Sublime

In 1903 Kafu went to the United States for a sojourn of four years during which he worked in schools, in the Japanese legation in Washington, and in the New York branch of the Yokohama Specie Bank. This was followed, in 1907, by a brief stay in France. Returning to Japan in 1908, he published a collection of stories and sketches produced during his

A little after two, we made it back to Minowa, the closest station to my place. Stopping along the way for a 210-yen bowl of noodles, we braved the heat and walked the ten minutes home, while the cries of cicadas smeared the atmosphere.

Shobashi comes alive at night. From appearances, it’s a dump. And from sundown to sun-up, on the third floor of a building throbbing with karaoke reverb, you’ll find the bar where Makiko works, five nights a week, from seven until around midnight.

absurdly smoky motsuyaki restaurants,