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This novel is distinctly different from what Kawabata would go on to write. It's very modern in that it avoids plot and the real character of this novel is Asakusa. More than any of the humans followed in the novel, more even than the narrator, what this novel is about is Asakusa.

It's a much more playful novel than what would bring him international fame and recognition, but I quite liked it. It feels distinctly western while his later novels are much more japanese in style and content.

He built Asakusa and it comes alive on every page. The whores, the dancers, the thugs, the gangs, the poor, the homeless, the children, and the adults all swirling in this part of Tokyo that becomes realer with each new exploit detailed.

A very cool read.