ヨコハマ買い出し紀行 (Intermediate Book Club)

[Naphthalene]

Welcome to the ヨコハマ買い出し紀行 Book Club!

This is part of the Intermediate Book Club.

Where to purchase

Digital: Bookwalker
Physical: Amazon Note: link to the 新装版 edition; the original is out of print.

Schedule for volume 1

Week	Start Date	Chapter	End Page (first edition)	Page Count
Wk 1	23 Oct	Prologue/ Chapter 1	42	36
Wk 2	30 Oct	Chapters 2-3	78	37
Wk 3	6 Nov	Chapters 4-5	114	37
Wk 4	13 Nov	Chapters 6-7	146	33

Later volumes

Discussion threads for later volumes:

• Volume 2 (started on 27 Nov ‘21)
• Volume 3 (started on 18 Dec '21)
• Volume 4 (started on 15 Jan '22)
• Volume 5 will start on 12 Feb ‘22

Vocabulary

Google sheets (thanks to @harundoom)

Membership

Will you be reading with us?

• Yes
• Yes, but I might start late
• Maybe
• No

Which version will you be reading?

• eBook (first edition)
• Paper (first edition)
• Paper (new edition)
• I’m not reading, or will use a different method such as reading the mind of another member

[curiousjp]

I don’t think I’d be able to hang with this club at my level, but for those who are curious about this title and would like to know more about the setting and themes, Kenny Lauderdale did a review of the OVAs: The Most Relaxing Anime Ever Made. Good luck with the club and I will post here if YKK goes back onto the Bookwalker free list (as it does from time to time.)

[jacobalbano]

わぉ neat to see this getting a bookclub. I’ve already read half of the series so I won’t be joining but if anyone’s on the fence, it’s really really good. The setting is really compelling and it takes its time cluing you into what’s going on. If you’re familiar with mushishi, it’s a very similar vibe.

[seanblue]

@jacobalbano

If you’re familiar with mushishi, it’s a very similar vibe.

Nooo! Don’t compare it to Mushishi! I found Mushishi to be so boring!

pretends you never said that and sticks with the comparisons to Aria

[Naphthalene]

I have heard the title “mushishi” but that’s about it. I thought it was about some kind of insect-based magic/fantasy stuff, based on the title, which feels very different in terms of content? Meanwhile, both ARIA and ヨコハマ買い出し紀行 are in an unknown future with a lot of water around…

[jacobalbano]

@seanblue The mushishi comparison mostly comes from the fact that the quiet moments between plot beats are given equal importance. Personally the slow pace and atmosphere of mushishi were two of the things I liked most about it. Hopefully whatever it was that you found boring is absent here

@Naphthalene in this context mushi are basically kami, so it’s not really about bugs. Basically it’s just random vignettes in the life of a wandering doctor who is able to diagnose and treat supernatural maladies. The two series are nothing alike except for the similarities in tone and pacing that I mentioned above. I’d recommend giving it a shot; the anime is quite excellent imo but it’s based on a novel series if that’s more your speed.

Anyway enough thread hijacking from me

[rodan]

@jacobalbano

mushishi

I noticed when you search ヨコハマ買い出し紀行 on ebook sites, a collection of 蟲師 stories by other authors comes up because 芦奈野ひとし contributed to it, so it seems like there’s some basis to the comparison at least

[Belthazar]

@jacobalbano

The mushishi comparison mostly comes from the fact that the quiet moments between plot beats are given equal importance.

Or to put it another way, they’re both in the iyashikei genre.

@jacobalbano

the anime is quite excellent imo but it’s based on a novel series if that’s more your speed.

Manga series.

[jacobalbano]

… Somehow this whole time I’ve thought it was based on novels. Not sure what to do with this new info

[Belthazar]

@jacobalbano

Not sure what to do with this new info

Read the manga, of course.

[kappaka]

insert shocked and appalled noises here

I love them both!

[Rrwrex]

Nice! I’ve been meaning to start reading more. This seems to be about my speed.

I managed to buy my first ebook on bookwalker (this one) and I’ve successfully read the first few pages in their reader-app in chrome as well as in their ios app. I think I’m ready, anyway.

Any tips for looking up the occasionally fuzzy character? I’m a little nervous without my yomichan crutch…

Two issues:

1. The scan wasn’t terribly clear. The character 岬(みさき) was pretty fuzzy on page 12, especially in the browser app.

2. I eventually managed to guess successfully that it was やまへん, so I was able to look up the character by handwriting it in a dictionary app on my phone. Is that the best way, or are there any other tips for dictionary lookups?

Thanks in advance! I’m looking forward to week one.

[Belthazar]

@Rrwrex

Is that the best way, or are there any other tips for dictionary lookups?

You can also try search-by-radical, but it’s entirely up to you which way works best.

[rodan]

Honestly, personally I prefer looking up by radical in all circumstances where I can’t guess the reading, just because if I try handwriting and can’t find it it feels like it’s my fault, whereas at least if I can’t find it with radical search I can blame it on the tool more…

With the right tool and practice it’s not too slow either.
For 岬 for example, using the phone dictionary I like (Takoboto), I can search “yama” and hit “add to radical search” on 山 to start narrowing down, then add 口 as well and now and 岬 is the second one down. Which got me there in a couple seconds since I’ve done that kind of thing a lot at this point.

Incidentally, I thought this was an interesting opportunity to compare print and scan since I have both since the digital was free at one point (and I bought the originals before I knew digital was such an easy thing…). It’s not that different it turns out! You can really tell they just scanned it and color-corrected it.

Interesting how less sharp the shading gets though.

[Rrwrex]

@rodan

if I try handwriting and can’t find it it feels like it’s my fault, whereas at least if I can’t find it with radical search I can blame it on the tool more…

Hah! That definitely resonates.

I use both Yomiwa and Japanese dictionaries on ios. Both have pretty good lookup tools when I don’t screw it up. The “Outlier” etymology stuff available in Yomiwa is amazing.

[jhol]

I mostly use Multi-Radical Kanji Search, where I can find kanji based on WK radical names. It’s pretty quick and easy.

[Naphthalene]

Only a few days until the beginning of this club! HYPE.

[Naphthalene]

LET’S GOOOOOO
on a road trip
I’m so funny

Week 1: ヨコハマ買い出し紀行 (Intermediate BC)

Join the Intermediate Book Club here! Link to the Home thread Week 1 [ヨコハマ] Start date: October 23rd 2021 Previous part: N/A Next part: Week 2 Wordlist: Google sheets (thank you @harundoom!) Reading Week Start Date End Phrase End Page (PB) Page Count Wk 1 23 Oct Prologue/ Chapter 1 42 36 Discussion Rules Please use spoiler tags for major events in the current chapter(s) and any content in future chapters. When asking for help, please mention the chapter and page number. Als…

[Rrwrex]

So, so quiet! What gives?

This is my first attempt at a book club. I need chatter to keep me motivated. Am I the only one catching up on Halloween night?

My thoughts so far:

• I’ve only just started trying to add reading practice to my daily reviews. I used to do all my (English!) reading on flights, but who travels any more? I know I like doing reviews with my coffee in the morning, but I’m not up to reading afterward. I think reading this manga twice a week (maybe weekend mornings?) may work for me. When do folks like to fit in their reading?

• 大阪弁‼️ Yay.

• I definitely need two passes as I read this. Once quickly with rough understanding (like my conversations!) then going back through and looking up the correct readings and correcting mistakes. Is this how others proceed?

• A new first: I was disappointed to read 「おちつく」 in hiragana because I actually saw the kanji in my head! Thank you WK.

• Robot? …

• I used to live in 葉山❗️

• page 35: I’m struggling to look up what I presume is an instrument: 「オーナーの◯味です」. never mind, I guessed it (趣味 or hobby is a word I use conversationally all the time) but any hints on how to look up that character in a dictionary?

[Naphthalene]

@Rrwrex

So, so quiet! What gives?

The discussion happens in the weekly threads

Which reminds me that I did not post the link to the latest thread, I only added the link to the top post.
Here we go:

Week 2: ヨコハマ買い出し紀行 (Intermediate BC)

Join the Intermediate Book Club here! Link to the Home thread Week 2 [ヨコハマ] Start date: October 30th 2021 Previous part: Week 1 Next part: Week 3 Wordlist: Google sheets Reading Week Start Date End Phrase End Page (PB) Page Count Wk 2 30 Oct Chapters 2-3 78 37 Discussion Rules Please use spoiler tags for major events in the current chapter(s) and any content in future chapters. When asking for help, please mention the chapter and page number. Also mention what version of th…

@Rrwrex

When do folks like to fit in their reading?

I usually read in the evening and during lunch break.

@Rrwrex

大阪弁‼️ Yay.

Is there 大阪弁 in here? But they are near 横浜 though? Also, missing a lot of わ.

@Rrwrex

but any hints on how to look up that character in a dictionary?

When I come across a kanji I don’t know, I tend to look it up by radical.
If you use jisho, you can find it here: Jisho.org: Japanese Dictionary