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The Last Children of Tokyo

Yoko Tawada (author), Margaret Mitsutani (translator)

Paperback Published on: 07/06/2018

£9.99

17 reviews

Free UK delivery on orders over £25, otherwise £2.99

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Bookseller Reviews

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A short novel, with a huge heart

Tawada writes a mini-epic in the pages of The Last Children of Tokyo. Proving that speculative fiction doesn't have to a lumbering narrative, Tawada create... READ MORE

Toni Parkes

Beautiful and lyrical prose

This was another book that I saw on the trolley as I was shelving and was instantly fascinated by the cover. It also fits in with my goal of reading more b... READ MORE

Big Bearded Bookseller

Something to ponder over

A eerily, thought-provoking quick read that captures the brief moments of a world that is in utter environmental chaos. The interesting concept of the you... READ MORE

Danni at Oxford

The best I've read this year, so far.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. And after I read it, I chased all my colleagues to read it because that is how am... READ MORE

Iara at Reading

Something you will chew over for a few days

A very beautiful and well translated book. The story considers the implications of a world where the old are strong and live seemingly forever, whereas the... READ MORE

Angie Groves at Blackpool

"A work of startling imagination"

Witty and inventive, this striking novel from prizewinning author Yoko Tawada is a joy to read. Tawada's depiction of a near-future, isolationist Japan is ... READ MORE

Evelyn at Sheffield

A Swirl of Hope and Unease

"The Last Children of Tokyo" is like a little seed that slowly germinates and sprouts into a small bud of hope and beauty. There is a lot we are not given ... READ MORE

Rebecca at East Kilbride

Synopsis

Yoshiro thinks he might never die. A hundred years old and counting, he is one of Japan's many 'old-elderly'; men and women who remember a time before the air and the sea were poisoned, before terrible catastrophe promted Japan to shut itself off from the rest of the world. He may live for decades yet, but he knows his beloved great-grandson - born frail and prone to sickness - might not survive to adulthood. Day after day, it takes all of Yoshiro's sagacity to keep Mumei alive.

As hopes for Japan's youngest generation fade, a secretive organisation embarks on an audacious plan to find a cure - might Yoshiro's great-grandson be the key to saving the last children of Tokyo?

Publisher information

Publisher: Granta Books
ISBN: 9781846276705
Number of pages: 144
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 8 mm
Weight: 122g
Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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Told with beauty and emotion!

This story evolves as you read it. Beautifully evocative you quickly gain a sense of the unique setting. The author has focused specifically on gaining a s... READ MORE

Helena

A surprising gem of a book

This was such a surprising gem of a book. It's a sad, sweet and bizarre look at a bleak future Japan, where borders are closed, soil is contaminated, forei... READ MORE

India

Wonderful Japanese dystopia

In this wonderful Japanese dystopian story, family love shines through above all else. This is an immensely enjoyable novella and is highly reocmmended.

Rosie

5/5

I really enjoyed reading this. The plot is so interesting. This story feels like something completely new to me. 5/5.

Abi Davies

An enigmatic fantasy

If you enjoy a glimpse into Japanese culture and some linguistic delight this is for you. While the protagonist Yoshiro seems blessed with, if not eternal ... READ MORE

Richard Watson

Compelling

Yoko Tawana has written a thoroughly compelling tale where the elderly live forever but the children age fast. Mumei is very young, intelligent and confi... READ MORE

Lesley Budge

Odd but Intriguing

Odd but intriguing. This books follows 108yr old Yoshiro and his sickly great grandson through a post apocalyptic Japan, where the younger generations can’... READ MORE

Blume

I didn’t like this book.

I appreciate Yoko Tawana for writing this book her care and consideration, but for me I didn’t like the book. I found it quite confusing and uninterestin... READ MORE

Leona Leong

Slow-burn tale about language and intelligibility in an elegant translation

A slow burn tale set in Western Europe where each of the chapters is narrated by one of the characters. As the story begins, each chapter is told by a char... READ MORE

Hikari

What

It's a book that offers a lot to think about, but just not for me.

Jaz

The Last Children of Tokyo

Bookseller Reviews

Synopsis

Publisher information

Customer Reviews

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