Love in Translation

Posted on 18. May, 2010 @ 5:30 am by in Books, Culture, Media, Music Views: 731

I just finished Wendy Tokunaga’s book Love in Translation, and it was great!

I normally stay away from “love” stories, because you know – I’m manly… but Wendy’s book has such a direct connection to Japan and Japanese culture that I thought I would give it a try, and I’m glad I did!

Wendy has extensive Japan experience, and it shows in her writing. Reading through the main character’s travels as she moves to Tokyo and then travels the country looking for lost family connections really took me back to Japan. Love in Translation could even serve as a light introduction to Japanese culture for people who are considering moving to Japan – it’s really that accurate. The main character makes some of the typical cultural gaffs that are a bit obvious, the bathroom slipper incident comes to mind, but Wendy incorporates these cultural tidbits into the story in such a way that they’re are not distracting for people who have spent a lot of time in Japan and have “been there, done that.”

Given that the main character in Love in Translation is an American girl who ends up becoming romantically involved with a Japanese guy in the book… and that Wendy Tokunaga is married to a Japanese guy in real life… I couldn’t help but wonder if any of the episodes in the book were based on things that actually happened to Wendy. I asked her on Twitter, and she said that they’re mostly from her imagination. Perhaps!

I’m no literary critic, but I know what I like. Love in Translation was easy to get into because the chapters are short and sweet, and the writing is light and fun. Wendy is a very descriptive writer so I could really see the Japanese foods, hear the awkward Engrish, see the gaijin game shows…

I even felt that I could hear the book’s theme song, Nozomi no Hoshi…

Wait. Actually I guess I could hear Nozomi no Hoshi because Wendy actually cooperated with her Japanese husband to create the song, and I heard it on YouTube. Hardcore!

Here’s a clip from Wendy’s blog post which introduces the video.

Now this fictional song is brought to life. My husband, Manabu Tokunaga, wrote and performed the music (and also produced this video!). I co-wrote the lyrics with Hiro Akashi. Hope you enjoy the music video of the theme song for Love in Translation.

Good stuff. Be sure to check out Love in Translation if you’re looking for a light summer read to transport you to Japan.

Hey, has anyone out there ever read Wendy’s other book? Midori by Moonlight? Just curious.

Happy Reading!

- Harvey

Related Links:
Love in Translation on Kindle
WendyTokunaga.com
Follow Wendy Tokunaga on Twitter!

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  • http://gakuranman.com Mike

    Looks interesting! Might see if I can pick it up somewhere :)

  • http://www.intermediatejapanese.com Bill

    I’d be interested in reading a woman’s perspective on the gaffs and adapting to a new culture (not to mention meeting the in-laws?). I’ll take a look for this – thanks.

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