TOKYO TALES: A COLLECTION OF JAPANESE SHORT STORIES BY RENAE LUCAS-HALL

 
Tokyo Tales: A Collection of Japanese Short Stories
Published By: Grosvenor House Publishing Limited
Writer: Renae Lucas-Hall
Cover Art: Yoshimi Ohtani
Release Date: Out Now!
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

Tokyo Hearts: A Japanese Love Story was the first novel by Renae Lucas-Hall and Tokyo Tales: A Collection of Japanese Short Stories that tell of the many people who live and work in Japan's mysterious capital city. In all there are fourteen stories, starting with "My Cute Kawaii Boutique."

Many of us want to progress in our chosen careers, but as Kimiko does in "My Cute Kawaii Boutique," she wants to work for the boutique where she can truly find herself in an array of satin, silk, lace and ribbons. Where originality is praised and she really fits in. Kimiko, however is nervous about the interview even though she is set on her goal of changing jobs to work there. Luckily for Kimiko, Junko, the manager takes a liking to her as well as takes her on as staff, making her feel at home there. Here dreams can be made reality and for Kimiko she gets to wear the best outfits she wants and cater to customers who have the same interest in clothes. Renae Lucas-Hall's stories are where lives do not always go as planned.

"Homeless in Shinjuku," is where Mariko is approached by a homeless man on the street, finding he is her brother-in-laws. Hall depicts the sudden realisation that the scruffy man is a relative and even though she feels an obvious revulsion toward him, she feels the shame of it when she helps him rather than walks past. "Retail Reality," paints the picture of a girl who has worked at a boutique for six years and has become disinterested for not being chosen for the assistant manager's position. After putting in so much effort into her job. She has learned a lot from her stay there, though there are others she works with who seem to have developed a better rapport than her with the manager - which she finds annoying, but knows she can do nothing about her fate.

In "Homestay Hell," Kazuko hoped an idyllic journey to England would improve her English, but all she got was a dirty room in a mid-terraced house with hosts who are only interested in her taking £840 out of her purse to stay there. It isn't long before she starts to realise she has been duped as they have very little interest in her or showing her round the city, or improving her English. She has certainly not got much for the money she has given them other than junk food and and sugary drinks. Kazuko wishes she had listened to her parents advice as they were afraid something like this would happen to her if she took off abroad. Kazuko is homesick in this story and can't wait to go home - and to think she thought Yorkshire the perfect place for her Wuthering Heights fantasy.

"The Lucky Bar in Nihonbashi." A woman has had a terrible day where she gets to work soaking wet, gets told her contract has been terminated and to cap it all off, she has been sent a message from her boyfriend that he has left her for another woman. She thinks her day can't get any worse when she breaks the heel of her favourite shoes. On her way home, she spots a bar that is full of frendly looking people and instantly feels drawn to it. There she spends a night of fun with the sort of folk she would like to get to know on a regular basis. It is when she leaaves for home that things start to get a little weird. "Lucky," is one of those tales that sound like a traditional Japanese ghost story with a twist.

Tokyo Tales has 15 short stories of what life is like in Japan. Hall explains the customs, feelings, its people and the folklore of the region. Readers can tell that Hall has researched almost everything about Japan with its religion, loves and way of life. She has brought out all the intricacies of Japanese life that can capture the imagination of people who are interested in travel and Japan, especially the manga, literature and need for individuality is concerned. The Japanese need for hiding their true feelings and being content with their lot, even though they might not be satisfied inside  is a large part of the stories and their main appeal. Japanreviewer knows how rare it is to have stories like these in the English language, so it is great to see such a detailed compilation such as Tokyo Tales.


Renae Lucas-Hall is an Australian born British writer who has always loved reading and writing stories. She also has a passion for languages with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Japanese Language and Culture, going onto teach English in Japan for two years. As she has enjoyed her studies she completed an Advanced Diploma in Business Marketing. Generosity however runs in her veins as she has donated ten percent of the proceeds from the sale of this book to the Japan Society Tokoku Earthquake Relief Fund.


Illustrator Yoshimi Ohtani was born in Tokyo and drew on her desire to create her illustrations from 2005 growing her style to illustrate for restaurants, interiors, bars, magazines, video games, phone icons and cases as well as music videos. Her style is a mixture of traditional Japanese Illustration coupled with manga comic art and has all the presence and detail of Japanese manga art. With large eyes and details such as lace, bows and ribbons this creates an overall period look with overtones of Gothic Lolita.