Why do so many Japanese fairytales have unhappy endings?
To keep the salaryman or peasant from dreaming of a better life??
Why are so many people convinced that Haruki Murakami is going to win the Nobel Prize?
Because they haven’t read any recent winners and so have no idea how unreadable you really have to be to win it.
Why “Banana” Yoshimoto?
“Born Mahoko, she took the name ‘Banana’ while a university student so her readers wouldn’t know if she was a boy or a girl” Kickboxing Geishas pg 29
