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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This short story’s title was derived from The Beatles’ song Yesterday. It is undeniable how thousands of people love this song, but to Tanimura, the song is both a symbol of a curse, a treasure, and nostalgia. “Music has that power to revive memories, sometimes so intensely that they hurt.” A memory, indeed, is a traitor thing at times. That’s how memories played along Tanimura’s life as he got involved unexpectedly with this seemingly strange couple, Kitaru and Erika.
Everything seems fine at first, like the day of leaving has never crossed one’s mind. Tanimura and Kitaru both works in a coffee shop, where everything started. They easily got clicked with each other and eventually became friends despite their differences. Tanimura, a literature student who managed to get by every day, made life more bearable for him when he crossed paths with Kitaru, whom he perceived as kind of a weird guy. They do what normal friends do; walking, eating, talking, and doing other things they are interested in. They may have made a lot of memories together but one stands out, which for him, is their most unforgettable memory. Whenever Tanimura’s at their house of Kitaru, he would always find himself waiting, while listening to the once was enduring song Yesterday, which Kitaru loves to sing while taking a bath. But what makes the singing unordinary is he sang it in Japanese, with a Kansai accent and different lyrics, which Tanimura finds funny and annoying sometimes. Tanimura got accustomed to it, and to his surprise, he would look back on that memory after all those long years.
Despite their differences, Tanimura and Kitaru managed to pull off a great friendship. He tends to be weirded out at Kitaru at times. His dedication to studying the Kansai accent and other subject’s that interest him are what he pays attention to the most, instead of reviewing for the entrance exams. It was revealed in the story told by his girlfriend Erika, that he excel academically during elementary. When they turned in Junior High everything seemed to fall out of place with Kitaru’s academic endeavor. As Erika had stated, “He’d rather go off and do crazy things on his own.” Kitaru seems different from other people, and I think being with him would give Tanimura access to a different world, which was only visible from Kitaru’s point of view before. Kitaru’s existence in Tanimura has become his spice of life—one of the things he will look forward to every day. Before, Tanimura’s life only revolved around work and study, but Kitaru entering his life made him realize that life is more than that. However, even though Kitaru seems to come off as a strong, independent personality, his weakness and hidden loneliness are still noticeable in his exchange of dialogues and actions as well. What you can call normal to him, as any other teenager goes through. He is lost and does not know what he wants in life. Kitaru revealed to Tanimura that he has been attending therapist sessions twice a month since the end of junior high. People believed something was wrong with him, just because he has distinct beliefs and practices from other people. I think the society they were living in before was pressuring as to how college students are also pressured right now. Due to society’s fast and continuous progress, youth is deemed to have absolute plans and future visions as what elders are expected them to be. That’s why we seek something and appear to be different. Young adulthood stage is where you start to draw the line between determining what your needs and wants. But to Kitaru, the present and future seem blurred. As Tanimura said, “I think Kitaru is honestly seeking something. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s not easy to look for it.” Tanimura may have felt quite a rage towards Kitaru’s leaving without bidding a farewell, but he understand him since Kitaru was always tied up in a rope of uncertainties, and seeking is his way to get out of it.
Erika, Kitaru’s girlfriend, with whom he formed a kind of platonic relationship just like how is with Kitaru, is a beautiful girl he once darted his eyes onto her. Kitaru asked Tanimura to date her, which is odd because why would he ask his friend to date his girlfriend? I deemed because of the fact that he knows, inside of him, that he will leave her someday. And the fact that leaving him with a friend he knows would make him less worried. However, Tanimura did not agree, and also for the fact that she was Kitaru’s girlfriend. Erika’s character is daunting and flawless. She appeared to be a strong woman at times, but deep inside her is piled up longing for Kitaru. Kitaru’s her boyfriend—all to hers, but she feels like she could not have him, and Kitaru has seemed to build up walls between them she couldn’t able to pass through. Tanimura has been the way for us to know what Erika really feels. That day when she went out with Tanimura was the crystal clear version of Erika. How courageous is Erika to disclose the problems of her relationship with Kitaru, and especially her recurring dreams of her, watching the moon with Kitaru. The moon is made of pure, transparent ice. And the bottom half of it is sunk in the sea, which melts when the morning comes. Erika said “I’ve had this dream so many times. It’s a beautiful dream. Always the same moon. Always eight inches thick. I’m leaning against Aki-kun, it’s just the two of us, the waves lapping gently outside. But every time I wake up I feel unbearably sad.” Erika was afraid of any changes that may happen between them—of Kitaru leaving, they did not even get beyond that closer. Erika’s dream symbolizes her hope, dreams, and fears. It can also be the future’s sign to her that the thing she had with Kitaru will not last forever. Its icy description symbolizes a relationship that is strong and indestructible at first and will eventually melt away. That’s the thing about human relationships, too short-lived to have. It’s rare to find someone with whom you can build a lasting relationship, but it’s not always about who stays, but the lessons and memories they have left with us that may forever mark a space in our hearts.
Haruki Muraki painted realistic portraits of his characters. The apple of my eye landed on Kitaru, which for me, solitude has become his natural state. He is an unpredictable character, despite him being noisy around Tanimura, Murakami was good enough to hide what’s going on in Kitaru’s mind. While Tanimura is a character who is preoccupied with his internal monologues, what is appealing about him is his empathy and mindfulness especially in speaking. Murakami wove his main character to be adaptable, sensitive, and someone who is always all ears. Shadowed by her fierce and seemingly carefree personality, Erika is a girl who’s dreaded inside, which her dream is a representation of the reality she keeps on running away from.
I find similarities between Kitaru and Watanabe, a supporting character in Norwegian wood. They are both seekers yet devoted to solitude. Both have girlfriends whom they love the most, but could not commit fully to them. Their love for learning languages is one of the things they have seriously paid attention to. With that, I have realized that we can find similar wavelengths and patterns across Haruki Murakami’s characters. One thing that is also noteworthy to mention is his realistically poignant description of the narrative and his characters, which is also manifested in his Yesterday. The mundane, day-to-day life of Kitaru, Tanimura, and Erika portray the simplicity and seemingly conditioned routine of student-worker in a highly urbanized city of Japan.
Despite being the main character, this is a story of Tanimura telling the story of Kitaru and Erika from his perspective. Yesterday illustrates the main character, Tanimura as a supporting character to this odd couple, Kitaru and Erika. He does not have his own life story to tell, and if there is, he may think it’s not worthy enough to be shared. He borrowed Erika's dream for he doesn’t have his own dream. Took care and remember every detail of it. How could Tanimura live in someone’s dream for a long time? Maybe, Tanimura’s destiny is to live and watch over someone’s life—share it with the world for it is only through storytelling he can make himself the main character.
Yesterday was my first Haruki Murakami read. I was advised to read some of his short stories first before reading his novels for me to have an initial experience and idea of how and what reading Murakami’s works would be like. It’s like a training ground for me, where I can prepare myself for a heavier, complex, lengthier, and more realistic plot and characters. As I finished reading this, I found myself listening to Yesterday, picturing that moon Erika dreamed about, and to my surprise, I have come to realize that I have borrowed her dream too, as what Tanimura did.
Everything seems fine at first, like the day of leaving has never crossed one’s mind. Tanimura and Kitaru both works in a coffee shop, where everything started. They easily got clicked with each other and eventually became friends despite their differences. Tanimura, a literature student who managed to get by every day, made life more bearable for him when he crossed paths with Kitaru, whom he perceived as kind of a weird guy. They do what normal friends do; walking, eating, talking, and doing other things they are interested in. They may have made a lot of memories together but one stands out, which for him, is their most unforgettable memory. Whenever Tanimura’s at their house of Kitaru, he would always find himself waiting, while listening to the once was enduring song Yesterday, which Kitaru loves to sing while taking a bath. But what makes the singing unordinary is he sang it in Japanese, with a Kansai accent and different lyrics, which Tanimura finds funny and annoying sometimes. Tanimura got accustomed to it, and to his surprise, he would look back on that memory after all those long years.
Despite their differences, Tanimura and Kitaru managed to pull off a great friendship. He tends to be weirded out at Kitaru at times. His dedication to studying the Kansai accent and other subject’s that interest him are what he pays attention to the most, instead of reviewing for the entrance exams. It was revealed in the story told by his girlfriend Erika, that he excel academically during elementary. When they turned in Junior High everything seemed to fall out of place with Kitaru’s academic endeavor. As Erika had stated, “He’d rather go off and do crazy things on his own.” Kitaru seems different from other people, and I think being with him would give Tanimura access to a different world, which was only visible from Kitaru’s point of view before. Kitaru’s existence in Tanimura has become his spice of life—one of the things he will look forward to every day. Before, Tanimura’s life only revolved around work and study, but Kitaru entering his life made him realize that life is more than that. However, even though Kitaru seems to come off as a strong, independent personality, his weakness and hidden loneliness are still noticeable in his exchange of dialogues and actions as well. What you can call normal to him, as any other teenager goes through. He is lost and does not know what he wants in life. Kitaru revealed to Tanimura that he has been attending therapist sessions twice a month since the end of junior high. People believed something was wrong with him, just because he has distinct beliefs and practices from other people. I think the society they were living in before was pressuring as to how college students are also pressured right now. Due to society’s fast and continuous progress, youth is deemed to have absolute plans and future visions as what elders are expected them to be. That’s why we seek something and appear to be different. Young adulthood stage is where you start to draw the line between determining what your needs and wants. But to Kitaru, the present and future seem blurred. As Tanimura said, “I think Kitaru is honestly seeking something. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s not easy to look for it.” Tanimura may have felt quite a rage towards Kitaru’s leaving without bidding a farewell, but he understand him since Kitaru was always tied up in a rope of uncertainties, and seeking is his way to get out of it.
Erika, Kitaru’s girlfriend, with whom he formed a kind of platonic relationship just like how is with Kitaru, is a beautiful girl he once darted his eyes onto her. Kitaru asked Tanimura to date her, which is odd because why would he ask his friend to date his girlfriend? I deemed because of the fact that he knows, inside of him, that he will leave her someday. And the fact that leaving him with a friend he knows would make him less worried. However, Tanimura did not agree, and also for the fact that she was Kitaru’s girlfriend. Erika’s character is daunting and flawless. She appeared to be a strong woman at times, but deep inside her is piled up longing for Kitaru. Kitaru’s her boyfriend—all to hers, but she feels like she could not have him, and Kitaru has seemed to build up walls between them she couldn’t able to pass through. Tanimura has been the way for us to know what Erika really feels. That day when she went out with Tanimura was the crystal clear version of Erika. How courageous is Erika to disclose the problems of her relationship with Kitaru, and especially her recurring dreams of her, watching the moon with Kitaru. The moon is made of pure, transparent ice. And the bottom half of it is sunk in the sea, which melts when the morning comes. Erika said “I’ve had this dream so many times. It’s a beautiful dream. Always the same moon. Always eight inches thick. I’m leaning against Aki-kun, it’s just the two of us, the waves lapping gently outside. But every time I wake up I feel unbearably sad.” Erika was afraid of any changes that may happen between them—of Kitaru leaving, they did not even get beyond that closer. Erika’s dream symbolizes her hope, dreams, and fears. It can also be the future’s sign to her that the thing she had with Kitaru will not last forever. Its icy description symbolizes a relationship that is strong and indestructible at first and will eventually melt away. That’s the thing about human relationships, too short-lived to have. It’s rare to find someone with whom you can build a lasting relationship, but it’s not always about who stays, but the lessons and memories they have left with us that may forever mark a space in our hearts.
Haruki Muraki painted realistic portraits of his characters. The apple of my eye landed on Kitaru, which for me, solitude has become his natural state. He is an unpredictable character, despite him being noisy around Tanimura, Murakami was good enough to hide what’s going on in Kitaru’s mind. While Tanimura is a character who is preoccupied with his internal monologues, what is appealing about him is his empathy and mindfulness especially in speaking. Murakami wove his main character to be adaptable, sensitive, and someone who is always all ears. Shadowed by her fierce and seemingly carefree personality, Erika is a girl who’s dreaded inside, which her dream is a representation of the reality she keeps on running away from.
I find similarities between Kitaru and Watanabe, a supporting character in Norwegian wood. They are both seekers yet devoted to solitude. Both have girlfriends whom they love the most, but could not commit fully to them. Their love for learning languages is one of the things they have seriously paid attention to. With that, I have realized that we can find similar wavelengths and patterns across Haruki Murakami’s characters. One thing that is also noteworthy to mention is his realistically poignant description of the narrative and his characters, which is also manifested in his Yesterday. The mundane, day-to-day life of Kitaru, Tanimura, and Erika portray the simplicity and seemingly conditioned routine of student-worker in a highly urbanized city of Japan.
Despite being the main character, this is a story of Tanimura telling the story of Kitaru and Erika from his perspective. Yesterday illustrates the main character, Tanimura as a supporting character to this odd couple, Kitaru and Erika. He does not have his own life story to tell, and if there is, he may think it’s not worthy enough to be shared. He borrowed Erika's dream for he doesn’t have his own dream. Took care and remember every detail of it. How could Tanimura live in someone’s dream for a long time? Maybe, Tanimura’s destiny is to live and watch over someone’s life—share it with the world for it is only through storytelling he can make himself the main character.
Yesterday was my first Haruki Murakami read. I was advised to read some of his short stories first before reading his novels for me to have an initial experience and idea of how and what reading Murakami’s works would be like. It’s like a training ground for me, where I can prepare myself for a heavier, complex, lengthier, and more realistic plot and characters. As I finished reading this, I found myself listening to Yesterday, picturing that moon Erika dreamed about, and to my surprise, I have come to realize that I have borrowed her dream too, as what Tanimura did.
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"It feels as though these things happened just yesterday. Music has that power to revive memories, sometimes so intensely that they hurt."
“I often have the same dream,” she said. “Aki-kun and I are on a ship. A long journey on a large ship. We’re together in a small cabin, it’s late at night, and through the porthole we can see the full moon. But that moon is made of pure, transparent ice. And the bottom half of it is sunk in the sea. ‘That looks like the moon,’ Aki-kun tells me, ‘but it’s really made of ice and is only about eight inches thick. So when the sun comes out in the morning it all melts. You should get a good look at it now, while you have the chance.’ I’ve had this dream so many times. It’s a beautiful dream. Always the same moon. Always eight inches thick. I’m leaning against Aki-kun, it’s just the two of us, the waves lapping gently outside. But every time I wake up I feel unbearably sad.”
---
“Do you still dream about the moon made of ice?” I asked.
Her head snapped up and she stared at me. Very calmly, slowly, a smile spread across her face. A completely natural, open smile.
“You remember my dream?” she asked.
“For some reason, I do.”
“Even though it’s someone else’s dream?”
“Dreams are the kind of things you can borrow and lend out,” I said.
“That’s a wonderful idea,” she said.
Someone called her name from behind me. It was time for her to get back to work.
“I don’t have that dream anymore,” she said in parting. “But I still remember every detail. What I saw, the way I felt. I can’t forget it. I probably never will.”
---
"Whether this period was a cold winter that left valuable growth rings inside me, I can’t really say. At the time I felt as if every night I, too, were gazing out a porthole at a moon made of ice. A transparent, eight-inch-thick, frozen moon. But I watched that moon alone, unable to share its cold beauty with anyone."
---
I liked it but I would've given this a 4 or 5 if it was full novel.
---
“Do you still dream about the moon made of ice?” I asked.
Her head snapped up and she stared at me. Very calmly, slowly, a smile spread across her face. A completely natural, open smile.
“You remember my dream?” she asked.
“For some reason, I do.”
“Even though it’s someone else’s dream?”
“Dreams are the kind of things you can borrow and lend out,” I said.
“That’s a wonderful idea,” she said.
Someone called her name from behind me. It was time for her to get back to work.
“I don’t have that dream anymore,” she said in parting. “But I still remember every detail. What I saw, the way I felt. I can’t forget it. I probably never will.”
---
"Whether this period was a cold winter that left valuable growth rings inside me, I can’t really say. At the time I felt as if every night I, too, were gazing out a porthole at a moon made of ice. A transparent, eight-inch-thick, frozen moon. But I watched that moon alone, unable to share its cold beauty with anyone."
---
I liked it but I would've given this a 4 or 5 if it was full novel.
"The way surviving hard winters makes a tree grow stronger, the growth rings inside it tighter"
In my eyes, Murakami is one of the great masters of short stories. "Yesterday" is yet further proof of his mastery. If you want to read this short story, you should check out the New Yorker website because that's where I found this wonderful piece of writing.
Murakami makes me wish I knew Japanese.
Link to "Yesterday" [via New Yorker]: http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2014/06/09/140609fi_fiction_murakami?currentPage=1
Murakami makes me wish I knew Japanese.
Link to "Yesterday" [via New Yorker]: http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2014/06/09/140609fi_fiction_murakami?currentPage=1
Yesterday feels a lot like Norwegian Wood... it has a lot of elements that are characteristic of Murakami's novels. It goes without saying that I loved it. If you enjoyed Yesterday, I highly recommend reading Norwegian Wood; it is very similar but definitely superior.
Typical Murakami feel to the writing (which I like!) but a much shorter, and much less impactful story. I realize it's only a short story but I guess I couldn't help but expect more. The characters were interesting enough to potentially explore in a longer tale, but maybe we'd be defeating the purpose of the story. I get what Murakami was writing here, but it guess I'm missing the "why" of it. Perhaps I just don't read enough short fiction. And perhaps I should start.
You may read online at The New Yorker.
Opening lines:
As far as I know, the only person ever to put Japanese lyrics to the Beatles song “Yesterday” (and to do so in the distinctive Kansai dialect, no less) was a guy named Kitaru. He used to belt out his own version when he was taking a bath.
Opening lines:
As far as I know, the only person ever to put Japanese lyrics to the Beatles song “Yesterday” (and to do so in the distinctive Kansai dialect, no less) was a guy named Kitaru. He used to belt out his own version when he was taking a bath.