Strange Weather in Tokyo

The story of a single woman in Tokyo who won day meets her old teacher in a bar. Over the next months huge amounts of alcohol are consumed along with many bar snacks and other lovingly described Japanese food stuffs. She meets a school friend but spurns his advances and eventually develops a touching relationship with the elderly teacher.

There are several dream sequences, and the book seems quite dreamlike altogether. Not a lot actually happens, and to be honest I can’t explain everything that did happen. If there was a theme here, I think it was to do with loneliness and a lack of direction. Both characters are clearly lost and neither really seem to know what to do with their lives, although arguably the teacher is somewhat more content, but both of them I seem to get through life by being drunk so much of the time.

An interesting story telling style and yet more insights into Japanese life, but whether this actually enjoyable read is questionable, but it is certainly a thought provoking one.