The Widow, The Priest and The Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Get to know the inhabitants of a tiny Japanese island and their unusual stories and secrets through this fascinating, intimate collection of portraits.

When American journalist Amy Chavez moved to the tiny island of Shiraishi (population 430), she rented a house from an elderly woman named Eiko, who left many of her most cherished possessions in the houseincluding a portrait of Emperor Hirohito and a family altar bearing the spirit tablet of her late husband.

Why did she abandon these things And why did her tombstone later bear the name of a daughter no one knew These are just some of the mysteries Amy pursues as she explores the lives of Shiraishi's elusive residents.

The 31 revealing accounts in this book include:

• The story of 40-year-old fisherman Hiro, one of two octopus hunters left on the island, who moved back to his home island to fill a void left by his brother who died in a boating accident.
• A Buddhist priest, eighty-eight, who reflects on his childhood during the war years, witnessing fighter pilots hiding in bunkers on the back side of the island.
• A "pufferfish widow," so named because her husband died after accidentally eating a poisonous pufferfish.
• The ex-postmaster who talks about hiking over the mountains at night to deliver telegrams at a time when there were only 17 telephone numbers on the island.

Interspersed with the author's reflections on her own life on the island, these stories paint an evocative picture of the dramatic changes which have taken place in Japanese society across nearly a century. Fascinating insights into local superstitions and folklore, memories of the war and the bombing of nearby Hiroshima, and of Shiraishi's heyday as a resort in the 1960s and 70s are interspersed with accounts of common modern-day problems like the collapse of the local economy and a rapidly-aging community which has fewer residents each year.

Reviews

"When it comes to writers on Japan, Amy Chavez is as good as it gets. Her works convey such energy, enthusiasm and richness of detail that everything she writes is a joy to read." --Robert Whiting, author of You Gotta Have Wa
"The chat will surely be a treat for fans of Amy's work. For those stumbling across her work for the first time, I am certain you'll enjoy all that is discussed and covered in this compelling talk." -- The Life As APodcast
"Once in a great while, you come across a book so compelling, interesting, and important that you want to share it with everyone. Such is the case with the latest book from author Amy Chavez, entitled The Widow, The Priest and The Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island" -- Dr. Jessie Voigts, Wandering Educators

Author Bio

Amy Chavez arrived in Japan from America in 1993, fresh out of graduate school. After a few years enjoying the city life, she began a search for the "real Japan" and found it on Shiraishi (population 430), a tiny island in the Seto Inland Sea. For ten years she lectured at a Japanese university before becoming a full-time writer. For over 20 years she has penned a column for The Japan Times covering issues central to island life such as tourism, the environment, aging and depopulation. She and her Australian husband have been renovating their Japanese home on Shiraishi for the past 17 years, the amount of time it takes some species of cicada to reach maturity. Chavez is the author of several books, including Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan: Do it Right and Be Polite. She has a B.A. in creative writing from Miami University, Oxford, and an M.A. in technical writing.