The Short Story Collective: 13 Tales from Japan weaves aspects of real-life, contemporary issues facing Japan with elements of the surreal to reveal a side of the country seldom seen.

The departure point for the book (featured in The Best Asian Short Stories 2021), introduces the reader to a young writer racked with nerves as he searches for inspiration for his next short story reading. Heading into the mountains for inspiration with his friend Akiko, he encounters a drunken salamander who shares a tale so sublime that it reduces grown men to tears. There is however one condition, this secret story passed down through the generations must not be shared beyond the boundaries of the river.

In "The Koan", an ancient challenge among the misty mountains of Kyoto causes a young lady to question the very fabric of her own reality. If she can't even control her own thoughts, who or what is writing the pages of her story on an old typewriter?

In "Digital Detox", we meet a crafty farmer who lures gullible tourists to his country house after reading of the growing trend for 'wellness' and 'mindfulness'. With the promise of a break free from any electronic distractions, will his DIY efforts to engage the group in rural life be successful?

In Miss Representation, a teacher at an international university falls victim to the Warbler mob after a throwaway anecdote is misconstrued. As calls for her to be 'cancelled' echo around the corridors of the campus, she finds herself at the heart of a culture war that she wanted no part of.

In "When in Rome", the reader is introduced to a trio of YouTubers who epitomize the phrase 'Tourist Pollution' when they leave behind a trail of chaos and bad manners in Kyoto. However, their lack of decorum is dealt the hand of karma when they mess with the wrong ex-gang member in a local hot spring.

In the final story of the book "Anger Management", the owner of a sake brewery battles to control his temper in a country where public expressions of emotion are very much frowned upon. Will he be able to keep his anger in check when a rival copies his branding?

In these stories and more, the reader is introduced to a perspective on Japan that is at times dark, occasionally surreal, yet always engaging.

• We started tracking this book on March 24, 2022.
• This book was £0.00 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 14 times in the past 767 days.
• The current price of this book is £1.99 last checked 36 minutes ago.
• This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past year is FREE.
• The lowest price to date was FREE last reached on March 28, 2024.
• This book has been FREE 7 times since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was £3.99 last reached on June 14, 2023.
• This book has been £3.99 6 times since we started tracking it.

• TravelAsia
• Literature & FictionHumour & SatireLiterary Humour
• Literature & FictionShort StoriesSingle Authors
• Humour

• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 289 Pages
• File Size: 4,966 KB