My Grandfather, the Master Detective by Masateru Konishi

I can see why Masateru Konishi’s My Grandfather, the Master Detective was a bestseller in Japan. It’s filled with mystery, short tales, suggestions of romance, and evil. The author, and the translator, Louise Heal Kawai, lovingly portray the relationship...

The Blanket Cats by Kiyoshi Shigematsu

What a sad, interesting book. The Blanket Cats by Kiyoshi Shigematsu is translated into English by Jesse Kirkwood, who also translated The Full Moon Coffee Shop, among other books. While the blanket cats themselves are the only link between seven stories, each of the...

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki

I think I”m about a year or two behind others who are reading some of these small Japanese books with entwined stories, but it was due to my own prejudice. I had read translated books in the past, and had not been impressed. I never knew if it was the writer or...

What You Are Looking For Is In the Library by Michiko Aoyama

On first glance, Michiko Aoyama’s What You Are Looking For Is In the Library appears to be a short, simple book with episodes about various characters. Translated from the Japanese by Alison Watts, it’s actually a thoughtful, meaty book that brings the...