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I savored every page of this book with great delight.

It offers a rare and honest glimpse into the lives of contemporary Japanese women, which is truly captivating.

The fact that it is told by Japanese women authors and then translated into English makes it even more special.

Each story seems to unfold like a beautiful flower, revealing the unique experiences, emotions, and struggles of these women.

As I turned the pages, I felt as if I was walking in their shoes, sharing their joys and sorrows.

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Now that I have finished reading this book, I feel a sense of loss, but also a deep appreciation for the wonderful journey it has taken me on.

I will surely cherish the memories of these stories and the insights they have given me into the lives of Japanese women.

It is a book that I would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in learning more about different cultures and the lives of women around the world.

My favorite story from this book is Piss.

At the beginning, the first story really annoyed me for some reason. I even had the thought of giving up reading the book. However, I decided to continue on, and now I'm extremely glad that I did.

As I delved deeper into the book, I discovered that each story had its own unique charm and message. The story of Piss, in particular, stood out to me. It was filled with interesting characters and unexpected plot twists that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I found myself completely immersed in the world created by the author, and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. The story of Piss taught me valuable lessons about life, love, and friendship, and it made me think about my own experiences in a new light.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading engaging and thought-provoking stories. It's definitely one that I will be reading again in the future.

With this type of books, giving a random evaluation without any criteria seems unfair to me. So I will evaluate all the stories, giving each one a single score, and then calculate the average.

Milk - Daido Tamaki

This opening story has two flaws. The first is that it is poorly written: the perspective of the adolescent protagonist is well-handled, but it still results in being annoying for the reader, not very personal and boring. In short, everything that a perspective should not be. Moreover, and more importantly: where did the author want to go with this? Because I didn't understand.

Score: 3/5.

Inside - Shimamoto Rio

Again, an adolescent protagonist who adds and subtracts nothing from the narration, and above all the same criticism as before. A short story without art or substance that leaves nothing to the reader, asking too much from the few pages available.

Score: 2/5.

Piss - Moroi Yuzuki

Sex, sex, sex... and the content? The psychological characterization? It has disappeared along with the two characters Shin and Misa? The pain of the protagonist does not reach the reader. And yes, she is a prostitute, with an even more horrible life, not a banal office worker! The potential was there, but it went down the drain.

Score: 1/5.

Le labbra del figlio - Uchida Shungiku

One of the best stories, and the amazing thing is... that it doesn't narrate anything at all. Nevertheless, it is very well-written, especially because of the author's ability to handle the language of the characters (the taxi driver and the wife are very realistic).

Score: 4/5.

La stanza - Fujino Chiya

Definitely the best of the stories (as if the competition was high...). Excellent characterization of the protagonist and especially of Kitahara. The only weak point is the end, a bit rushed and thrown there.

Score: 5/5.

Fiesta - Yamada Eimi

I didn't even finish it, it was so bad and boring.

Score: 1/5.

L'uovo infecondo - Hasegawa Junko

Not bad, really. A greater care in writing and in the psychological introspection of the characters would have made it compete with "La stanza" for the best of the collection. More than sufficient, anyway.

Score: 4/5.

L'ombra dell'orchidea - Takagi Nobuko

It started well, but it spoiled itself with the insertion of the supernatural element and the resolution of the question about the relationship between Yukio and his patient. Moreover, the lack of showing, which would be necessary in the description of the spirit, is a serious flaw. Too bad, too bad.

Score: 4/5.

Final considerations

The final average is 2.8, so three stars. In fact, it is the right score. As always in these collections of stories, there is the five-star story next to the one-star or three-star one. If one really wanted to valorize Japanese female narration in Italy, one should have chosen at least more talented authors. Especially in the light of "the eight ways of being a woman in today's Japan": if one reads the book wanting to learn something about the modern Japanese woman, it will be a waste of time. Even reading it to be entertained with a collection of stories, however, it will lead to a waste of time. Useless collection, then, that adds and subtracts nothing from Japanese narration in Italy.

Ecco...non dovevo leggerlo.

Or rather, I should say "them", since it is a series of stories.

Of a kind of wickedness, a despair, a sadness, a melancholy that clings to you and penetrates like thick fog.

I'm not exactly a woman with a joyous or serene life, and I have to find an excuse every day not to commit suicide. Therefore, I think it's possible to imagine the hatred I have for this collection, which obviously I will never read again.

It's just that only my love and respect for the printed page save it from the blue flames of the stove burner.

Literary style? Of course, it's in packages.

It couldn't have been more incisive.

But I can't give it stars. I'm sorry.

My soul is divided between literary adoration and emotional crisis.

A piece of advice: stay away from those with a weak heart.

P.S. I think that after this, I will take a very long break from Japanese authors.

3.5 stars, actually. That's what it came out to when I averaged my individual ratings of these stories.

Let's take a closer look at each one. "Milk" by Tamaki Daido and "My son's lips" by Shungiku Uchida both received a 5-star rating. These stories likely had something truly captivating and engaging about them.

"Piss" by Yuzuki Muroi and "The unfertilized egg" by Junko Hasegawa got 4 stars. They might have had some interesting elements and good writing, but perhaps not quite as outstanding as the 5-star ones.

"Inside" by Rio Shimamoto and "Her room" by Chiya Fujino were rated 3 stars. These stories probably had their moments but may have lacked a certain something to really make them shine.

"Fiesta" by Amy Yamda and "The shadow of the orchid" by Nobuko Takagi both received 2 stars. They might have had some flaws or not have been as engaging as the other stories. Overall, the collection of stories had a range of qualities, resulting in an average rating of 3.5 stars.