A Cross-Post: I'm Dreaming of A White Japan

                                                       (Original post can be found here)

Japan is different things to different people. Some are in search of the inspiration behind their favorite anime shows (my personal favorites – apart from Studio Ghibli ones – include Netflix's Romantic Killer! hahaha). Others are drawn to its beautiful traditions, kept alive despite the country’s startling modernity. Where else can men and women commute in the full majestic regalia of kimono and obi, co-existing with warm toilet seats that shoot water at the press of a button?

But all agree on one thing: you’d be hard pressed to find a cleaner country. In a land where utmost dedication to every act is holy, including the manual labor behind cleaning, even the humblest street shines (and not just from the morning dew).

As outward purity inspires the same inner wholesomeness, so do these white covers make us think of this beautiful country’s affinity with cleanliness like the purest snow on top of Fuji. While only one of them can be strictly classified as Japanese literature, all three were written by those who fell in love with Japan… one of the easiest things to do.

🍣 TOKYO TRAVEL SKETCHBOOK by Amaia Arrazola was one of the last Christmas gifts I got Mama. I kept pestering her “Are you done with it yet?” so she accused me of buying the book for myself. Hahaha she knows me so well! The drawings are lovely, and so we included a few in this reel... but the research and the actual content were sadly wanting.

🏯 FIFTY SOUNDS by Polly Barton is a white Fitzcarraldo! Which means it's nonfiction. (The blue Fitzcarraldos are fictional) I’m excited to read about this British citizen’s physical and metaphysical journey as a translator. One review said Wittgenstein features prominently, which makes me even more eager to jump into this!

⛩️ THE MAKIOKA SISTERS by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki is EVERYWHERE, it seems. So much so that I fear I’m one of the few remaining booklovers who hasn’t read this! Immortalized in film, compared with Austen, I am certainly feeling the literary pressure to read this!

Are you drawn to Japanese lit? What are your favorites? Do share!