Drawing inspiration from foreign writers

American writers Paul Auster and Raymond Carver are some of Japanese author Tomoka Shibasaki's earliest influences

- Walter Sim

TOKYO - Japanese author Tomoka Shibasaki observes a world in constant flux, where the passage of time leaves an indelible mark.

Old buildings are demolished and quickly replaced by nondescript skyscrapers. Streets shapeshift, losing their unique charm in the process. In life, friends drift apart, often without a clear reason other than the relentless march of time.

Nothing, and yet everything, happens in the stories in A Hundred Years And A Day, a collection of 34 minimalist vignettes first published in Japanese in 2020. This marks Shibasaki's second work to be translated into English in a prolific 25-year career.

The first was Spring Garden, a photo-realistic novella exploring the poignant idea of impermanence. Published in Japanese in 2014, it won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize the same year, and was released in English three years later. It has been translated into 11 other languages.

"Life isn't just made up of grand events, but also small episodes that, though they might seem insignificant at the moment, linger with us," the 51-year-old author, who is single, tells The Straits Times in a wide-ranging interview. "Looking back, we may realise that something has shifted, however subtly, but with lasting effect.

"I've always been intrigued by the idea that the presence of someone who was once there might be more keenly felt than if the person were physically there."

The author is chatting over Taiwanese coffee and tea in the quiet residential neighbourhood of Shimotakaido, at a cosy cafe she frequents. The owner's Shiba Inu lazes nearby.

Shimotakaido is just six train stations but a universe away from frenetic Shinjuku, where one of Tokyo's many massive redevelopment projects is under way. It retains a Showa era (1926 to 1989) ambience with its nostalgic shopping street. By coincidence, Shibasaki runs into her Japanese editor and invites him to join the conversation.