The Cage

Takino has lead a quiet life for the past six years. He runs a small, local supermarket in Tokyo with his beautiful wife. But he used to be yakuza. When an extortion racket comes round demanding he sell his store and his land, Takino can't comprehend what the fuss is all about. When digs deeper, he digs himself into a hole from which there is no escape. This is a brilliant noir crime novel set in 80s Japan. It's bleak and hardboiled. Well-paced, the book is a smooth read that builds to a crescendo of consuming (yet not senseless) violence. Highly recommended.

I wouldn't call this the most intelectually stimulating book out there but that's not what you're looking for if you're even browsing this genre. It is an engaging book and it is entertaining.

The two main characters, one a gangster, the other a cop, are both just going through the motions of living. Their emotional lives are a barren wasteland. They are heavy drinkers, they have mind-numbing hobbies, and families that hold no interest for them. The cop feels he has great insight into the gangster, but that is only because the gangster's behavior is so overt. He doesn't recognize the same traits in himself, which makes for a nicely complex cat-and-mouse game. The narrative tension builds gradually, but continues building right to the very last page. Along the way, we are served up a compelling plot, as well as rich insights into the details of life and crime in Tokyo. I caught myself humming audibly with anticipation as events came to their very satisfying conclusion. I was extremely pleased with this book, as I was with "Ashes" and "Winter Sleep" (of which I am still the only reviewer as of today - hasn't anyone discovered Kitakata yet?) Please buy this book to encourage his publishers to hurry up an translate more of his work!