I haven’t read a lot of Japanese fiction, and this may well be my first review of it here. This is Amiko, Do You Copy? by Natsuko Imamura is a slim read at just 122 pages. (Coincidentally, it’s the second book in a week that happens to be this many pages, following Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix.)

This is Amiko has been on my shelf for around a year. I picked it up from Woodstock’s bookshop when I was going through a novella phase. It’s about a young girl, Amiko, set mostly during her middle school years. Amiko is a lively young girl, impulsive, full of questions and wonder. She doesn’t have a strong grasp of social cues or perceived etiquette. She is curious and almost completely unfiltered. Throughout the story, her family dynamics sadly deteriorate. Her stepmother falls into a deep depression following a stillbirth. Her brother Kota becomes a juvenile delinquent (said very matter-of-factly by Amiko.) Child neglect, and neglect in general takes a hold of their home. Amiko becomes infatuated with a boy in her class called Nori. Her affections are unrequited and it all comes to a head towards the end of the story.

What struck me the most about the book, is what a lightness of touch it has to such a sad set of circumstances. I’m not sure if this is due to its translation, or is also how it reads in Japanese. I found myself often thinking, this is so sad, but she seems so upbeat. Reading between the lines I would say it points towards her neurodivergence. Amiko definitely cannot seem to process or read emotions and feelings very well. She also potentially has some heightened sensory issues. The neglect that she is experiences is quite heartbreaking, all the more so because of her naivety, and the simplistic way she moves through life.

Having mentioned I’ve not read much Japanese fiction, I have read Heaven by Mieko Kawakami and Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa. I’ve also read The Vegetarian by Han Kang who is South Korean. These novels came to mind when I was reading This is Amiko. I can see parallels across all of these writers with their unflinching approach towards the grotesque and uglier sides of humanity and how we treat each other. I definitely seem to have picked out some of the darker pieces instead of the magical cats and cafes!