The Easy Life in Kamusari was the first story I read this week, and I really liked it. It felt really cozy, and somewhat familiar. I understand Yuki’s aimlessness upon finishing high school, and to me it seems like he’ll open up to forestry as the story goes on. Kamusari is a word I recognize, and understanding it means something along the lines of “divine departure”, it makes me wonder what that’ll mean later on in the story. I found it interesting how heavily it contrasts with the take-it-easy or “naa-naa” nature of the town too.
Memory Police was a pretty depressing read to me, and it reminds me a lot of 1984. The Memory Police being adjacent to the Thought Police, although it may be just because they’re both dystopias. It was interesting to see how when things disappeared, people moved on like normal. The main character mentions the possibility of words themselves disappearing, and I wonder whether that actually happens later on.
The Little Woods in Fukushima was a particularly profound read for me. Despite it being a completely separate story, it felt like it answered the questions I had for the previous two stories. From Furukawa’s choice to leave Fukushima, to his discussion of memories, and how important remembering can become. It’s powerful how Kunikazu continues mushroom farming and Furukawa continues advocating for Fukushima despite how paradoxical it may seem.
Scattered All Over The Earth was a really interesting read as well, especially its translation. I like how Mitutani portrays the difference in language fluency specifically, and I think it adds a lot to how well it reads in English. I also liked how Hiruko reinvents the stories she reads to the children as well, and it makes me wonder how it’s all portrayed in Japanese, and how big the difference is really.
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