Book Junky. Japanese/English Translator. Writer.
Riding down the cobbled path to the cafe that faces the quay, where the baristas know to save me the last chocolate croissant, I notice the regulars are already there. The cyclists in spandex with boisterous laughs and clickity-clack shoes. The group of modern day Amazons, post work-out. A semi-retired business man who takes his... Continue Reading →
This was by far one of the most difficult reads of recent years, the last one being Moby Dick and prior to that, The Sea of Fertility tetralogy by Mishima. The experience is worth the initial struggle; readers - onwards! The tone is sartorial, scathing, dark. Macabre, with the tenderest of moments. Wordplay prevails.... Continue Reading →
Growing up I loved reading myths. Greeks were my favourite – still are. Wanting to revisit the Japanese myths of my youth, of fantastical creatures and cursed spirits, I recently read the Pantheon Collection of Japanese Tales. Imagine my surprise when I encountered sexually depraved monks taking advantage of sleeping princesses, potty-mothed samurais, and a... Continue Reading →
It has been my own personal mission to place writers that span our collective history in chronological order – a mental organization that is imperative to help understand where we are today culturally on the progressive scale. Even so, my learnings paint only a broad picture, and zooming in on specific genres makes the strokes... Continue Reading →
Ikigai – the Japanese philosophy of living life with purpose, has been a recent passion project of mine. It all started when I wrote an article of what ageing gracefully in Japan looked like. Japan’s age demographics have been shifting for decades, and now the country has entered a “super-aged” society, with senior citizens age... Continue Reading →
Interviewed by THE RAKE’s Yuko Fujita Written in English by Johanna Airth Kai Sotto. Photo Credit: Ivan Kuek “The two words that encapsulate who I am, are ‘immigrant and people,’” Kai begins. He speaks as if those two words are enough to understand his scope of work and artistry. He is sitting in his tranquil beach... Continue Reading →
I have mentioned before that this year has felt a bit lacklustre in terms of reading, writing, and well...life in general. The pandemic induced ‘reset’ has worn off; I have decluttered, re-prioritized, and found new intent – but now the very same restrictive conditions which helped with the mental shift, seem like a holding cell.... Continue Reading →
Originally written in 1937 during pre-war Japan, this is a simple story of a 15 year old boy, Jun’ichi. All schools, no matter time, place or status, are a microcosm of social and ethical problems; this is another iteration of the awkward navigation through middle school. What makes the story special, however, are the occasional... Continue Reading →
Of Ogawa’s vast scope of work, I had read The Housekeeper and The Professor, which remains one of my favourite books; I read Ogawa’s interview with the famed mathematician, Masahiro Fujiwara, whom she met as part of her research for her novel; I read The Memory Police, which was as equally delicate as the first... Continue Reading →
Scrolling through my bookstore’s picks, I came across this bold book cover with a black panther, by the author Garcia. Assuming it was a short story collection by one of my favourite authors Gabriel Garcia Marquez, I clicked ‘buy’. After receiving the book, I discovered my mistake. Of Women and Salt, is not a lover’s... Continue Reading →
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