Title: Socrates in Love

Author: Katayama Kyoichi

Publisher: Viz Media

Year: 2001 (Japan), 2008 (US)

Welcome back to the next exciting installment of J-Shelf! This week we are going to take a look at the best-selling Socrates in Love, or as it is known in Japan as 世界の中心で、愛をさけぶ or “Crying out love, in the center of the world.” The author, Katayama Kyoichi, revealed in the English language edition of the book that the English title was actually the original working title of the book, and thus that is why the English title is so different from the Japanese one used. By 2004, this became the book that sold more copies than Murakami Haruki’s Norwegian Wood, but did it surpass it in quality as well? Let’s find out!

Socrates in Love is a bittersweet love story that follows the young lives of classmates Sakutaro and Aki through junior high and high school. The story is tightly told in under 170 pages of simple prose about the two young friends bonding together and eventually falling in love. Unlike Murakami’s Norwegian Wood, where love was something of a fickle and sometimes destructive beast, the love found in this book is very pure which may either lull readers into a sense of nostalgia and comfort, or push them away for being perhaps at times overly mellow dramatic.

Regardless, without giving too much away of the plot (the following can all be found on the back blurb on the book), Aki becomes gradually ill with leukemia and Sakutaro most come to terms with what this will mean for their relationship. From the very first page, readers are sucked into a world of sadness and grieving, but the recounted memories of the young lovers brightens the page with fleeting moments of hope and happiness.

Despite the overly dramatic backdrop of two lovers about to be separated by leukemia, I found the characters to be real and easy to relate to. Sakutaro can be seen as the average guy, and he occasionally gets in arguments and disputes with Aki. I enjoyed that amount of realism in the book. Despite this coming at a time in what was known as the “Pure Love” boom of popular Japanese literature, the characters have flaws and don’t always gel well together. There’s one scene in the book where a friend is trying to help Sakutaro be alone with Aki on a trip to a secluded nearby island, and they scheme up a plan together to make it look like the friend has to leave and thus the two young lovers will have to be alone. Perhaps not the most noble of intentions, but it was this sort of very human quality about the characters that really saves the book from being a wishy-washy by the numbers piece of fluff love story.

For a book to sell millions and copies, it is thus going to be deemed pop literature and not something to really gain the respect of more culturally refined readers. And while Socrates in Love may not be the most complex book ever written, I think it really is a worthwhile read. Those looking for a light book to read to pass away a rainy day would do well to give this one a try. While it doesn’t quiet have the depth or staying power of Murakami Haruki’s work, this is a solid little book that should not be missed.

As of February 2009, no other works of Katayama Kyoichi have been translated into English. However, the mega popular manga version of Socrates in Love has also been released in the states, and in Japan the story has been made into a drama series and movie much in the same vein as say 電車男 (Train Man). Young lovers should give this book a try, as it captures the uncertain emotions that go along with such a powerful relationship early on in life, and those more experienced in life will be able to look at the scenes in this book with a sense of bittersweet nostalgia that comes only from losing those close to us.

That’s all for this week, happy reading and see you next time!

Tokyo Swan

If you liked this you may also enjoy: Kitchen: Banana Yoshimoto, Norwegian Wood: Murakami Haruki

Random link recommendation: Cake fail for every occasion- http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com

Hello everyone!

First of all, I apologise for not posting this earlier. To make it up to you all, the next entry will be posted much sooner.

Recently I was privileged enough to undertake a placement in a neonatology ward (ward for newborns). For what I was doing there, let us rewind to a week before that, when I was shadowing a physiotherapist.

The physiotherapist had a session scheduled for an infant that was experiencing breathing difficulties. After observing various examinations and attending a discussion over a patient who was situated in the intensive care ward, I was going to learn how breathing therapy was done. Awesome!

But it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. As I sidled up to the right side of the incubator, grabbed a chair to sit on and peered in, I was literally dumbfounded. Inside laid a tiny, premature newborn with various tubes and wires strapped to it. Its sheer size could rival a babyborn doll.

It was also bloody adorable.

Okay, I’ve seen pictures of myself in an incubator as I was born eight weeks premature. But personally seeing a premature newborn up front, one that was born sixteen weeks premature, I was awe-struck.

Its size, however, wasn’t the reason for my awe. See, in that moment I realised how vulnerable this little bundle was; how dependent on the medical staff it was; how it had come a long way in the last week or so, since its birth. Never before had I really understood the claim ‘babies are miracles’ until that point.

I’m sure you’ve all heard the phrase ‘babies are miracles’ and have either witnessed other people or personally shot this idea down as it does not follow the definition of a miracle. That or you simply don’t believe in miracles. Miracles are events that are supernatural in origin and therefore an act of God or events that defy the laws of nature. We won’t go into whether these laws of nature really do exist but let’s say they do. It is normal for a baby to be born at 37 to 42 weeks. It is not normal for them to be born much earlier and survive. Their fragile lives are endangered; they are much more susceptible to illnesses as well as respiratory and nourishment problems.

Needless to say, it was very difficult for me to concentrate on the techniques the physio was demonstrating. I was completely enamoured with the infant.

But I didn’t want it to end at just one session. I wanted to learn more, participate in consultations and interrogate the mickey out of the physician on duty.

And in doing all of these, my desire to work in a similar environment, a similar position of responsibility only heightened. The soreness in my feet also heightened but I figured it was a minor sacrifice to make.

Question to consider: Have you ever had an encounter related to your dreams/goals/career that left you baffled?

Comments and criticism are more than welcome. ^_^

Hello friends. Essay for English 281: Exposition

Pokemon is a popular war simulator created by Nintendo in 1995. Since its release over a decade ago, Pokemon has become one of the most successful and beloved video games of all time.

The most important aspect of the Pokemon Universe is the diverse and interesting collection of the Pokemon themselves. Pokemon, short for pocket monsters, refers to 150 unique creatures. Pokemon are quite similar to the various cultures of our world – they come in all shapes and sizes, have unique strengths, weaknesses, and even utilize different modes of communication. The flagship Pokemon, Pikachu, for example, is an electrically charged rodent which can speak nothing more than various permutations of its own name. “Pika Pika!” is the most common of all utterances. The rock serpent Onyx, on the other hand, can create only an assortment of grunts and bellows, all of which are indiscernible to even the most trained ears. While there is some evidence which indicates communication between different species of Pokemon, there are no signs of a mutually intelligible, universal language. Despite this, Pokemon are peaceful creatures by nature and can often be seen living together in harmony. It is not the monsters themselves, but trainers who ultimately bring about disturbances in the Pokemon Universe.

Trainers are human war generals who use their superior intelligence to enslave Pokemon. They create battle strategies and manipulate Pokemon to crush their opponents, gain experience, and hopefully, loot a bit of money in the process. This boundless lifestyle creates a vicious cycle, often resulting in the “I wanna be the very best” complex, a power hungry frenzy countless trainers have lost themselves to. Particularly powerful trainers are akin to military tyrants. Misty, the cunning leader of Cerulean City shows striking similarities to Emperor Hirohito, with her hot head and water based attacks. Likewise, the brute force wielded by earth based Brock can be easily compared with Stalin’s iron fist. Final boss and perfectionist Gary is obviously modeled after Hitler. Each and every trainer aspires to become a Pokemon Master – the most powerful trainer of their time and essentially the ruler of worlds. Pokemon masters are unparalleled in their knowledge, carry incredible amounts of wealth, and most importantly, command a team of up to six incredibly powerful pocket monsters.

Acquisition of pocket monsters is no easy task. Pokemon, much like humans, are not easily persuaded. Pokemon will not willingly leave tranquility for a lifetime of military service. Thus, for the majority of cases, trainers must force Pokemon into service. Using a series of brutal physical, elemental, and sometimes mental attacks, trainers will crush the will of their desired Pokemon until it briefly enters a weakened, delusional state. During this window, Pokemon are extra susceptible to capture. Poke-balls are then used like propaganda to seize the foreign monster and create forced alliances. If successfully captured, the Pokemon are bound to a cramped life of solitary confinement, only allowed to see the outside world of war at the will of their trainers. The overwhelming majority of trainers force their monsters to live in Poke-balls, favoring a fear based relationship. Ash Ketchum is an especially sadistic trainer who teases his Pokemon, letting only his beloved Pikachu run free, while the rest are forced to the cold confines of the Poke-balls.

The typical poke-battle shares many characteristics with colonial warfare. Each side takes turns attacking in an honorable, face to face match. Trainers bark out commands, far and safe from the action. Trainers also serve as medics at this time, continually pumping their retired Pokemon full of performance enhancing steroids known as “items.” When morale and energy has been depleted, reinforcements are switched in to relieve the exhausted. Matches can last anywhere from a matter of minutes to several of hours. Poke-battles end when either side has run out of functional Pokemon. There have also been instances of guerilla warfare tactics utilized by a particularly ruthless pair known only as Team Rocket. Rocket seeks elusive Pokemon in the hopes of later exchanging them for cash. Fortunately, the duo often creates almost silly battle strategies which, one way or another, end up launching them several miles from the action, making them little to no threat for the average trainer.

With its deep, well developed creatures, realistic battle system, and solemn themes of war, betrayal, and madness, it comes as no surprise that Pokemon has captured the interest of millions around the world. Though more than a decade has passed since the original release, every year sees a new supply of Pokemon sequels, movies, and even children’s toys. Fans eagerly await what the future has in store for this brilliant, yet violent franchise.

Hello friends, Dogentricks.com here. I just finished my JET interview. ナイス！

When I signed in to the Japanese consulate, the receptionist quickly asked me,
“are you the one with the website?”

A bit surprised, I modestly responded, “Haha, yea!” Though I really wanted to say, “Why yes, I am Dogentricks.com!”

I nearly exploded with laughter just thinking about saying something so ridiculous. I bit my tongue and suppressed the hypothetical humor into an inaudible stomach implosion. I took out the required forms and smoothly passed them across the table, earnestly trying to display my professionalism.

She continued, “Yea, we were wondering about that…the essay you wrote on your website and the essay you turned in are completely different.”

Oh noes. After having one of my fantastic professors proofread my original essay (the one posted on the website), I ended up rewriting almost the entire thing. “This essay is interesting and creative, but not what a few Japanese people sitting in Washington are going to want to read; it’s too abstract.” With that in mind, I completely redid my essay. It didn’t occur to me the incongruity of reality and the world wide wealtiy might come back to bite me in the rear.

Well, it did. But it was a nice bite – like the kind of bite you have when you’re chomping into a pancake with just the perfect balance of butter, hot maple syrup, and just cooked batter. I ended up talking with the kind receptionist for about 15 minutes, and eventually even showed her some tricking videos. Two other people waiting to be interviewed nudged over and began watching as well. “I’ve always wanted to learn this stuff!” one of them said. “What is this site again?” At that point I realized,

“This is the second major job interview I’ve had in which I watched Quad Tricks VI” I shook my inner mind in disbelief while ginning from ear to ear.

Finally, the time came. “Kevin,” said the receptionist, “they are waiting for you in Room A.”

Anxious to get things started I walked straight into the room, completely forgetting everything I had learned in Japan. The receptionist literally laughed out loud and in a classic whispering to your friend across the classroom voice, stopped me. “Knock!!” I quickly jumped back outside the room and pulled the door shut. Then, I knocked. Unable to hear anything from on the other side and now slightly out of my groove, I waited breathlessly for 4 seconds and then once more entered the room.

Overall the interview went smoothly and turned out to be a great experience. I actually love the high energy and tension of a serious job interview – it’s the one place where you really see your strengths and faults. I thank the Seattle JET desk for providing me with an incredible opportunity, and everyone else who has supported me thus far; hopefully I’ve have good news for everyone this April!

Train hard.

Hello friends, Dogentricks.com here. I just had my JET interview and am in the process of writing a lengthy blog about it. However, it is 3:14 AM and I’m not about to skip class (or free FIUTS lunch for that matter) tomorrow, so the writing will have to wait!

Train hard.

Hello friends, Dogentricks.com here. My great friend Rodger Swan (also known as Tokyo Swan, P Diddy, and Dreamcaster) has graced us with his presence and become an author for Dogentricks.com!

Rodger is an incredible writer and has the charisma of 1000 great looking, smooth talking men. He has also passed the first stage of the JET Program and will have his final interview next week; I have no doubt he will pass with flying colors.

I have updated the ‘authors’ section of the website with his profile. I encourage you to check it out and see what Rodger is all about!

edit: Happy Valentines Day – go make someone smile!

Title: Calling You

Author: Otsu Ichi

Publisher: Tokyopop

Year: 2001 (Japan), 2007 (US)

Hey gang and welcome to the first installment of J-Shelf with Tokyo Swan! Now then, long time readers of Dogentricks.com may recall me from some previous posts by Dogen. However, for those scratching their heads, let me give you a quick rundown. I was Dogen’s next door neighbor in the dorm in Shin-Kawasaki when we were going to Keio during our exchange program. During this time, I was making a weekly video series for youtube called “Tokyo Swan” (check it out if you haven’t yet!), and during this time Dogen and I became good friends. Recently, Dogen sent me an email asking if I wanted to join the Dogentricks team, so after thinking about what kind of material I could contribute to the site I gladly accepted the offer.

And so, here we are on the first installment of J-Shelf, my (as of now) bi-weekly look at Japanese literature. I’ve been a huge fan of Japanese novels for about 5 or so years now, reading everything from Murakami Haruki, Tanizaki Junichiro, Kawabata Yasunari, Mishima Yukio, Kanehara Hitomi, Ogawa Yoko, Miyabe Miyuki, Kirino Natsuo, Abe Kobo, Suzuki Koji and so many others. So while I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject, I am very enthusiastic about Japanese literature and I hope I can bring some interesting titles that have been translated into English to your attention.

To kick things off, I just finished a collection of three short stories called Calling You. Published by Tokyopop, a company that mainly specializes in translating manga, I didn’t really know anything about the title before picking it up. However, after discovering that the author, Otsu Ichi, who wrote stories which were adapted into a live action movie called Zoo, I realized that I would be in for some strangely off-kilter tales. Sure enough, Calling You is a collection of three strange stories of the supernatural, but there is a real heart at the core of these stories which leads this away from typical supernatural fiction.

The first story in the book is where the collection takes its title; Calling You. In it, a reclusive young girl builds a phone in her mind which is able to call into the minds of other people with imaginary phones. Yeah, pretty wild right? Well, the story takes on a romantic edge when she is finally able to enjoy conversing with a boy who also has an imaginary phone.  The plot takes some interesting twists and turns, until it arrives at a surprising ending.

The oddly titled “Kiz/Kids” is the second story of the collection. This one was probably the best of the three and left the biggest emotional impact on me. The narrator of this piece is a young boy who is put in a class for troubled young students when he meets a very meek and quiet boy who has a very peculiar special power. This young boy has the ability to transfer the wounds of people to himself just by touching them. This leads to the boys trying out the new power and seeing how they could use it for good and evil. Even though it’s a fairly short story, the emotional relationship between the characters was delicately built and remarkably impressive.

Finally, the books ends with a story called “Flower Song.” While this is easily the weakest of the three stories, it still has a few unique ideas. The story centers on a strange flower that hums just like a little girl. This one had more of a mystery element to it, but it didn’t leave the same impact on me as the first two stories. However I enjoyed how all of the stories focus on unfortunate young characters who feel disconnected from the rest of society, so there are common themes of isolation and depression throughout the work.

Calling You is also sprinkled with illustrations throughout the text, so this book may appeal to manga readers as well as for those looking for some offbeat supernatural short stories. It’s a slim book at just over 180 pages and so it can easily be finished in an afternoon. For more of Otsu Ichi’s work, it appears that Tokyopop has also released a book entitled Goth and the Zoo novel is set to debut in English later this year from Viz Media. Personally, I think he’s an interesting author that is able to mix grotesque and heartwarming elements with thought provoking results. While this work certainly isn’t world changing, it’s a fun read with some weird plot points so for that reason I recommend it for others to try out. That’s all for this time, happy reading everyone!

Tokyo Swan

If you liked this you may also enjoy: The Diving Pool: Ogawa Yoko, Birthday: Suzuki Koji, Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination: Edogawa Rampo.

悟りとは何じゃ

ただひたすら座ります。

Random thought: There seems to be an exception to every rule. Except for this one.

Hello everyone!

Valentine’s Day is notorious for its semi-nauseating amounts of pink, paper hearts, luscious flowers and most importantly, love. I actually don’t celebrate it but, I thought, why not share with you a love atypical to 14 February?

Kodak moments are particular moments that you feel compelled to capture with a camera. Few of my friends that I questioned believe that Kodak moments are of those rare, special moments often consisting of someone close to you. Their ‘someone’s’ are friends, partners and family.

As I type this I find myself occasionally peering over at my two favourite photos occupying the desk. One is of my brother when he was four months old, sporting a dangerously cute smile. The other consists of me as a toddler attempting to hold my new born brother as I beam at the camera. For me these photos are Kodak moments. What makes them my favourite is what they actually symbolise: family.

Family is not always limited to blood relations. I acknowledge some of my friends as relatives and some of you may be closer to your friends than your direct family. Love and trust seem to play a primary role on who we consider close. Both of which I find with my direct family.

Families are caring.

I, like every other teenager, have been through the frustrating phase of ‘they don’t understand me’. Actually, I’m still partly going through it and will be for the rest of my life. And that’s okay, we are our own people. No two people can agree on everything because we have our own opinions. I do believe, however, that what our parents/guardians do or tell us, they are intending to do it for our own good, our own safety because they care. Sometimes we don’t agree with that and sometimes what they think is really not the best option.

You will also always be your parent’s/guardian’s little bundle of joy whether you like it or not. Bit like how my siblings will always be the little tykes I remember as when they first stepped into my life and changed it for good. Never mind the fact that I’m way shorter and look younger than them. Pfft, minor details.

Families are entertaining.

I have younger siblings. You know what that tends to mean- bloody irritating; it’s as if their sole purpose of existence is to annoy the hell out of the oldest. Just for their amusement. We know that really is not the case but it doesn’t seem that way when you’re riled up!

Despite this, I still think they’re the cutest things to grace this planet. I may be a tad biased…

Families are supportive.

There have been examples where someone wants to venture into a particular hobby (example: tricking) or career (example: tricking) but their parents/guardians/loved ones are not so accepting. Now, with the case of tricking this can be quite understandable because training can cause injuries, possibly permanent.  If they start seeing you skipping the junk food and exercising more, they may think you’re well on your way to an eating disorder. And they may continue to do so until you talk to them. You cannot expect them to be accepting if they don’t even know what you’re aiming for. =D After all, they hopefully want what makes you happy as that is a good indicator for the right thing.

Families are special.

The two photos perched on my desk can easily be considered ordinary childhood photos.  But when I look at them, I cannot help but feel my heart swell with affection. My family- I love them to bits, I trust them with my life and I care for them to no end.

A friend believes a Kodak moment is “some kind of event or happening that can only be captured a few times in one’s lifetime“.

And with the distinct happy, momentuous aura of family emanating from the two photos, these are definitely my favourite Kodak moments.

Questions to consider: Do you have any Kodak moments? What is family for you?

Comments and criticism are very welcome. Thank you! ^_^

Special thank you to friends who supplied their opinions.