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A review by servemethesky
Tokyo Ueno Station by Yu Miri
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
The cover was gorgeous, but this book was too depressing even for my taste!
I was glad for the opportunity to learn about homelessness in Japan. It seems like the unhoused are treated better there (for example, given notification and a place to store their belongings if city officials need them to move because of an event), but still underserved and unseen by the vast majority of society. Kazu, our dead narrator, has lived away from his family for 20+ years working to support them, and just faces loss after loss while living and working alone.
This book didn’t pack an emotional punch for me—I think because stylistically, it was written at a bit of a remove. Also, hated the ending. The tsunami tie-in felt so forced. But sure, let’s throw another loss on the pile.
I was glad for the opportunity to learn about homelessness in Japan. It seems like the unhoused are treated better there (for example, given notification and a place to store their belongings if city officials need them to move because of an event), but still underserved and unseen by the vast majority of society. Kazu, our dead narrator, has lived away from his family for 20+ years working to support them, and just faces loss after loss while living and working alone.
This book didn’t pack an emotional punch for me—I think because stylistically, it was written at a bit of a remove. Also, hated the ending. The tsunami tie-in felt so forced. But sure, let’s throw another loss on the pile.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Suicide