{"product_id":"the-mad-kyoto-shoe-swapper-and-other-short-stories-9780804856577","title":"The Mad Kyoto Shoe Swapper and Other Short Stories","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003eRebecca Otowa's collection of short stories offers a unique insight into Japanese culture and society, exploring themes of love, work, marriage, death, and family conflict from both the Japanese and foreign perspectives. The stories are illustrated with the author's own black-and-white drawings and provide a captivating glimpse into everyday life in modern Japan. \u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat\u003c\/strong\u003e: Hardback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLength\u003c\/strong\u003e: 160 pages\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication date\u003c\/strong\u003e: 04 May 2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher\u003c\/strong\u003e: Tuttle Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRebecca Otowa, an American woman who married into a Japanese family and has lived in Japan for over thirty years, presents a captivating collection of stories in her book \"Convenience Store Woman.\" Through the eyes of both the Japanese and the foreigner, she explores universal themes such as love, work, marriage, death, and family conflict. The collection includes:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Year of Coffee and Cake:\u003c\/strong\u003e A young American wife in the Tokyo suburbs suspects her next-door neighbor of murdering an elderly relative.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRhododendron Valley:\u003c\/strong\u003e An elderly man decides to commit suicide to deal with his terminal illness and to spare his family pain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Mad Kyoto Shoe Swapper:\u003c\/strong\u003e A reclusive young Japanese man enjoys the strange hobby of stealing shoes from temples, but it gradually consumes him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGenbei's Curse:\u003c\/strong\u003e A downtrodden woman loses her temper with her demanding, sick father-in-law. Years later, old and sick herself, she can now empathize with him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTrial by Fire:\u003c\/strong\u003e A true story passed down through the author's family of a gruesome trial to settle a land dispute in 1619.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLove and Duty:\u003c\/strong\u003e The Japanese custom of duty chocolates (chocolates gifted by women to men on Valentine's Day) has repercussions for an American and a Japanese woman.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUncle Trash:\u003c\/strong\u003e Told in the form of newspaper articles, this is the story of an old man, his hoarding addiction, the annoyance it brings his family, and his eventual revenge.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWatch Again:\u003c\/strong\u003e A man starts stalking his ex-wife.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOtowa's writing is characterized by her unique perspective as an American woman living in Japan, and her stories offer a glimpse into the cultural differences between Japan and America, particularly regarding women's sensibilities. The book provides a thought-provoking and entertaining exploration of the human experience, offering a fresh perspective on familiar themes through the eyes of a foreigner in a foreign land.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight\u003c\/strong\u003e: 312g\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimension\u003c\/strong\u003e: 203 x 130 (mm)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/strong\u003e: 9780804856577\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rebecca Otowa","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":44327402635514,"sku":"9780804856577","price":4.27,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0522\/4297\/2845\/products\/1688742247851_book.jpg?v=1688886448","url":"https:\/\/shulphink.com\/products\/the-mad-kyoto-shoe-swapper-and-other-short-stories-9780804856577","provider":"Shulph Ink","version":"1.0","type":"link"}