books@cc.

A Father’s Journey with His Son
by Peter Carey (2004)

When Charley, Peter Carey’s shy 12-year-old son, became acquainted (and soon) obsessed with manga (Akira, Barefoot Gen) and anime (Gundam, Ghibli’s, Blood: The Last Vampire), Peter too was soon enticed by the foreign “strangeness” and “exoticism” of modern Japan. Together they went to Tokyo, guided by Charley’s visualist online friend, Takashi (and as always, baffled by the toilet).

Through his agents and friends, the Careys went to meet Yoshindo Yoshihara (a sword maker), Kosei Ono (“a highly respected critic of manga and anime”), Yoshiyuki Tomino (Gundam creator), Yuka (a “transsexual otaku”, author of the encyclopedic Gundam Officials, Limited Edition), Mr. Kitakubo (of Blood: The Last Vampire) and Hayao Miyazaki, all along stumbling across yakuza district (without realising, obliviously enjoying their dinner) and dragging Charley (not without screaming and kicking) to watch a kabuki show. Peter prepared himself before each occasion, reading anything relevant he could lay his hands on, but realised that, “as so often is the case in the Japanese language, just when you think you may almost understand a word, hopeless complications destroy it anew.”

Light and entertaining. Carey can sometimes gave such a typical touristy, white-male dad reactions that it’s almost funny, but he realised it.

Tags:Australia, biography & memoirs, Japan
Australia, biography & memoirs, Carey, Peter, Japan

November 1, 2006 @ 10:00 pm