Reviews with content warning for Grief - Tokyo Ueno Station

Tokyo Ueno Station is short but poignant. It overflows with compassion for the little guy, for the downtrodden, for those who have experienced grave misfortune. The book is a meditation on life and death, on grief and how is it even possible to cope with suffering that reaches a certain point in a society that is drenched in inequity? It's one of the more genuinely empathetic pieces I've read that centers around homelessness -- the lived experience and how people end up there -- in that it touches on a sort of feeling of uselessness, of having no more ties, of one's life being over but still somehow being alive and waiting for death, that is not limited to being homeless. Perhaps many have felt that way at one time or another.
The novel turns a sharp eye to history, so it is important to keep the 2011 Fukushima disaster in mind as you read. There is also a strange feeling when reading this book in 2021 and seeing it mention the homeless population being evicted from Ueno Park in Tokyo's bid for the 2020 Olympics. The Olympics got delayed, of course, but with them rescheduled to happen this summer, there's a kind of tether there that is hard to put into words.
It's hard to say "I enjoyed this book" because it's just...very sad. All the time in every possible way. The topics it discusses and story it has to tell mean that has to be the case, though. If you're in the head space for it, I recommend this book highly.

Content Warnings

samchase112's review against another edition

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reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

To be homeless is to be ignored when people walk past, while still being in full view of everyone.

This translated work of Japanese fiction is written beautifully. It gives insight into the lingering (non)existence of a homeless man who reflects on his life, full of tragedy. The disconnect between tradition and industrialization, homeless and comfortable, alive and dead, are well-explored. This is a quietly powerful book, and I recommend it even if for nothing more than its beautiful translation and unique plot.

Content Warnings