Gaku Yakumaru is a popular author of mystery novels and thrillers. Recently, one of his novel has been a huge best-seller in Korea (where I live). The novel is 『誓約』 , and I have read and liked it. When I was in Japan for a short trip earlier this year, I saw that Gaku Yakumaru..
Book Review: 『わたし、定時で帰ります』by Kaeruko Akeno
This novel has been adapted into a TV drama featuring Yuriko Yoshitaka. It started airing in April this year (2019). Setting As the title suggests, this novel is a story about work and workplace. The protagonist is Yui Higashiyama, she is 32 years old and works for a web company. She is known for always..
JLPT review: So-matome grammar N1
This is my review of the textbook So-matome Grammar N1. I loved studying with it, I don’t think that it is the perfect textbook, and I could point out many things that I didn’t like in it, but… for someone who learns Japanese as a hobby, it was pleasant and not overwhelming.
Book review: 『模倣の殺意』by Sin Nakamachi
Sin NAKAMACHI (1935-2009) was an author of crime fiction. 『模倣の殺意』was first published in 1973 under the title "新人賞殺人事件". In 2004, 創元推理文庫 brought this mystery novel to the public again and gave it its present title. Setting An introductory chapter sets the facts: A man called Masao SAKAI dies on July, 7th at 7pm. He was..
Book review: 『6月31日の同窓会』by Yukiko MARI
Setting The main topic of the book is that former students of the same school receive an invitation for the "６月３１日の同窓会" and die soon after. Review: Liked it, but expected more... First of all, the setting was very appealing to me: when it comes to genre fiction, I like mysteries and murders, but most of..
Book Review: 『おはなし・ねこあつめ』by Haruka SHIOTSUKI
Presentation This book of 196 pages contains 8 short stories featuring the cats and universe of the mobile game Neko Atsume by Hit-Point. The book has full furigana and is written for children (小学中級から). Every other spread contains some coloured, super cute illustrations. The stories can be read independently from one another and it is..
Book Review: 『メゾン・ド・ポリス』by Miaki Kato (加藤実秋)
This is the first book of the series 『メゾン・ド・ポリス』. It is a unique detective novel where the protagonists are retired police detectives sharing a house: the maison de police.
Book review: 『切り裂きジャックの告白』by Shichiri Nakayama
Shichiri Nakayama is a prolific author of crime fiction. 『切り裂きジャックの告白』is the first novel to introduce the police detective Hayato Inukai (犬養隼人). Setting The novel is exactly about what its title refers to: a serial killer who calls himself "Jack", murders similar to those of Jack the Ripper, a police investigation to find the killer. But..
Book Review: 『誓約』by Gaku Yakumaru
Gaku Yakumaru is a well-known author of thrillers and mystery novels in Japan. The Korean translation of『誓約』is a huge hit, it was the top-selling novel of the biggest online and offline bookshops of the country. Setting Satoshi MUKAI lives with his wife and daughter and works in the same bar for 15 years. One day,..
Book Review: 『向田理髪店』by Hideo OKUDA 奥田英朗
A heartwarming novel about a little coal mine town and its inhabitants.
Book Review: 『誰か』by Miyuki Miyabe
First novel in the Saburo Sugimura series,『誰か』is a slow-paced investigation that introduces the reader to the protagonist Saburo Sugimura as he still works as a salary man and has nothing to do with crime and investigation.
Book review: 『ジャッジメント』by Yuka Kobayashi
An engrossing novel that sets a fictional setting to ask the question: how far should retribution go?