Kuhaku

The other day while in Book 246 I saw a beautifully printed book in English called Kuhaku (which means a blank; a blank empty space). The book intrigued me, but it was pretty expensive (more than 3000 yen-$30), so I put it down making a mental note to buy it with my research money when I get my budget for 2005-2006. A couple days later a Japanese friend showed it to me and lent it to me. I am usually a bit suspect about books on Japan since so many have been done badly, but there were only a couple of pieces that I didn’t care for in this collection, and the presentation and artwork is fabulous-it reminded me of the care and publishing attention to detail that has become the trademark for publications by McSweeney’s. It opens with a great quote from Mark Twain:"When I think how I have been swindled by books of Oriental travel, I want a tourist for breakfast."-Innocents Abroad. The publisher, Bruce Rutledge is from Seattle, which is the base for Chin Music Press. I particularly liked “That Floating Feeling” by Sumie Kawakami, which are excerpts from a book in Japanese translated into English for this collection about women who had affairs. It is very heartfelt and sad that these women were driven to affairs because of distant, unloving relationships with their husbands-which unfortunately seems all to common in Japan. I also really enjoyed Robert Juppe’s “Life With A Bilingual Dog,” which was very insightful about Japanese culture and also very funny. There are several excellent illustrations in the books as well, and a witty glossary of Japanese terms used in the book. It was a very enjoyable and well-put-together collection, I’m interested to see what they put out next.

Comments

[Bruce Rutledge]

Thanks for the kind words on Kuhaku. It's comments like this that keep us going.

I think you'll be surprised by our next project, which should be out this spring. All I'll say is it is *not* a book and not (specifically) about Japan.

Hope to see you around in Seattle or Tokyo. Bruce

[Ozzy Osmond]

And like McSweeney's, Kuhaku is printed in Iceland.

[Sumie Kawakami]

Hi.
Just a quick note to thank you for your comment on “That Floating Feeling”in Kuhaku. It took me a year to do those interviews. The more women I met the more depressed I got during the time, because their affairs did not make them happy, or did not fix their problems.

The problem may not be Japan-specific, but I was glad that our editor Bruce Rutledge included my essays in his project.

[MC]

Hi Sumie-thanks for commenting. I found your essays very moving, sad, and insightful.

I think you are right in saying that unhappy marriages and affairs are not Japan-specific, but it's just that I find it more common here for cultural reason perhaps. I hate to generalize, but I think many people in Japan see marriage as a means for stability-so when choose men who are good providers and men look for women who would make good homemakers. Add the fact that men are often away from home all day and return late at night and have little participation in the rearing of children let alone household chores doesn't help in my opinon.

Thus, I was a bit shocked about how open some of my collegues were about their affairs when I first arived in Japan. However, I respected the fact that many couples often stayed together at least until the children were out of the home-I think divorce can be really hard on kids since I've had many friends who were from divorced families. I don't know if there are more affairs going on here than in the US, but there are certainly fewer divorces.

[Arie van der Hoeven]

I taught English in Japan in the early to mid 90's and like Pat I was also shocked at how some affairs were open secrets. I had a student who was a local head (buchou) for a major construction firm in Asahikawa, Hokkaido. He had a wife and 14 year old daughter in Sapporo and an 18 year old mistress in town - just 2 hours away by train. My former girlfriend's father was also absolutely open about his philandering, some of which I took for bluster. He was sometimes demeaning in words to his wife, yet somehow likeable and kind and in most ways a good family man who spent much time at home.

I don't necessarily believe that there is a higher rate of infidelity in Japan than here in America, but it is more out in the open and it would appear that some women tolerate these behaviors or arrangements.

My wife is Japanese and she would divorce me in a heartbeat if I had an affair - unless she killed me first. I attribute part of that from coming from a shokunin family. He parent's run a family restaurant and come from working class backgrounds. It's the "salary man" types where I see this the most.

I haven't read Sumie's stories yet, but I look forward to comparing it to my experiences.