The Cat and The City: 'Vibrant and accomplished' David Mitchell

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Flo from Oregon has immersed herself into the Japanese culture and language, “consider[s] herself a Japanologist, rather than a Japonophile”, and decides to translate the science fiction stories of Nishi Furuni. “Japanophiles were people who just loved Japan without asking questions. They were people who thought Japan could do no wrong, who lived in a fantasy world of anime and manga.” In her questions and “quest for knowledge concerning Japan”, she sought to “learn, study, and absorb.” Her friend and teacher, Ogawa, visits with her at Café Neko. Ogawa tells her that “Chinese characters are so simple ... if we start with the simple ones and master them, we begin to learn that the complicated ones are just made up from simple ones, and that they all tell a story.”

There is a seriousness too about these stories. It captures brilliantly the soulless existence in a big city. This is the sobering picture: ‘The city is built on work. Tokyo’s the kind of place where if you stop working for even just a second, you’ll be swallowed up and forgotten… The city doesn’t rest, ever. Especially at night. Sleep is just something Tokyo fits in around work.’ In such a city, human connections are hard to forge and, when found, hard-earned. It was interesting to read about the effort Tokyo put in to rid itself of the homeless and stray cats in readiness to host the 2020 Olympic Games. The stories depicted fractured families, which raised questions, such as “Do we have any control over our lives? How can I change the future? Are we marked for life by the mistakes we make?”I’ve lived in Japan for five years so I’m familiar with the tropes and archetypes he talks about from my first year (including the ‘chikan’ train molesters, although I always found England more dangerous personally). After that I developed friendships and relationships with people who are unrecognizable in any of these characters. I don’t ask for another romanticized view of the East but I also don’t see any of the goodness, kindness and complexity in the culture that I’ve experienced. case in point: the Japanophile vs Japanologist shpiel. Oh shut up, you're just a weeb with a university degree These individual tales are so wonderfully intertwined, working like stitches to unite, fuse together, and bring to life this Frankenstein’s monster of a city. There is even one story that exists as a piece of fiction within this fictional world, and another that’s a comic book written by a young and sweet character towards the end of the book. The Cat and the City never stops feeling fresh, never ceases to surprise and impress. It also positions itself as an urban novel, featuring a feline flaneur that moves through the streets of Tokyo and in and out of a series of intricately interwoven lives, including a homeless man squatting in a capsule hotel, a taxi driver and a young woman with a cheating boyfriend.

And yet, even considering just how rich and varied these characters and their stories are, what impresses most is how these tales interweave, how they play and dance with one another. There is a lot of talk of the upcoming 2020 Olympics and the preparations being made across the city (I am not an expert on Japan, but I imagine this is where the “slyly political” blurb comment comes from, at least in part, as the city goes about “clearing up” by taking people off the streets). There are several mentions of people doing their best not to stand out (because the nail that stands out gets hammered). There is a portrait of Tokyo which feels very atmospheric, although I have never been there so I have no way to know if it is accurate. Wow what a ride! I finally had the chance to finish this gem and it was so worth it - strong hints of "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" and the movie "Crash" (2004). And I think that’s part of the pleasure of reading the book, these connections, both known and unknown (sometimes as fleeting as two people sitting on a bus or train at the same time and catching one another’s eye), but connections in the hustle and bustle of a mega-city. Lisa - "Flo, the translator, sees herself as a “Japanologist” rather than a “Japanophile”, she says, and it seems that Bradley feels the same way."

And while there may be more than a handful to get to know, not only in name but also their job, family, personal relationships, history, and more besides, doing so is almost effortless. Private Detective Ishikawa and his assistant, Taeko, specializes mainly in infidelity cases but looks for the missing, too. Masterfully weaves together seemingly disparate threads to conjure up a vivid tapestry of Tokyo; its glory, its shame, its characters, and a calico cat.’ David Peace, author of THE TOKYO TRILOGY Career woman Mari basically supports her English boyfriend, George, who teaches, takes photographs, and tries to be a good foreigner. They have a dysfunctional relationship. Mari wants to marry George but their fantasies of each other do not bear out the realities.