The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu, translated by Dennis Washburn and short version translated by Sumatsu Kencho
The short translation was one of the first, made over a century ago. The Washburn translation was more recent and much longer. I finished the short one and started the Washburn one, but never finished. Washburn had a lot of "about this text" at the start. The story is of a woman that hangs out with the rulers. It did not keep my interest.
The Rainbow: A Novel by Yasunari Kawabata, translated by Haydn Trowell
People are living in post-war Japan. A family comes to terms with different relationships and a father with multiple mothers. A train and rainbow play an important role. The book p=pretty much happens, with out much to draw me in.
Tokyo Express: A Novel by Seicho Matsumoto, translated by Jesse Kirkwood
An official and a woman appeared dead in an apparent love suicide. There were witnesses that saw them boarding a train and they later showed up dead. It seemed fairly straightforward. However, the man was involved in a scandal. Could there be something else involved? The detective looked at the clues and everything seemed to stack up. However, things seemed to be just a little too good. There was also little evidence of the man and the woman in a relationship before they were seen at the train station. The detective was persistent and continue to investigate. The coincidences were just too much. Eventually he discovered that it was an elaborately set up murder organized in part by a dying woman who was obsessed with train scheduled. (They did happen to get the couple seen from a platform away in a rare time when there would be no train in between.) The perpetrator (a high ranking official and his wife) almost got away with it. Once they saw they would be caught they took their lives. It was a well done whodunit.
Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder by Asako Yuzuki
A fat woman criminal has captivated interest in Japan. She has been jailed for the deaths of rich men she dated. She has affairs with them and then they later die in a way that could seem to be suicide. She is jailed. A woman who works for a magazine wants to get her story. She meets with her regularly in the prison. At first she has trouble getting to her. However, she realizes that the criminal loves food. She works to follow the criminal's food suggestions and recipes - even enrolling in the same cooking school. She gains weight and learns to appreciate the criminal. She also gets closer to her and gets some stories out of her and her family. After the story is published, the criminal talks smack about the magazine girl and how she tried to be like her by copying her cooking and seemed to be attracted to her. This set magazine girl in a downward spiral and almost caused her death in traffic. She realizes that the criminal has strong narcissistic traits that has led to other's deaths. She manages to break out of it and calls her friends. The book has a number of other sub-plots with characters and their lives. It does show the power that somebody can have by suggestion. It fits in with the "Japanese obsession with food" sub-genre.
The Convenience Store by the Sea by Sonoko Machida, translated by Bruno Navasky
The book is a simple heartwarming tale of the lives of many people whose lives are connected via a local convenience store, "Tenderness". The store manager is charismatic and cares for others. He really seeks the best and love to help others. He has his own fan club of older women. A woman pursues her passion of manga and helps others. (Her son thinks she is having an affair in a later episode.) There is a schoolgirl who sneaks treats and befriends another girl who is bullied for being different. (The later finds out she was caring for her dying father.) A retiree finds the joy of being a substitute grandfather and is helped in the process. He shunned convenience stores at first but found they can be helpful. The many episodes are all fairly independent, but tie together. In the end there is a classic mixup where the manager sister comes to the store while the manager goes to the family home (and they don't have cell signal.) It all works out after the everyone in the community rallies together to help. The characters are universal, though it is strongly placed in Japan with many subtle bits of Japanese culture.
Kokoro by Natsume Soseki, translated by Meredith McKinney
A student meets an old man. The man becomes his Sensei, who he looks up to. The end of life is approaching for the student's father and the old man. The student graduates before his father's death. He doesn't feel graduation is important, but does realize where is father's view is coming from. Later the student grows up and gets married and learns more about himself. He also explores the relationship between the death of he emperor and death of people. How is Japan changing? The tale of personal relationships during times of societal change feels current even 100 years later.
Originally "Ame No Hi No Korowan" bi Hisako Madokoro, illustrations by Ken Kuroi. Translated into Chinese and English.
The Cho Cho books were originally written in Japanese. This version is translated into English and Chinese. Cho Cho and Mao Mao find a glove and then try to return it to the kid that lost it. The story is simple and the language is fun to read. Kids love it, though for adults it is an acquired taste.
Cho-Cho's Treasure Hunt (球球尋寶記) by Hisako Madokoro
This was originally written in Japanese. It is now in Chinese and English. Cho Cho and his friend go on a treasure hunt. A big dog remembers putting a treasure somewhere in the past they find it.
There is an audiobook CD that goes with it. It is simple and fun to read. The repeated "Bow-wows" are fun to read, though there are a few typos in the English.
When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
A child's father is away at a military camp. The family looks forward to hearing from him. Later, they are required to leave their home in California to attend family camp. From the point of view of a child, the World War II Japanese internment is difficult to understand. They see that people don't like them, but don't understand exactly why. (Sometimes they have to ask who they are because they can't tell the difference between Japanese and other Asians.) They learn they need to behave in certain ways, to limit harm.
The family finally does get to return home. They find their home has been trashed and valuables have been stolen. At least they have a house. Their mother struggles to find a job, but does eventually. Money remains tight. The long-awaited return of father finally occurs. Alas, it does not live up to expectation. Father is emaciated and lacks the vigor he had before. They barely recognized this man as their Dad. The internment had significant impact on all involved.
The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima
A middle-school boy's father has been dead for 5 years. His mother meets a sailor and they have a brief fling before he sets sail. When the sailor returns, he stays. They plan on getting married. The sailor tries to befriend the boy. However, the boy is not the innocent they think he is. He has a peephole where he has spied on his mother's sexual activities. He also hangs out with a group of friends that have an intellectual spin on depravity. They brutally murder and dissect cats and plan on doing the same to the sailor. (They will soon turn 14 and Japanese law does not allow those under 14 to be punished.)
The book seems to tap into some of the same youthful angst as Catcher in the Rye. The book is short and uses fairly flowery language. (Is this from the original, or just the translation?) Some of the content can be downright disgusting. These seemingly "good" kids have been lead down a horrible path by their "chief".
The role of her Japanese ancestry is an important part of this book. However, it is more of a part of a life rather than the dominant role. Mika's story is that of people that have had situations thrust upon them. Even when bad things happen, people still have the ability to decide where to go from there. Sometimes, this leads to long detours in life. However, there is still the chance to come back on track.
Marie Kondo has strong opinions on how to tidy up. It must be done in one giant exercise. Doing things slowly is not enough. A lot of stuff will be thrown away. Storing it at mom's house will not help. Sentimental stuff has served its purpose. We do not need to hold on to stuff for memories. Instead we should be creating new memories. It is also easy to buy stuff. Don't hold on to stuff that you might need. She also has strong opinions on how to fold clothes. If it all works for you, great.
This book is primarily about his experience running, with some sidelines of his life and experience writing. He doesn't think running is for everybody. Being forced to do something can make people hate it. However, when they discover it on their own, it can be a joy. This goes for both physical activities and academic interests. Keeping up at anything is important. Giving your body a rest from running gives it a chance to "relax" and drop some of the gains that have been made.
He would typically put in long time periods running, covering large numbers of miles each week. His first "marathon" was a solo run from Athens to Marathon in the summer heat. (It was not a great experience, and may not have been the full marathon distance.) He later did a marathon each year, and even did an ultra. (Though that seemed to suck the joy out of running.) He ran in New York, Boston and Japan. He achieved remarkable physical health, but he seemed to most enjoy the mental benefits.
This simple "love story" goes on for over 40 hours, so there is a lot more to it. The girl goes on to be a fitness instructor and an assassin. The boy does well academically and athletically in school, but then fades after school ends. He is now teaching at a cram school. They are both connected through a strange cult. (She is engaged to assassinate the leader. He helps ghost write a fantasy novel about the "little people" and the religion with the daughter of the leader. They end up leaving the "real" world and entering a another world with two moons. Bad guys are chasing them. People have "safe" sexual relationships and don't have kids. However, the girl does get pregnant without sex.
A safety exit on an expressway ends up being a portal to the "alternate" version of 1984. This world is very close to the "normal" world. Only a limited number of people actually know that they are in this "alternate" universe. Most people are just going along with their normal life. This different universe (and the discovery of it) is a key part of the plot, yet it is not crucial to the novel. The differences are subtle. The "air chrysalis" story is "real" in the alternate universe, yet it is not critical for most. The story is discussed in significant detail, yet it may be interesting to actually see it.
Hanio Yamada is a single man living an anonymous life as a white color employee. One day, through some fluke circumstances, he decides to commit suicide. However, he fails in the process. Since he is unable to kill himself, yet feels his life has no value, he decides to sell his life. He puts up an ad, and waits for customers. Somewhat surprisingly, they start to come. The first is an old man that wants revenge on his much-younger wife that left him for another man. He wants Hanio to become involved with her so that the new boyfriend will find them in the act and kill them both. Since Hanio sees no value in his life, he goes along with it. However, instead of being killed on the spot, he is discovered and chased out. Later, he hears of the girls' death. 
Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Forde
Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a sappy tween love story that yanks on the heart strings. The story alternates between Seattle during World War II and Seattle of the mid 80s. Henry Lee is the son of strong Chinese nationalist father. He gets a "scholarship" to a white school, where he works in the kitchen with a Japanese girl, Keiko. Their friendship develops, much to the chagrin of his father. However, the Japanese internment separates the two. He manages to visit her in the camp on the Washington State fairgrounds as well as in Idaho. In the future, Henry has recently buried his wife and is watching his son come of age as he is graduating from college. Artifacts are discovered in the Panama hotel, and he searches through them to find remembrances of his youth.
The plot moves quickly and is loaded with vivid descriptions and street locations of Seattle of the 1940s. It makes you want to jump out and explore the International District (and wonder what was destroyed with the Freeway running right through there.) The Japanese Internment plays a big role in the story, with the emphasis on the decisions of individual people. There are few "evil" characters involved, yet some people's understanding of the "right thing" could be very harmful to others. Those who seek out the positive can remain happy regardless of the circumstances. The little bit of hope that is obtained can go a long way towards continuing on the path of happiness even when things appear miserable. (The Japanese do seem to be the master of making the best of a bad situation - It reminds me of the impeccable stadium and locker room after the Japanese soccer team lost.)
The love story stands well on its own. Two young kids are "forced" to advance their friendship by the circumstances of war. However, the same thing that hurries the relationship on also causes it to reach its premature end. Both are happy living their new life apart and with others. There is no need to look back at what had been. However, there is still opportunity to come back and celebrate the later life.
There is a complicated theme of family relationships. Fathers try to do what is best for their children. However, they can often pass along their own "bad behaviors" to their children even as they try to avoid them. There is also the relationship between Henry and a jazz street saxaphonist that winds its way through the story. They meet as Henry is going to the white school. They become friends and help each other out. The jazz music becomes a special unifying force among all of them.
