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Tokyo Ueno Station
Tokyo Ueno Station: A Novel | Yu Miri
A surreal, devastating story of a homeless ghost who haunts one of Tokyo's busiest train stations. Kazu is dead. Born in Fukushima in 1933, the same year as the Japanese Emperor, his life is tied by a series of coincidences to the Imperial family and has been shaped at every turn by modern Japanese history. But his life story is also marked by bad luck, and now, in death, he is unable to rest, doomed to haunt the park near Ueno Station in Tokyo. Kazu's life in the city began and ended in that park; he arrived there to work as a laborer in the preparations for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and ended his days living in the vast homeless village in the park, traumatized by the destruction of the 2011 tsunami and shattered by the announcement of the 2020 Olympics. Through Kazu's eyes, we see daily life in Tokyo buzz around him and learn the intimate details of his personal story, how loss and society's inequalities and constrictions spiraled towards this ghostly fate, with moments of beauty and grace just out of reach. A powerful masterwork from one of Japan's most brilliant outsider writers, Tokyo Ueno Station is a book for our times and a look into a marginalized existence in a shiny global megapolis.
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mrp27
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In my Japanese fiction era. Haven‘t read most of these but recently completed The Kamogawa Food Detectives and I really enjoyed it!

charl08 Nice stack! 1mo
mrp27 @charl08 Thanks! 1mo
32 likes2 comments
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Nebklvr
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Panpan

The setting and narrator should have guaranteed an atmospheric read but no. There was no atmosphere. No character depth or growth. No plot. Just vague musings and bits of history jumbled together.

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ju.ca.no
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I‘m almost done with the tagged book that Yoshi loves to use as pillow. The story line is not really clear at times and many things stay vague (so far) but it‘s a great glimpse into a life that ended on the streets. I‘m really enjoying it!

dabbe Hello there, adorable Yoshi! 💚🐾💚 12mo
ju.ca.no @dabbe 😽 12mo
IndoorDame 😻😻😻 12mo
batsy Squishy Yoshi! 💜 11mo
59 likes1 stack add4 comments
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ju.ca.no
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Time to start my next read! I hope it‘s as good as the cover is pretty 🥰

erzascarletbookgasm Pretty cover 💗 12mo
37 likes1 comment
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ju.ca.no
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Birthday books! From family and friends- they all know me so well 🥰 I‘m excited to read them all!

Deifio Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! Feier schön! 🎉🥳🎁 14mo
ju.ca.no @Deifio Dankeschön ? 14mo
ChasingOm Happy birthday!! 14mo
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ju.ca.no @ChasingOm thank you🥰 14mo
K.M.-Forester Tokyo Ueno Station was such a good read! 14mo
ju.ca.no @K.M.-Forester oh good to hear! I haven‘t heard of it before but it sounds really good! 14mo
65 likes6 comments
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andioop
Pickpick

very sad. It is hard to remember we must care for those who have nothing else, because we also must care for ourselves.
My 36th book of 2022. Meeting my goal right at the buzzer. 🎉

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Sarahannereadsbooks
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Mehso-so

This book will not be for everyone, but if you are willing to give it a chance I definitely think it is worth a read. There is a lot to take away from it and I think it's a book that keeps you thinking long after you have finished it. Although it's not necessarily all for good reasons.

Kazu's story is a sad one, but it is beautifully told. It can be disjointed sometimes and not 100% clear, but I still enjoyed the book overall.

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BarbaraBB
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#BookReport 43/22

I read these three book. I bailed on The Marrow Thieves, kind of enjoyed Tokyo Ueno Station and loved All This Could Have Been Different.

squirrelbrain Rather a mixed week - good job you loved one of them! 1y
BarbaraBB @Cinfhen It‘s good. I think you‘d like it too! 1y
58 likes3 comments
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BarbaraBB
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Mehso-so

I had high expectations of this book because my peers loved it and I am a sucker for Japanese books. This one didn‘t really work for me though. I wanted to know what had happened to the main character and I was interested in life in Ueno Park yet there was a lot of stuff distracting me from these two storylines. For me it was a bit too much in such a little book.

squirrelbrain That‘s a shame, when you were looking forward to it too. 😞 1y
BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain It was a good book just not that good - for me! 1y
KarenUK Pretty picture though! 😍 1y
Megabooks I get what you‘re saying. 1y
65 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Megabooks
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Pickpick

This book was heartbreaking. Set against the backdrop of Ueno Station where the 1964 Olympics took place, the novel follows the tragic life of Kazu, a man who worked construction on the buildings there and died in its homeless encampments as an elderly man. There is a lot of Japanese history woven into his struggle, too. Grab the tissues (and Google). This won last year‘s National Book Award for literature in translation, and it‘s deserving.

BarbaraBB Thanks for tagging me. I cannot believe I haven‘t read this one. I passed Ueno Station all the time last week ❤️. And I love that edition! 2y
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 2y
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Megabooks @BarbaraBB that‘s really cool! And this is one of the times I definitely prefer the US cover! 2y
Megabooks @Cinfhen yay! Enjoy! 2y
Megabooks @TrishB thank you! 2y
BarbaraBB Absolutely, this cover is much better than the UK one! 🥰 2y
83 likes3 stack adds7 comments
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K.M.-Forester
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Pickpick

I read this book overnight, it was a short read of 180 pages. It was sad and the ending was no walk in the park, but I loved it nonetheless. It overlapped with Pachinko in some ways. Interesting to see how a Korean women lived her story compared to a Japanese man. Good short read.

36 likes1 stack add
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K.M.-Forester
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Had a sunny warm Easter then April showers came back 🌧 started a new book last night super excited for it ☺️

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Kaag
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Pickpick

This little book packs quite a punch.

“I studied his face, that face that looked just like mine and I could not help but think that my life has been pointless after all, that I had lived this life in vain”.

It‘s the story of a man on the margins of society in post war Japan. Very thought provoking and one is left with the thought that as a society we need to do better. Looking forward to discussing this one.

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asterese
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Ended up reading 5 books for Asian Readathon 2021! 🥳

1. Please Look After Mom by Shin Kyung-Sook: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Tokyo Ueno Station by Yū Miri: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao: ⭐⭐
4. The Broken Circle by Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller: ⭐⭐⭐ (3.5)
5. The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The best thing about this experience is adding more Asian-authored books to my TBR. 📚🏮

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asterese
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Pickpick

This turned out a lot better than I thought it would be after reading the excerpt. The writing is beautiful, and the reader gets a glimpse not just of Japanese culture, but life in essence in Japan. We get the perspective of a homeless man here, and it is extraordinary to see through his eyes. Thought-provoking, haunting -- this book is everything. Happy to end Asian Readathon with this one.

⭐: 5

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asterese
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Whenever I read a hardcover book, I always remove the dust jacket. Love how Tokyo Ueno Station looks underneath, with that beautiful purple foil. 🥰💜

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WellReadCatLady
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Started this yesterday, it‘s kind of hard to focus on as it drifts from story to story without realizing it.

17 likes1 stack add
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Lexica10
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I stood alone in the darkness. Light does not illuminate. It only looks for things to illuminate. And I had never been found by the light. I would always be in darkness—

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Mogoeg
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Pickpick

Gorgeous writing (and translating) - the descriptions are incredibly beautiful - but this book is just so so sad. I think this writer is amazing but if you are feeling emotionally fragile I would suggest setting this one aside for a while for more cheerful fare.

Megabooks Thank you for the honest review. I‘ve thought about reading this, but I will probably wait until after the holidays. 3y
MayJasper Thanks, the book sounds very interesting and I had never heard of this author 😊 3y
83 likes6 stack adds2 comments
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CaroPi
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So I am having a nice bookish morning today! Happy Weekend everyone! My breakfast is a glorious peanut butter cheesecake from a bakery that is also an American Bookstore here in Krakow. The book wo n the #nationalbookaward for best book in translation. I am reading it for the book club #borderless

rockpools There are a lot of wonderful things on that table! 3y
Caroline2 Yum 😋 3y
Lesanne That looks heavenly! 3y
CaroPi @rockpools yes. All of them! @Caroline2 😜 @Lesanne yes. It was 3y
32 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

A man has died in Ueno Park, but his ghost remains at the train station, looking back on his life. This isn‘t so much a ghost story as a nonlinear story of a man‘s life. I liked but didn‘t love this, as I felt the material should have been more affecting than I found it to be.

#bookspinbingo audio edition

BarbaraBB The title is so appealing to me but I won‘t be in a hurry to pick it up! 3y
35 likes1 comment
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Lauren.Archer
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Pickpick
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Blaire
Ueno Station | Yu Miri
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#witbookhaul I stacked several women in translation books over the past couple of months. This one seems a bit too sad to read write now...but I hope to get to it eventually...about poverty in Japan from 1960s through close to present day told through the perspective of a homeless man. I also stacked a number of Nordic noir mysteries in translation and just started the Martin beck series written jointly by a married couple. #integrateyourshelf

ChasingOm I stacked this the other day too! 4y
rockpools I really loved this one 😊 4y
43 likes2 comments
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Ididsoidid
Ueno Station | Yu Miri
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Pickpick

A revealing and somber experience that flits between present past and future, woven together with history, geography and cultural traditions of Japan. The weight of Kazu‘s life is felt through every page as he recounts his final days living in Ueno Park. 8/10

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rockpools
Ueno Station | Yu Miri
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#7covers#7days #covercrush Day 5

Have you already done this @Hestapleton ? 7 covers, 7 days, no explanations, try and tag someone new each day...

I‘m enjoying doing this @sudi ! But I feel like I‘ve already raved about my favourite book covers, so there aren‘t many surprises here...

Hestapleton I need to start! You‘re the second person to tag me! 5y
rockpools @Hestapleton No pressure! It‘s fun though 😊 5y
batsy I was actually waiting for you to post this cover 😁 I love it! 5y
sudi I love this cover 😍 and i'm glad you're enjoying the challenge 😊 5y
rockpools @batsy I AM SO PREDICTABLE! 🤣🤣🤣 But I stand by my choice here! 5y
51 likes5 comments
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Abailliekaras
Ueno Station | Yu Miri
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Bailedbailed

I didn‘t get on with this - sadly, as I love Tilted Axis press and had high hopes for this one! An elderly homeless man reflects back on his life. It‘s a compassionate look at people living in poverty in Japan, but for me it lacked dramatic tension and was bleak. It failed the ‘am I looking forward to getting back to it?‘ test so I decided to let it go. But will keep an eye out for more work by Yu Miri.

rockpools Oh that‘s sad! I seem to be totally up for bleak Japanese fiction these days 🤷🏻‍♀️. My next Tilted Axis is lined up: 5y
Abailliekaras @RachelO I know, I so wanted to love it! I haven‘t heard of the Yogini, will check it out. 😊 5y
33 likes2 comments
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charl08
Ueno Station | Yu Miri
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How the hell is lighting a fire supposed to tell your ancestors that this is your house? You mean to tell me that someone who's reached enlightenment as a Buddha needs a fire to tell them where to come back to?

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charl08
Ueno Station | Yu Miri
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Reading with coffee.

rockpools 💖🌸🌧 5y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled I read this recently- very unusual. I liked it. 👍 5y
charl08 @RachelO @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled fascinating read. Made me wonder what had made the author focus on the homeless in Tokyo. 5y
39 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled
Ueno Station | Yu Miri
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Pickpick

Pick
Succint book translated from Japanese describing the life of a homeless man who lives in Ueno Park. Shame and despondency are a main cause of homelessness among this community. A unique and interesting story of the lives of the poor in Japan. Thanks for bringing this enlightening book to my attention, @RachelO

rockpools I‘m so glad you enjoyed it (and that it arrived)! 5y
56 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
rockpools
Ueno Station | Yu Miri
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Pickpick

?

A sad sad sad little book. Mainly pink with cherry blossoms and Redouté‘s roses, but turning yellow, the colour of autumn gingko leaves, in the last few pages. Beautifully written and one to re-read. I admit to having Japan tourist websites on hand, to trace the places/events/history described. A formerly homeless man looks back on his long life, and losses, listens in on other lives, and remembers from Ueno Park, Tokyo.

Suicide themes.

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Can‘t wait to get my copy! 🥰 5y
Soubhiville It sounds really interesting. How did you come across it? 5y
batsy Lovely review 🌹 5y
See All 12 Comments
rockpools @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled I so hope you love it! I‘ll be watching out to see how you find it 🌸 5y
rockpools @Soubhiville It‘s quite unique, I think. I‘ve got a subscription for the year to Tilted Axis Press www.tiltedaxispress.com - they‘re a small books-in-translation publisher here in the UK, run by Deborah Smith who translated the Vegetarian from Korean. I‘ll be getting all 5 of the novels/novellas they publish this year - this is the first one, and so far it‘s paying off! 5y
rockpools @batsy Thank you 😊 5y
rockpools And in the interests of keeping the challenges going, I‘ll add this to #Booked2019 #NewIn2019 and #ReadingWomenChallenge #FeaturesAReligionOtherThanYourOwn, in this case Pure Land Buddhism. @Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraTheBibliophage @thereadingwomen 5y
Soubhiville Oh neat! Sounds like a unique box, and with a lot of potential for finding hidden gems! 5y
rockpools @Soubhiville I‘ve always been a bit iffy about book subscriptions (I‘d rather spend the money on what I actually want!). This isn‘t actually a box, though - just the books - and I kind of trust them to feed me really interesting stuff that I won‘t find in a bookshop, even if it turns out to be not my thing. I‘m hoping for more hidden gems 💎🤞 5y
Tanisha_A Awesome review! ❇️ 5y
Abailliekaras Just started this one! 5y
61 likes3 stack adds12 comments
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rockpools
Ueno Station | Yu Miri
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This is a beautifully written/translated little book.

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled I just ordered a copy on ebay, thanks to your posts!! I looked on Amazon and it was kindle-only, which is fine, but I wanted an actual copy since that cover is so cool. 5y
rockpools @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled I‘m so glad you found a print copy! I got something by the same publisher on kindle a couple of years back, and have been hankering after a print one ever since! And I was worried the book itself might be miserable. It‘s not (so far)! Sad, but beautiful. 5y
Velvetfur Yes, that is beautifully written 😊💜 5y
mhillis Can‘t wait to read this!! 5y
51 likes4 comments
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rockpools
Ueno Station | Yu Miri
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It arrived! 😍 #TiltedAxisPress

As there‘s no blurb in the database:
“Born in Fukushima in 1933, the same year as the Emperor, Kazu‘s life is tied by a series of coincidences to Japan‘s Imperial family and to one particular spot in Tokyo; the park near Ueno Station – the same place his unquiet spirit now haunts in death. It is here that Kazu‘s life in Tokyo began, as a labourer in the run up to the 1964 Olympics, and 👇

candority I‘m so intrigued by that cover! 5y
batsy 😍😍 5y
erzascarletbookgasm What an interesting and intriguing cover! 5y
See All 7 Comments
rockpools ☝️ later where he ended his days, living in the park‘s vast homeless ‘villages‘, traumatised by the destruction of the 2011 tsunami and enraged by the announcement of the 2020 Olympics.” 5y
rockpools @candority @erzascarletbookgasm Isn‘t it great? This publisher has some beautiful covers. 5y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Wow - that cover and description! Stacked! 5y
59 likes5 stack adds7 comments
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rockpools
Ueno Station | Yu Miri
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How exciting is this? For Christmas, I was given a Tilted Axis Press subscription - they‘re a translated fiction publisher here in the UK who published Prabda Yoon (who I *may* have raved about last year). The sub gives me all 5 books they‘re publishing this year and the first one‘s on its way. I haven‘t had a book subscription before. Obviously I have Litsy to blame 😉.

Cathythoughts How exciting 🎉!! I‘ve never had a book subscription in my life either.... Litsy is the culprit for sure. Enjoy 😉 😊 5y
rockpools @Cathythoughts 😂🤣😂 All those things we never knew we *neeeeeded*! 5y
batsy Oh, that's lovely! All of their books sound amazing. And those covers 😍 5y
See All 8 Comments
rockpools @batsy It feels like the height of luxury! And yes, the covers are 💙. I got the Yoon on kindle, and felt I might actually be missing out... 5y
TrishB Looks fab 👍🏻 5y
Cinfhen Lovely 5y
AlaMich That cover!! ❤️ 5y
Smarkies Sounds like a really interesting book subscription. 😁 5y
61 likes1 stack add8 comments