Justin's Reviews > Granta 127: Japan

Although reading several rather harsh reviews of the latest Granta issue which criticised many of the stories for being unrelated and on unnecessary tangents about 'Japan', I found that this solid issue contained a good mix of topics. Many stories were originally written in Japanese and translated into English, while others are written by foreigners familiar with Japan, resulting in both interesting insider and outsider perspectives.

One of the most profound insights was by Pico Iyer in 'The Beauty of the Package' where he observes and comments upon the perfected routines and rituals of the Japanese, often criticised for being superficial and heartless. But he asks: 'Does the fact we all say 'I love you' make it mean less every time?'

Personal favourites: 'A Clean Marriage' (Sayaka Murata), 'Things Remembered and Things Forgotten' (Kyoko Nakajima), 'Spider Lilies' (Hiroko Oyamada), 'The Beauty of the Package' (Pico Iyer), 'Pink' (Tomoyuki Hoshino)