Diversity Month 2022 Spotlight Series: Mieko Kawakami

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Japan’s literary universe is ‘still odd, cute and a bit mysterious,’ its concerns minor: 'But we’re not like that at all.' - Mieko Kawakami

Among the various known Japanese contemporary writers of our time such as Haruki Murakami and Hideo Furukawa, Mieko Kawakami makes a name for herself when it comes to empowering women and integrating the beauty of diverse and unhindered concepts in her works. Born in Osaka, Kawakami had a hectic upbringing wherein she had to take various jobs to make ends meet for her family at the tender age of 14. 

Kawakami had high hopes to be a professional singer but later on turned to writing blogs about taboo subjects concerning the Japanese culture revolving around sex, family, and womanhood in a straightforward fashion. Despite receiving heavy criticism for her work in Japan, they have enabled her to gain momentum on a global scale, receiving numerous awards for her fictional works and poetry such as the Akutagawa Prize, Tanizaki Prize, and the Murasaki Shikibu Prize among many others. 

What separates her writing style from that of her local peers is her ability to bridge her own subjective experiences and make them relatable to the people concerned with her works. Kawakami continuously breaks boundaries and sheds light on contentious subjects such as the oppression of women and elevates them into masterful works that have received a commendation from even the popular Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami himself.

Her works weave long dialogues between characters that seem almost spiritual in nature, empowering her readers to look at common experiences with broader perspectives. Naturally inquisitive, she brings to her readers a fresh prospect of the world that is one with energy and brimming with force before reaching an explosive conclusion to her stories that leaves her audience astonished and speechless. 

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Chichi to Ran which is directly translated as Breasts and Eggs is a short novel published back in 2008 which paved the way to introduce Mieko Kawakami to the world. Upon its release in Japan, the novel received criticism from politician and fellow novelist Shintaro Ishihara, who called it “unpleasant and intolerable.” Ishihara would later on forge a brand of Kawakami’s take on feminism and bold approach to women's oppression. 

The book talks about the lives of three girls, namely Natsuko, Makiko, and Midoriko, and how they cope with the intolerable circumstances of the female population as well as poverty. Hoping to find greener pastures in Tokyo, the narration follows their travels, relationships, and inner monologues. Later on, Kawakami traces back their journey to identify, shape, and give awareness to what a contemporary working-class woman experiences in the male-dominated society we live in today. 

Photo by Goodreads

Adding to the plethora of her works, Kawakami has recently released her third novel entitled “All the Lovers in the Night” which presents the distinct style and structure found in all her fictional works. The story follows that of Fuyuko Irie’s seemingly routine life and how she struggles to cope with the gravity of her past and stay in touch with her present life as well. Taking her readers on a rollercoaster of sorrow, joy, and laughter, Kawakami offers her readers an inspiring story of self-exploration, telling them that some pains in life are just worth taking. 

In a fast-paced world wherein a multitude of liberal ideas and emerging figures continue to radicalize history, Kawakami is but one of the many others that avid readers should look forward to. Apart from telling stories of commonality, she continuously transforms and radicalizes not only the local Japanese literature but also how the world should and could interact with taboo themes in today’s society.