 2019
"The world that exists behind a story is rarely completely known, not even to the author," Kawakami explains. There's a sense of liberation in this notion, a confirmation that our basest anecdotal expectation - that the composed life goes on past the last word - is grounded in truth, but on the other hand there's a fine sadness in it, as fragile as an autumn rain. As it were, Kawakami conceding that the universe of the story is inbent also, that it contains, shrouded moments that we can never know, activities and episodes that may have sprouted in the boundless qualities lying between the sections and sentences we do have. The settled vagueness of the text - its air of riveted involution - is somewhat a consequence of this craving to transcend the narrative and portrayals of contact, a fundamental worship that permits a finger tapped upon a palm to blast into a circlet of fire. Kawakami's portrayals of haptic association are stones dropped into a pool, resonations in the vacant jar of the self which, however they blur and leave us with no distinct picture of our wants, are sufficient, for a period, to fill the empty vessel of the substance, and to reestablish some measure of the vibrancy of being.
December 3, 2019
What a sweet little book; definitely feels like an outtake. I have enjoyed all of Kawakami's books, and this was a wonderful distillation of the feeling one has reading her--dreamy, a little sleepy, where what is happening inside and outside is blurred, all borders are porous.
Also, I like the physical object quite a bit, and am impressed that Soft Skull published it this way, beautifully and separately.
Also, I like the physical object quite a bit, and am impressed that Soft Skull published it this way, beautifully and separately.
November 7, 2019
This "supplemental" story was such an enjoyable treat! One that you can both devour and savor in no time. I absolutely LOVED The Briefcase/Strange Weather in Tokyo, and the chance to catch another glimpse of Tsukiko and Sensei was relished by me as a reader. If you loved the original novel, then this is a must read! When it came in for me at the library yesterday I let it bypass all my other current books! Kawakami-san, please give us more! :)
March 21, 2021
Nice little add on to the world of ¡®Stormy Weather in Tokyo¡¯ . If you have 8 dollars (the cost), 20 minutes free (the time it takes to read this very short piece which includes a lot of pictures), and the strength to get over the feeling of being totally cheated by the publisher, it's a pleasant, yet not astounding, read.
February 25, 2021
You know how sometimes some books make you feel like you're wearing a woollen sweater in winter? Wrap you up and make you warm? This is one of those books. Ah, just so you know, you should read STRANGE WEATHER IN TOKYO first as this is a small short story based off the characters from that book.
June 20, 2020
Parade is a short story that takes place during Hiromi Kawakami¡¯s 2001 novel Strange Weather in Tokyo, which is about a woman in her late thirties who falls in love with her former high school teacher, whom she still refers to as ¡°Sensei.¡± Parade stands on its own, and it¡¯s not necessary to be familiar with Strange Weather in order to appreciate Parade, which is strange and delightful.
Parade opens with the narrator, Tsukiko Omachi, preparing noodles at Sensei¡¯s house. He asks her to tell him ¡°a story of long ago,¡± and she responds by relating something that happened during her childhood as they spend a lazy afternoon together.
When she was a kid, Tsukiko woke up one day to find two small people sitting beside her bed. They were about her size, and they had long noses, small wings, and bright red skin. Tsukiko decided that they were probably creatures from Japanese folklore called tengu. The two tengu followed Tsukiko to school, but no one seemed to notice them.
When Tsukiko arrives at school, however, she realizes that a few of the other children are accompanied by creatures of their own, such as a badger and a long-necked rokurokubi. The children followed by these creatures can see them, but they remain invisible to everyone else. None of the children find this odd, and Tsukiko¡¯s mother ¨C who once had a fox of her own ¨C treats the issue in a matter-of-fact manner.
These creatures turn out to have less of an impact on Tsukiko¡¯s life than a bullying incident in which Tsukiko¡¯s classmate Yuko is ostracized by the other girls at their school. Yuko has a healthy response to this, ignoring her classmates while still being friendly with other kids her age outside of class. Tsukiko is uncomfortable with the situation, however, and her tengu begin to fall ill.
The situation resolves itself, but there¡¯s no sentimental moral or life lesson to the story, just children behaving in the way that children tend to behave. Instead, the otherness of the tengu serves as a means by which Tsukiko begins to understand her own subjectivity as someone who has never thought of herself as ¡°a tengu person¡± yet has somehow come to be associated with them. There¡¯s no direct allegory implied, but the imagery of Parade is compelling enough to resonate on multiple levels.
Although younger children may not understand the implications of the frame story (namely, Tsukiko and Sensei¡¯s relationship), Parade is suitable for all ages, and I can imagine that it might inspire a few fledgling writers to tell ¡°a story from long ago¡± of their own.
Parade opens with the narrator, Tsukiko Omachi, preparing noodles at Sensei¡¯s house. He asks her to tell him ¡°a story of long ago,¡± and she responds by relating something that happened during her childhood as they spend a lazy afternoon together.
When she was a kid, Tsukiko woke up one day to find two small people sitting beside her bed. They were about her size, and they had long noses, small wings, and bright red skin. Tsukiko decided that they were probably creatures from Japanese folklore called tengu. The two tengu followed Tsukiko to school, but no one seemed to notice them.
When Tsukiko arrives at school, however, she realizes that a few of the other children are accompanied by creatures of their own, such as a badger and a long-necked rokurokubi. The children followed by these creatures can see them, but they remain invisible to everyone else. None of the children find this odd, and Tsukiko¡¯s mother ¨C who once had a fox of her own ¨C treats the issue in a matter-of-fact manner.
These creatures turn out to have less of an impact on Tsukiko¡¯s life than a bullying incident in which Tsukiko¡¯s classmate Yuko is ostracized by the other girls at their school. Yuko has a healthy response to this, ignoring her classmates while still being friendly with other kids her age outside of class. Tsukiko is uncomfortable with the situation, however, and her tengu begin to fall ill.
The situation resolves itself, but there¡¯s no sentimental moral or life lesson to the story, just children behaving in the way that children tend to behave. Instead, the otherness of the tengu serves as a means by which Tsukiko begins to understand her own subjectivity as someone who has never thought of herself as ¡°a tengu person¡± yet has somehow come to be associated with them. There¡¯s no direct allegory implied, but the imagery of Parade is compelling enough to resonate on multiple levels.
Although younger children may not understand the implications of the frame story (namely, Tsukiko and Sensei¡¯s relationship), Parade is suitable for all ages, and I can imagine that it might inspire a few fledgling writers to tell ¡°a story from long ago¡± of their own.
November 11, 2019
I was pleasantly taken in by this snippet of a tale by Hiromi Kawakami, and the 'story from long ago' regarding Tsukiko and his tengu.
I want to say more about why I favored this little book (both in size and page count), but I am still finding the words to do so since the feeling I am experiencing after turning the final page is that of a short film or Studio Ghibli plot. I feel a calmness, a simplicity, and a nostalgic magic from each word, sentence, and phrase.
I find the topic of friendship (both real and imaginary), self-reflection, and how we remember and share certain stories from our own 'long agos' than others. I enjoyed the lines "I wonder if my voice would ever sound as kind as that" (68) and "The world that exists behind a story is never fully known, not even to the author" (79) because she is aware of the reaction readers will have to this tale that is both confused but reassured. Foreign and yet familiar.
I hope others will test this novella, and find it as darling as others like myself have after completing it. If not, I hope one day (and another read later) you see what Kawakami is attempting to do in this and her other work.
I want to say more about why I favored this little book (both in size and page count), but I am still finding the words to do so since the feeling I am experiencing after turning the final page is that of a short film or Studio Ghibli plot. I feel a calmness, a simplicity, and a nostalgic magic from each word, sentence, and phrase.
I find the topic of friendship (both real and imaginary), self-reflection, and how we remember and share certain stories from our own 'long agos' than others. I enjoyed the lines "I wonder if my voice would ever sound as kind as that" (68) and "The world that exists behind a story is never fully known, not even to the author" (79) because she is aware of the reaction readers will have to this tale that is both confused but reassured. Foreign and yet familiar.
I hope others will test this novella, and find it as darling as others like myself have after completing it. If not, I hope one day (and another read later) you see what Kawakami is attempting to do in this and her other work.
March 2, 2020
I¡¯m not sure how to summarize this little book. It is a companion to the novel Strange Weather in Tokyo and although I don¡¯t think reading the novel is an absolute necessity, I do think that I, personally, may have better understood the bond between Tsukiko and her teacher if I¡¯d read that book. Parade involves Tsukiko communicating to Sensei a tale of her childhood, when two creatures called Tengu from Japanese folklore attached themselves to her.
The story is a quick, easy read. I looked more into the folklore surrounding tengu to help me better understand their role in this tale and, to be honest, it doesn¡¯t totally make sense to me. I¡¯m not quite sure what their purpose was but they reminded me of the concept of having an angel and a devil on your shoulders. I liked the one with the pale red face¡¯s reaction to the little girl who was ostracized and while I thought the symbolism was underdeveloped, it was a sweet message.
This book did pique my curiosity about the novel so I might need to read that one day.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The story is a quick, easy read. I looked more into the folklore surrounding tengu to help me better understand their role in this tale and, to be honest, it doesn¡¯t totally make sense to me. I¡¯m not quite sure what their purpose was but they reminded me of the concept of having an angel and a devil on your shoulders. I liked the one with the pale red face¡¯s reaction to the little girl who was ostracized and while I thought the symbolism was underdeveloped, it was a sweet message.
This book did pique my curiosity about the novel so I might need to read that one day.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
September 8, 2020
Bittersweet, imaginative and cozy, Parade by Hiromi Kawakami brings in an average day in the life of two characters from her novel 'Strange Weather in Tokyo' - Sensei and and Tsukiko. Kawakami lends a mystifying aura to a small story after a peaceful afternoon nap that is laced with elements from folklore and people who once occupied a major part of our life and are nothing but memories now.
Known for her 'off-beat' fiction, this short story will envelop you into a cozy hug.
Known for her 'off-beat' fiction, this short story will envelop you into a cozy hug.
May 12, 2021
Maybe I just like experimental japanese lit but this bumped
March 15, 2025
I love this¡ I¡¯m just sorry that I didn¡¯t read ¡°Strange Weather in Tokyo¡± first. ?
September 14, 2019
We received this review copy and read it in 30 minutes¡ªit's that short. Not only is it brief, but the 97 or so pages is peppered with several blank pages (which give the reader some nice pauses), some simple illustrations (that are also captivating) and very large print. As a result, it reads more like a children's book (in a good way). It is an excellent introduction to Hiromi Kawakami for those who have never read her and just haven't taken the dive into one of her books yet. This book feels experimental (in a good way). In the epilogue, Kawakami explains why she wrote the story and it's a touching reminder of why her prose is so captivating.
When Books on Asia reviews books on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ and Amazon, we look at not just the writing, but the mechanics of a book (how it is put together and how it feels, including the use of illustrations) as well as the content and quality of the translation. So while we love Kawakami's writing, and Allison Markin Powell's translation is absolutely perfect, we felt the book was lacking in other areas.
Parade is a short-story, the type you usually find published in The New Yorker. So while it would be nice to see more stories from Kawakami like this, as a stand-alone book for sale at full price, it doesn't really satisfy. It's like selling a short story, or one chapter of a book, for the same price as a full-length book. Why Parade isn't discounted to a more reasonable price, especially as an e-book, is a wonder.
We'd rather see a story like this either added to the end of a new edition of "Strange Weather in Tokyo" to help keep the original book relevant, or as part of a collection of short-story sequels or epilogues to her previous books such as Nakano Thrift Shop, Manzuru, etc. It seems like such an inventive short-story form, why only offer 30 minutes of it?
Buy it? Hmm. Borrow it? Absolutely!
When Books on Asia reviews books on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ and Amazon, we look at not just the writing, but the mechanics of a book (how it is put together and how it feels, including the use of illustrations) as well as the content and quality of the translation. So while we love Kawakami's writing, and Allison Markin Powell's translation is absolutely perfect, we felt the book was lacking in other areas.
Parade is a short-story, the type you usually find published in The New Yorker. So while it would be nice to see more stories from Kawakami like this, as a stand-alone book for sale at full price, it doesn't really satisfy. It's like selling a short story, or one chapter of a book, for the same price as a full-length book. Why Parade isn't discounted to a more reasonable price, especially as an e-book, is a wonder.
We'd rather see a story like this either added to the end of a new edition of "Strange Weather in Tokyo" to help keep the original book relevant, or as part of a collection of short-story sequels or epilogues to her previous books such as Nakano Thrift Shop, Manzuru, etc. It seems like such an inventive short-story form, why only offer 30 minutes of it?
Buy it? Hmm. Borrow it? Absolutely!
June 25, 2021
Well, what a charming lil nugget this was!
Packed within the pages of the tiny little book, we are given the fortunate -and very rare opportunity, to return to our two charming protagonists from Strange weather in Tokyo, Sensei and Tsukiko, during a quiet, intimate afternoon.
Kawakami writing is once again beautifully simple, yet highly evocative.
Definitely the perfect pick me up for lazy afternoon.
4 stars
Plus, Takato Yoshitomi illustrations are super duper fab!
Packed within the pages of the tiny little book, we are given the fortunate -and very rare opportunity, to return to our two charming protagonists from Strange weather in Tokyo, Sensei and Tsukiko, during a quiet, intimate afternoon.
Kawakami writing is once again beautifully simple, yet highly evocative.
Definitely the perfect pick me up for lazy afternoon.
4 stars
Plus, Takato Yoshitomi illustrations are super duper fab!
November 27, 2022
so cute !!!!!!! i love the afterword .. ive never read strange weather in tokyo tho so i should probably do that
January 19, 2024
Sike. I finished it. That was fun, excited to read Strange Weather in Tokyo now, which has been on my shelf for quite some time. Didn¡¯t realize this was a companion to that until i finished this lol
July 9, 2023
Such a cute quick read!!!
Read
December 18, 2023cozy little story. a perfect companion to an afternoon in a coffee shop with a cappuccino in hand
December 2, 2019
I won a physical copy of this book from a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ giveaway.
It's a beautiful little book, and a charming story. It's hard to say much without basically trying to retell the story, but suffice it to say that the frame is two characters who are stuffed with food and having a lazy afternoon. It's also the perfect setting for reading this very short book. A nice, lazy time by the fire and a story that is wistful and strange. There's something compelling about its mix of fantasy and menace.
The publisher did a great job on this one as well - the book is well edited and the images help to tie it all together. Really nicely done.
Oh, and I haven't read Strange Weather in Tokyo - yet - and this book definitely makes sense as a stand-alone. Maybe there will be more layers once I've read the 'companion piece.'
It's a beautiful little book, and a charming story. It's hard to say much without basically trying to retell the story, but suffice it to say that the frame is two characters who are stuffed with food and having a lazy afternoon. It's also the perfect setting for reading this very short book. A nice, lazy time by the fire and a story that is wistful and strange. There's something compelling about its mix of fantasy and menace.
The publisher did a great job on this one as well - the book is well edited and the images help to tie it all together. Really nicely done.
Oh, and I haven't read Strange Weather in Tokyo - yet - and this book definitely makes sense as a stand-alone. Maybe there will be more layers once I've read the 'companion piece.'
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