Jun'ichirō Tanizaki (1886–1965)

I continue to marvel at the range of Tanizaki’s work; some of it I have loved, some of it I thought just a little too strange. This falls pretty much in the middle for me. The title, in a roundabout way, is the translator’s paraphrase of the American saying “to each his own”; in other words, everyone is entitled to his own taste (or preference). The book, which is often said to be among Tanizaki’s best works, takes place in Japan in the late 1920s and focuses on the conflict between traditional and modern (or Westernized) culture in Japan. Tanizaki uses a variety of oppositions to illustrate this conflict, sometimes directly, sometimes obliquely. Ambiguity is omnipresent. Thus, he sets the customs and reputations of some cities against those of other cities, traditional (Japanese) arts against Western(ized) ones; customary modes of behavior and dress against modern ways; and so forth. The setting is a disintegrating marriage which the wife—with her husband’s knowledge and approval (an indication of his embrace of Western behavior, he believes)—has taken a lover and the husband has become increasingly attached to his father-in-law’s young mistress and even with his father-in-law’s devotion to traditional Japanese culture. Both husband and wife are too weak-willed, despite their unhappiness, to take any definite steps toward divorce, or even to tell their son anything. The subject and Tanizaki’s way of telling the story strikes me as exceptionally Japanese, much more so than other works of his that I have read. I can’t particularly say that I enjoyed it but I can readily understand why it is well-regarded.… (more)

Any book of stories that begins with a story about sadism and masochism among children is likely to have more than a few surprises in store—and so it is with this collection. You may love it, you may hate it, but odds are you won’t be indifferent to these stories, all of which are—in one way or another—about power and its uses. Other stories focus on cross-dressing, food as pornography, a fetishistic obsession with a (very specific) human body, and a last, impossible-to-summarize story that ends in the toilet bowl (literally). There is one story that doesn’t fit this nearly phantasmagorical grouping: a straightforward story about two young Buddhist acolytes who do not know (for almost believable reasons) what a woman is or looks like. One leaves the monastery to investigate and never returns; the other is eventually forced to choose between joining his friend or remaining at the monastery…. Recommended for the, uh, curious.… (more)

I’m a sucker for rambling essays on obscure topics, so when I saw this book I knew I would like it. There’s something really appealing about “hanging out” with a gifted thinker while they flit from thought to thought, alighting on whatever catches their curiosity.
That’s what we have here in Tanizaki’s book. If you are reading this book for the right reasons, you’re here for the digressions, my favorite of which must be his breakdown of what makes a traditional Japanese bathroom superior to the Western style of sparking porcelain and white tile. Most striking was his quote of Soseki: “elegance is frigid” as support of why the bathroom should be cold and open to the outside- this in contrast to the warm dampness of the Western toilet. While not having given the issue much thought before, I must say I now see the toilets I’ve used my whole life for their over-lit, humid flaws.
As someone who has always considered himself a fan of Japanese aesthetics (despite what little I know) this book showed me that maybe I still have my western biases. Tanizaki’s descriptions of gloomy, paper walled rooms still dark at midday was not so appealing to me who values windows and sun, but I thought it an astute observation that “beauty necessarily must arise from the conditions of real life”. The Japanese people of yore had no better way of constructing their houses, so they had to adjust their design and aesthetics to suit the limitations of their everyday life.… (more)

“The ancients waited for cherry blossoms, grieved when they were gone, and lamented their passing in countless poems. How very ordinary the poems had seemed to Sachiko when she read them as a girl, but now she knew, as well as one could know, that grieving over fallen cherry blossoms was more than a fad or convention.”

The Makioka Sisters by Junichiro Tanizaki revolves around the once aristocratic and wealthy Makioka family, namely the sisters Tsuruko, Sachiko, Yukiko, Taeko (fondly referred to as “Koi-san” as per custom, meaning “small daughter”), who despite having lost most of their wealth over time, strive to maintain a way of life and uphold the traditional customs of an era slowly fading into history. The novel spans the period between the autumn of 1936 to April 1941. It is a slow-paced and detail-oriented depiction of life in Japanese polite society in the years leading up to WW2. The narrative alludes to historically significant events occurring in that period such as the “China Incident” namely the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Kobe flood of 1938, and the references to the tensions in Europe.
“Meanwhile the world was shaken by new developments in Europe. In May came the German invasion of the Low Countries and the tragedy of Dunkirk, and in June, upon the French surrender, an armistice was signed at Compiègne.”

The eldest Makioka sister, Tsuruko is married to Tatsuo, who works in a bank and after her father’s demise is the head of the family as per Japanese custom. He has also taken the Makioka name. They constitute the “main house” in Osaka and are traditionally regarded as the head of the family who yields authority over the other branches. Sachiko, the second eldest sister is married to Teinosuke, an accountant who has also taken the Makioka name. Together they maintain the Ashiya house on the outskirts of Osaka. Most of the story is described from Sachiko’s perspective. Though tradition dictates that the unmarried sisters live in the “main house”, both Yukiko and Taeko prefer to live with Sachiko’s family in Ashiya, where they are welcome though this is a matter that leads to some tense interactions between Sachiko and her older sister. As per custom, Taeko cannot marry before her elder sister Yukiko who is pushing thirty at the beginning of the novel . Yukiko is yet to find a husband mostly on account of the Makiokas rejecting multiple proposals because the prospective grooms' families were not found suitable in stature, a condition that they are forced to relax in the subsequent years as the proposals for Yukiko’s hand in marriage dwindle over time. The focal point of this novel is the search for a suitable groom for Yukiko - a match that meets the Makioka’s standards, the selection, the meetings, in-depth background investigations and familial consent of the main house.

The author paints a vivid picture of the customs, beliefs, traditions, gender roles as well as the temperament, vanity and class consciousness that was representative of that era. The characterizations of the sisters is superb. The two older sisters, married and settled remain stuck in tradition and prioritize their family standing and all its glory which has long since dimmed considerably. As the story progresses we see a moment when Yukiko is rejected by a suitor that it dawns on Sachiko that their fortunes have truly changed with the realization that they would have to change with the times.
“Never before had the Makiokas been so humbled. Always they had felt that the advantage was with them, that the other side was courting their favor—always it had been their role to judge the man and find him lacking. This time their position had been weak from the start. For the first time they were branded the losers.”

Yukiko, whose marriage (or rather search for a groom) is the focal point of the novel is a graceful quiet, obedient sister whose presence is felt but whose voice is either unheard or drowned out by those of her more vocal sisters. She is also bound by tradition, trusting her elder sisters and brothers-in-law with the responsibility of finding a suitable match and sits through a miai (a formal meeting between a prospective bride and groom) several times. However, despite her fine manners and quiet nature she can convey much through her “tepid” responses and often surprising non-cooperation in interacting with her prospective grooms. Takeo, the youngest who has never experienced the full fame and wealth of the family, is more willful than the other sisters. She has a mind of her own and does not hesitate to do as she pleases and is often the cause of much embarrassment and concern for her older sisters. One incident that is referred to a few times in the narrative is the “newspaper incident” - when the local newspapers carried the story of her elopement with her beau, Okubata but got her name mixed up with Yukiko’s (which was later clarified). The family assumes this to be another reason for which Yukiko’s proposals are fewer than expected. Taeko is ambitious and industrious and attempts to carve a profession for herself - be it earning a living doll making or training as a seamstress , while juggling her romantic relationships. She embodies a modern spirit that is in stark contrast with the mindset of her more traditional sisters and is representative of the changing times and the shift in societal norms and strictures.

Junichiro Tanizaki’s The Makioka Sisters is a beautiful novel, meant to be read slowly. Vivid imagery and fluid narrative make this an easy if quiet read. Though it might seem tedious for many readers, I enjoyed the detailed depictions of the contrasting personalities, the beautiful descriptions of the different places, the cherry blossoms and dragonflies,Japanese culture and customs and the relationship between the sisters. This is a novel I had been meaning to read for a long time and I am glad I finally picked it up.… (more)