Hiromi Kawakami

In the distant future, humans are on the verge of extinction and have settled in small tribes across the planet under the observation and care of the Mothers. Some children are made in factories, from cells of rabbits and dolphins; some live by getting nutrients from water and light, like plants. The survival of the race depends on the interbreeding of these and other alien beings - but it is far from certain that connection, love, reproduction, and evolution will persist among the inhabitants of this faltering new world. Unfolding over geological eons, Under the Eye of the Big Bird is at once an astonishing vision of the end of our species as we know it and a meditation on the qualities that, for better and worse, make us human.

From the bestselling author of Strange Weather in Tokyo, here is a story of treasure hoarders, bargain hunters and would-be lovers. Among the jumble of paperweights, plates, typewriters and general bric-a-brac in Mr Nakano's thrift store, there are treasures to be found. Each piece carries its own story of love and loss - or so it seems to Hitomi, when she takes a job there. And her fellow employees are just as curious as the items they sell. There's the store's owner, Mr Nakano, an enigmatic ladies' man with several ex-wives; Sakiko, his sensuous, unreadable lover; his sister, Masayo, an artist whose free-spirited creations mask hidden sorrows. And finally there's Hitomi's fellow employee, Takeo, whose abrupt and taciturn manner Hitomi finds, to her consternation, increasingly disarming. A beguiling story of love found amid odds and ends, The Nakano Thrift Shop is a heart-warming and utterly charming novel from one of Japan's most celebrated contemporary novelists. 'A charming read' Good Housekeeping'One for the holiday suitcase' Vogue

Having married her childhood sweetheart, Riko now finds herself trapped in a relationship that has been soured by infidelity. One day, she runs into her old friend Mr Takaoka, who offers friendship, love, and an unusual escape: he teaches her the trick of living inside her dreams. Now, each night, she sinks into another life: first as a high-ranking courtesan in the 17th century, and then as a serving lady to a princess in the late Middle Ages. As she experiences desire and heartbreak in the past, so Riko comes to reconsider her life as a 21st-century woman - as a wife, as a mother, and as a lover - and to ask herself: after loving her husband and loving Mr Takaoka, is she is ready for her third great love?

An award-winning novel from one of Japan's most exciting literary voices: a short, simple and touching story of an unlikely love that blossoms across generations, and between seasonsTsukiko is in her late 30s and living alone when one night she happens to her former high school teacher, 'Sensei', in a bar. He is at least thirty years her senior, retired and, she presumes, a widower. After this initial encounter, the pair continue to meet occasionally to share food and drink sake, and as the seasons pass - from spring cherry blossom to autumnal mushrooms - Tsukiko and Sensei come to develop a hesitant intimacy which tilts awkwardly and poignantly into love. Strange Weather in Tokyo is perfectly constructed, warmly funny and deeply moving.

From the best-selling author of Strange Weather in Tokyo and The Nakano Thrift Shop, an irresistible reissue of her novel about an elusive ladies' man and the women who have loved him. Over the course of his life, Mr Nishino falls hopelessly in love again and again. One woman is a colleague, another a chance encounter; one is the girlfriend of a classmate, another the best friend of Nishino's latest conquest. Some are entranced by Nishino, others care more for their freedom, their children - or their cats. As we come to learn of the torments, desires and delights of each woman, a portrait emerges of a complicated man whose great capacity for love may well be the cause of his downfall.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 2025FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF STRANGE WEATHER IN TOKYOIn the distant future, humans are on the verge of extinction and have settled in small tribes across the planet under the observation and care of the Mothers. Some children are made in factories, from cells of rabbits and dolphins; some live by getting nutrients from water and light, like plants. The survival of the race depends on the interbreeding of these and other alien beings - but it is far from certain that connection, love, reproduction, and evolution will persist among the inhabitants of this faltering new world. Unfolding over geological eons, Under the Eye of the Big Bird is at once an astonishing vision of the end of our species as we know it and a meditation on the qualities that, for better and worse, make us human.

A tale of modern Japan and old-fashioned romance. Tsukiko is in her late 30s and living alone when one night she happens to meet one of her former high school teachers, 'Sensei', in a bar. He is at least thirty years her senior, retired and, she presumes, a widower. After this initial encounter, the pair continue to meet occasionally to share food and drink sake, and as the seasons pass - from spring cherry blossom to autumnal mushrooms - Tsukiko and Sensei come to develop a hesitant intimacy which tilts awkwardly and poignantly into love. Strange Weather in Tokyo is perfectly constructed, warmly funny and deeply moving. This edition contains the bonus story, 'Parade', which imagines an ordinary day in the lives of this unusual couple.

Hlavní hrdinka Kei se snaží vyrovnat s tím, že její manžel Rei před dvanácti lety beze stopy zmizel. Netuší, zda je manžel mrtvý, nebo zda od rodiny utekl. V jeho diáři ji zaujala poznámka Manazuru, což je název malého přímořského letoviska nedaleko Tokia. Kei žije se svou matkou, vychovává dospívající dceru Momo a udržuje vztah se ženatým mužem, ale myšlenky na zmizelého manžela nedokáže dostat z hlavy. Znovu a znovu ji to táhne k moři, do Manazuru. Koneckonců tam, v hluku příboje, můžete najít všechno: ztraceného manžela, zapomenutou minulost i sebe. V Manazuru totiž vstupuje do světa, kde čas se dokáže zastavit i vrátit, zvuky se vytrácejí a věci mizí. Duchové přicházejí a odcházejí, loď na moři hoří, oběšená žena visí nad hladinou. Dějí se tam opravdu podivné věci. Děj se pohybuje jakoby ve vlnách mezi přítomností a minulostí, reálným a neskutečným světem. Plyne pomalu, ale přitom udržuje čtenáře v napětí. Díky poetickému stylu autorky, kterému nechybí prvky magického realismu, tajemno, melancholie ani jemný humor, je z příběhu cítit tichá něha. "Krásný a hluboký příběh o ztrátě a paměti... . Jemný, poetický ... Silný." -Book Riot "Duchařský příběh či meditace o životě a smrti, o rodině a o sobě samém. Poutavý a napínavý román jistě uspokojí všechny čtenáře." Booklist

Hlavní hrdinka Kei se snaží vyrovnat s tím, že její manžel Rei před dvanácti lety beze stopy zmizel. Netuší, zda je manžel mrtvý, nebo zda od rodiny utekl. V jeho diáři ji zaujala poznámka Manazuru, což je název malého přímořského letoviska nedaleko Tokia. Kei žije se svou matkou, vychovává dospívající dceru Momo a udržuje vztah se ženatým mužem, ale myšlenky na zmizelého manžela nedokáže dostat z hlavy. Znovu a znovu ji to táhne k moři, do Manazuru. Koneckonců tam, v hluku příboje, můžete najít všechno: ztraceného manžela, zapomenutou minulost i sebe. V Manazuru totiž vstupuje do světa, kde čas se dokáže zastavit i vrátit, zvuky se vytrácejí a věci mizí. Duchové přicházejí a odcházejí, loď na moři hoří, oběšená žena visí nad hladinou. Dějí se tam opravdu podivné věci. Děj se pohybuje jakoby ve vlnách mezi přítomností a minulostí, reálným a neskutečným světem. Plyne pomalu, ale přitom udržuje čtenáře v napětí. Díky poetickému stylu autorky, kterému nechybí prvky magického realismu, tajemno, melancholie ani jemný humor, je z příběhu cítit tichá něha. „Krásný a hluboký příběh o ztrátě a paměti... . Jemný, poetický ... Silný." -Book Riot „Duchařský příběh či meditace o životě a smrti, o rodině a o sobě samém. Poutavý a napínavý román jistě uspokojí všechny čtenáře.“ Booklist

Take a story and shrink it. Make it tiny, so small it can fit in the palm of your hand. Carry the story with you everywhere, let it sit with you while you eat, let it watch you while you sleep. Keep it safe, you never know when you might need it. In Kawakami's super short 'palm of the hand' stories the world is never quite as it should be: a small child lives under a sheet near his neighbour's house for thirty years; an apartment block leaves its visitors with strange afflictions, from fast-growing beards to an ability to channel the voices of the dead; an old man has two shadows, one docile, the other rebellious; two girls named Yoko are locked in a bitter rivalry to the death. Small but great, you'll find great delight spending time with the people in this neighbourhood.

Over the course of his life, Mr Nishino falls hopelessly in love again and again. One woman is a colleague, another a chance encounter; one is the girlfriend of a classmate, another the best friend of Nishino's latest conquest. Some are entranced by Nishino, others care more for their freedom, their children (or their cats). As we come to learn of the torments, desires and delights of each woman, a portrait emerges of a complicated man whose great capacity for love may well be the cause of his downfall.

Who loves Mr Nishino? Minami is the daughter of Mr Nishino's true love. Bereaved Shiori is tempted by his unscrupulous advances. His colleague Manami should know better. His conquest Reiko treasures her independence above all else. Friends Tama and Subaru find themselves playing Nishino's game, but Eriko loves her cat more. Sayuri is older, Aichan is much younger, and Misono has her own conquests to make. For each of them, an encounter with elusive womaniser Mr Nishino will bring torments, desires and delights.

Hlavní postavou novely Hiromi Kawakamiové Vetešnictví pana Nakana (Furudógu Nakano šóten) z r. 2005 je mladá dívka Hitomi, která nastoupí jako pokladní a pomocná prodavačka na částečný úvazek v malém vetešnictví na tokijském předměstí. V knize sledujeme její citové zmatky a postupné zrání. Vedle vypravěčky Hitomi vystupují v příběhu ještě další tři výrazné postavy, které ve vetešnictví pracují záletný podivínský majitel pan Nakano, jeho starší sestra Masajo, umělkyně všeho druhu, která pozorně sleduje milostné aféry svého bratra a sama touží po lásce, a mladý nesmělý řidič Takeo, který přiváží zboží vykoupené od zákazníků a pomáhá v obchodě. Každý z nich má svá skrytá tajemství a touhy. Jako katalyzátor děje v jednotlivých kapitolách, jež tvoří do jisté míry samostatné příběhy, slouží předměty, které do vetešnictví přinášejí různí zákazníci k prodeji. Kniha nepostrádá ani zvláštní jemný, něžný humor, pro který bývá hrdinka Hitomi v některých recenzích nazývána japonskou Amélií z Montmartru. Nabízí tak nejen čtivý pohled na současné Japonsko, ale také a to především poutavý obraz svébytného myšlenkového a citového světa jeho obyvatel.

Among the jumble of paperweights, plates, typewriters and general bric-a-brac in Mr Nakano's thrift store, there are treasures to be found. Each piece carries its own story of love and loss - or so it seems to Hitomi, when she takes a job there working behind the till. Nor are her fellow employees any less curious or weatherworn than the items they sell. There's the store's owner, Mr Nakano, an enigmatic ladies' man with several ex-wives; Sakiko, his sensuous, unreadable lover; his sister, Masayo, an artist whose free-spirited creations mask hidden sorrows. And finally there's Hitomi's fellow employee, Takeo, whose abrupt and taciturn manner Hitomi finds, to her consternation, increasingly disarming. A beguiling story of love found amid odds and ends, The Nakano Thrift Shop is a heart-warming and utterly charming novel from one of Japan's most celebrated contemporary novelists.