by Jessica Schneider

Created on: November 09, 2010

Nagai Kafu is a somewhat underrated writer when one thinks of Japanese literature. I say this now after having read one of his early collections, American Stories. While I’ve not read any of his novels yet (Rivalry: A Geisha’s Tale will be next), much of his work has simply not been translated into English. Other than American Stories and Rivalry, no other major works of his seem to either be 1) translated into English and 2) easily available on Amazon. Published by Columbia University Press, Kafu’s work came recommended by a fellow writer friend of mine, and given Kafu’s influence upon the great Tanizaki, I became eager to read him. Happily, I can state that American Stories is both inventive, surprisingly fresh and many of the tales within are excellent reads. In fact, this is a great book for any young short story writer to examine, for not only Kafu’s narrative play, but also because the tales are economically written and also full of memorable characters that are not stereotypes.

 Kafu spent four years in the United States back in the early part of the last century (1903-1907 to be exact), and so American Tales is basically a slice of Americana written by a Japanese. Not only do we see America through his point of view, but he is never dull or repetitive. The tales, especially those found in the first half of the book, are impossible to put down. For example, in “Atop the Hill,” a Japanese man arrives at a mid western college, and is surprised to learn there is another Japanese also there. The principal then tells him that Mr. Watano will be “glad” to see him, since he’s not seen a Japanese for a number of years.

 The narrator then notes: “I was at a loss, not understanding what this was all about, but the old gentleman, his face still all smiles, asked me, ‘Did you know Mr. Watano in Japan, or did you get to know him after you came to the United States?’ The principal had jumped to the conclusion that because I was Japanese I must have come to visit my compatriot, Mr. Watano, at this school. This misunderstanding was soon dissolved in guileless laughter, and I was duly introduced to the person named Mr. Watano.”

 The above prose is crisp, observant and believable. In another story, titled “In the Woods,” Kafu performs an interesting technique where his narrator observes two people—a black woman and a soldier, frolicking in the woods, and

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