Hiromi Kawakami; trans. Allison Markin Powell
Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Allison Markin Powell, is a touching love story between a thirty-something Tsukiko and her seventy-something former Japanese high school teacher.
Tsukiko is a loner. She lives a secluded life, going to work, coming home to her apartment, and minimizing her social interactions. She is at a bar one evening when she bumps into her former high school teacher, Harutsuna Matsumoto, whom she addresses as “Sensei.” They strike up a conversation which eventually develops into a friendship. They go on outings together, meet in bars and restaurants to drink and eat together.
Gradually, Tsukiko grows dependent on Sensei and looks forward to their meetings. Her feelings toward him intensify. Love creeps up on her quietly and without fanfare until she realizes one day she has fallen in love with him. Their relationship fluctuates. She tries to put distance between them but without success. She finds herself missing him, thinking about him, and imagining things he would say to her. Sensei eventually admits to reciprocating her feelings, but they seem to retain their separate identities while forging a stronger bond. Their relationship from start to finish lasts around five years.
The story is told from Tsukiko’s first-person point of view, providing access to her thoughts as she struggles with her burgeoning relationship. Every little detail about Sensei fascinates her from the way he dresses, to his briefcase, to his tendency to horde old batteries, to the way he corrects her when she strays from ‘ladylike’ language and behavior. Her passion for Sensei is so intense she continues to conduct imaginary conversations with him and hears his voice even after his death.
This is a very tender love story where very little happens. Two different people with a wide discrepancy in terms of age and temperament gradually fall in love. The writing is simple, unadorned, and devoid of the histrionics that frequently plague love stories. The dialogue is deceptively simple and stilted, reflecting the awkwardness each feels at the situation and their reluctance to reveal the depth of emotions. Parallel lines of loneliness and a tense but growing intimacy thread their way throughout the narrative.
Like the love that develops between Tsukiko and Sensei, the novel is quiet, moving, and creeps up on you unaware of its impact until the end.
Highly recommended for those who like quiet, bittersweet novels about relationships.