Japanese Literature - The Tatami Galaxy, by Tomihiko Morimi

Our next novel is a The PEN Prize-shortlisted time loop tale of magical realism, parallel universes, and self-discovery. It inspired the short anime series of the same name, directed by Masaaki Yuasa.

A summary is provided below:

"Our protagonist, an unnamed junior at a prestigious university in Kyoto, is on the verge of dropping out. After rebelling against the dictatorial jock president of the film club, he and his worst and only friend, the diabolical creep Ozu, are personas non grata on campus. For two years, our protagonist has made all the wrong decisions, and now he's about to make another mistake. He and Ozu are preparing for revenge—a fireworks attack at the film club's welcoming party for new members. Then, a chance encounter with a self-proclaimed god sets the confused and distraught young man on a new course. Destiny will bring him together with Akashi, the blunt but charming sophomore he has a crush on—if he’s brave enough to make a move. Yet our protagonist cannot get beyond his profound disillusionment and the moment is lost. But what if there's a universe where he did join the club of his dreams, ditched Ozu for good, and was confident enough to get the girl? A realm of possibility opens up for our protagonist in this work of magical realism as time rewinds, and from the four-and-a-half-mat tatami floor of his dorm room, he is plunged into a series of adventures that will take him to four parallel universes. In each universe, he is given the opportunity to start over as a freshman, in search of a rose-colored campus life."

Please join us for food and conversation as we discuss this novel.

I will make a reservation on the Sunday before the meetup. If you must cancel, please try to do so before this date. Reservations will also close on this day.