A review by biblio_creep
Tokyo Ueno Station by Yu Miri

3.5

Book Review | TOKYO UENO STATION by YŪ MIRI 

 

3.5/5 ⭐’s | PUB DATE:  19 March 2014 

 

Read if you're looking for: 

• A man who haunts a train station as he reminisces about the past
• A commentary on class inequality, emotional ineptness, & aging
• A meditation on grief
• A slice of life featuring the people moving through the station
• Literary fiction translated from Japanese

This story tells the tale of one man’s life, exploring his memories from his later years, and touching on his connections to others, especially his family. The writing style was beautiful, incorporating some stream-of-consciousness sections and snippets of overheard conversations. Many of the characters are unhoused, living in plywood huts around Tokyo Ueno train station, and this is the first time that I’ve seen that representation in a book from Japan. This book empathetically shows a look at old age, and how many older people are forgotten, as well as how income inequality disproportionately affects older people. This was an emotional and gorgeously written book, and I recommend it to those who like to get in their feels.
 
CW:  Death, Child death, Grief, Suicide, Animal death, Death of parent, War, Violence, Suicidal thoughts