Jun'ichirō Tanizaki (1886–1965)

“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)

I'm currently reading The Power of Chowa, wherein Akemi mentions this book in passing.   When i read the name of the writer i was sure i had some of his books in my pile of books waiting to be read, and sure enough, one of those books was this one.

So i put aside The Power of Chowa for a while and gave this a read to fully understand the impression that Akemi was trying to give.

And wow, this is definitely one to put on the shelf next to The Book of Tea.   Both books have wonderful passages of ranting, but it's intelligent ranting fuelled by a genuine passion for something truly precious; and in between the passages of ranting one gets some wonderful, thought provoking passages of delightful, descriptive writing: this book is like a painting in words.

Written in the 1930's, concerning Japan's modernisation it's news to me to read how, even before WWII and the surrender to the USA, Japan's desire to ape American culture was already underway.   But, that aside, i do feel that Junichiro fails to appreciate that even in the west we have lost so many of our own shadows.   It seems that most of my life that here in Europe, we have been hell bent on illuminating everything to ridiculous levels, banishing all shadow wherever it may lurk.

The never ending pursuit of cleaning out the dirt and dust and any corners where it may lurk: banish the shadows for your own health's sake!   The continued insistence on ridiculous levels of cleanliness and sterility within and without our homes, which has lead to ever lower immune function and plenty of allergies along with it.

And it's not just the shadows, it's any semblance of quiet we will blast sound into.   Where now can we truly be quiet and stare into the night sky and see the stars as they truly are?   When was the last time you truly experienced the peaceful quite and shadows of the real world without modern technology to protect and coddle you?   Or are you one of the new people, ever terrified of what unknowns may be lurking there where you hear and see nothing but vague outlines and impressions?

I agree with Junichiro, we have lost something truly precious.

The only thing i would say about this book is that, for me at least, the "Afterword" would be better placed as a "Foreword".   I just feel that it would focus ones attention on certain things a lot more if they had been pointed out before hand instead of afterwards.   I will definitely be reading this again at some point before i die and when i do i will definitely read the "Afterword" first.… (more)

A while back, my brother gave me a book to read. I think I had been lamenting the state of my love life at the time and probably making disparaging remarks about the fairer sex. At any rate, into my hands he thrust a small paperback with the picture of a, to me, not very attractive lady on the front. Inside the cover, he had placed a note, written on some torn notebook paper, which said, "Read this and learn the ways of women!" True to form, I placed the book on my shelf and promptly set about forgetting to read it. That is, until last week, when discovering this foreign book in my possession and the strange note inside, I decided to finally read Junichiro Tanizaki's Naomi.

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Read Full Review at Anime.Falseblue.com

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If you have any interest in Japanese literature, especially modern, I really think you should read Naomi. It has so much to offer from the cultural commentary to the intriguing and heartrending way a man sacrifices his personhood to the woman he loves which doesn't always work out in his favor.… (more)