Welcome to the 変な家2 Book Club!
An acquaintance was considering purchasing a second-hand house in Tokyo. It seemed to be an ordinary house with an open and bright interior, but there was a “mysterious space” in the floor plan. When he showed the floor plan to an architect he knew, he was told that there was “something strange” about the house here and there. What is the truth behind the mysterious floor plan? Who is the former resident who suddenly disappeared?
Where to purchase
See purchase options on Natively.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Chapter | End phrase | Pages | Page count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 May | 行き先のない廊下 | ここからなんです。 | 7-21 | 15 |
| 2 | 30 May | 行き先のない廊下 | end of chapter | 22-44 | 23 |
| 3 | 6 Jun | 闇を育む家 | いやでもその光景をイメージしてしまう。 | 45-59 | 15 |
| 4 | 13 Jun | 闇を育む家 | end of chapter | 59-76 | 17 |
| 5 | 20 Jun | 林の中の水車小屋 | end of chapter | 77-95 | 18 |
| 6 | 27 Jun | ネズミ捕りの家 | 気持ちになりました。 | 96-106 | 11 |
| 7 | 4 Jul | ネズミ捕りの家 | end of chapter | 106-120 | 15 |
| 8 | 11 Jul | そこにあった自己物件 | こんな場所にあるのは変だ。 | 120-139 | 20 |
| 9 | 18 Jul | そこにあった自己物件 | end of chapter | 140-156 | 18 |
| 10 | 25 Jul | 再生の館 | end of chapter | 157-180 | 23 |
| 11 | 1 Aug | おじさんの家 | end of chapter | 181-192 | 11 |
| 12 | 8 Aug | 部屋を繋ぐ糸電話 | end of chapter | 193-218 | 25 |
| 13 | 15 Aug | 殺人現場へ向こう足音 | end of chapter | 219-240 | 21 |
| 14 | 22 Aug | 逃げられないアパート | end of chapter | 241-260 | 19 |
| 15 | 29 Aug | 一度だけ現れた部屋 | 入間 はい。 | 261-276 | 16 |
| 16 | 5 Sep | 一度だけ現れた部屋 | end of chapter | 276-296 | 20 |
| 17 | 12 Sep | 栗原の推理 | 教団は暴利を貪れたわけです。 | 296-317 | 20 |
| 18 | 19 Sep | 栗原の推理 | flowchart for 資料＃8 | 317-335 | 19 |
| 19 | 26 Sep | 栗原の推理 | 本質が見えてきましたね。 | 336-357 | 21 |
| 20 | 3 Oct | 栗原の推理 | 紅葉滝れなおしましょう。 | 358-374 | 17 |
| 21 | 10 Oct | 栗原の推理 | 圧迫されてしまったことを。 | 374-390 | 17 |
| 22 | 17 Oct | 栗原の推理 | flowchart for 資料＃4 | 390-404 | 15 |
| 23 | 24 Oct | 栗原の推理 | わけじゃないと思います。 | 405-424 | 15 |
| 24 | 31 Oct | 栗原の推理 | end of chapter | 424-447 | 24 |
Discussion Guidelines
Spoiler Courtesy
Please follow these rules to avoid inadvertent ネタバレ. If you’re unsure whether something should have a spoiler tag, err on the side of using one.
- Any potential spoiler for the current week’s reading need only be covered by a spoiler tag. Predictions and conjecture made by somebody who has not read ahead still falls into this category.
- Any potential spoilers for external sources need to be covered by a spoiler tag and include a label (outside of the spoiler tag) of what might be spoiled. These include but are not limited to: other book club picks, other books, games, movies, anime, etc. I recommend also tagging the severity of the spoiler (for example, I may still look at minor spoilers for something that I don’t intend to read soon).
- Any information from later in the book than the current week’s reading (including trigger warnings that haven’t yet manifested) needs to be hidden by spoiler tags and labeled as coming from later sections.
Instructions for Spoiler Tags
Click the cog above the text box and use either the “Hide Details” or “Blur Spoiler” options. The text which says “This text will be hidden” should be replaced with what you are wishing to write. In the case of “Hide Details”, the section in the brackets that is labelled “Summary” can be replaced with whatever you like also (i.e, [details=”Chapter 1, Pg. 1”]).
Hide Details results in the dropdown box like below:
Example
This is an example of the “Hide Details” option.
The “Blur Spoiler” option will simply blur the text it surrounds.
This is an example of the “Blur Spoiler” option.
Posting Advice
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When asking for help, please mention the page number, and check before posting that your question hasn’t already been asked. As the threads get longer, it becomes more convenient to use the Search function, which is located in the upper right corner of the forum. It is the magnifying glass which is near your profile picture! The best way to search is usually to type part of the sentence you are confused about, and select “in this topic”. This will show you all posts within the current thread which has that string of text.
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Be sure to join the conversation! It’s fun, and it’s what keeps these book clubs lively! There’s no such thing as a stupid question! We are all learning here, and if the question has crossed your mind, there’s a very good chance it has crossed somebody else’s also! Asking and answering questions is a great learning opportunity for everyone involved, so never hesitate to do so!
Proper Nouns
Feel free to add to this as new characters / places get introduced throughout the book.
Example:
| Name | Reading | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 根岸・弥生 | ねぎし・やよい | 30s, woman (Ch. 1) |
| 根岸・和樹くん | ねぎし・かずき | her son, 7 y.o. (Ch.1) |
| 春日裕之介 | かすが ゆうのすけ (?) | 8 y.o. boy killed on Jan 29th 1990 in an accident with a construction truck from Housemaker at the construction site of the Negishi home (Ch. 1) |
| 池田 | いけだ | Middle-aged employee at Housemaker (Ch. 1) |
| 高岡市、富士山県 | たかおかし、ふじけん | Takaoka City, Fuji Yama prefecture – where the Negishi home was (Ch.1) |
| 飯村・辰之 | いいむら・たつゆき | guy who does house cleansing, enjoys free food & beer (Ch. 2) |
| 津原 | つはら | family who lived in Hikura House (Ch. 2) |
| 葵区 | あおいく | Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City (Ch. 2) |
| 緋倉正彦 | ひくら・ まさひこ | Current president of Hikura House. Described as an elderly man with a hook nose (Ch. 2) |
| 緋倉明永 | ひくら ・あきなが | Vice-president of Hikura House. Resembles 緋倉正彦, possibly his son (Ch. 2) |
| 明眸逗留日記 | めいぼうとうりゅうにっき | title of a collection of travel accounts (Ch. 2) |
| 水無字季 | みずなしうき | Daughter of a wealthy family in the steel manufacturing business from Tokyo. Probably born in 1917, 21 y.o. at the time of her story (Ch. 3) |
| 飯伊地方 | はんいちほう | Hani Region (Nagano Prefecture?) (Ch. 3) |
| 早坂・詩織 | はやさか ・しおり | 33 y.o. president of an app. co. (Ch. 4) |
| ヒクラ・みつこ | — | daughter of Hikura House house builder president (Ch. 4) |
| 下條村 | しもじょうむら | Town in Nagano Prefecture (Ch. 5) |
| 平内・健司 | ひらうち・けんじ | Company employee man in his 30s (Ch. 5) |
| 錦糸町 | きんしちょう | neighborhood in Sumida Ward Tokyo (Ch. 5) |
| 本能寺跡 | ほんのうじあと | Honnō Temple remains, Kyoto (Ch. 5) |
| 織田信長 | おだのぶなが | feudal lord (23 June 1534 – 21 June 1582) (Ch. 5) |
| 千代田区 | ちよだく | Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo (Ch. 5) |
| 飛鳥新社 | あすかしんしゃ | publishing company (Ch.5 |
| 杉山さん | すぎやまさん | editor in charge (Ch. 5) |
| 飯田線 | いいだせん | JR line connecting Toyohashi Stn in Aichi Pref. into Nagano through to Tatsuno Stn (Ch. 5) |
| 梓馬・清親 | あずま・きよちか | deceased man who lived near 下條村 who committed suicide in 1938 (Ch.5) |
| 久三さん | きゅうぞうさん | local older下條村 man whose gramma worked for 梓馬・清親 back in the 1930s (Ch. 5) |
| お絹さん | おきぬさん | maid who worked for 梓馬・清親 who had an affair with him (Ch. 5) |
| 信州 | しんしゅう | traditional name for 長野県 |
| 明眸逗留日記 | めいぼうとうりゅうにっき | title of a collection of travel accounts (Ch. 2&5) |
| 焼岳 | やけだけ | Mount Yake, an active volcano mountain in the Hida mountain range between Nagano & Gifu (western edge of Nagano) (Ch. 6) |
| 御堂陽華梨 | みどうひかり | a living goddess also known as 聖母様 (せいぼさま - Holy Mother) (Ch. 6) |
| 一宮市 | いちのみや し | City in Aichi Prefecture (Ch. 7) |
| 三橋・成貴 | みつはし・なるき | Young boy (9y.o.) (Ch. 7) |
| 三橋・沙織 | みつはし・さおり | Mother of なるき (Ch. 7) |
| 中村・栄二 | なかむら・エイジ | Man - companion of さおり (Ch. 7) |
| 笠原・千恵 | かさはら・ちえ | Woman (40yo) (Ch. 8) |
| 松江・弘樹 | まつえ・ひろき | boy (neighbor, ~8yo) (Ch. 8, 9) |
| 羽島市 | はしまし | city in 岐阜県 （Gifu Prefecture) (Ch. 8) |
| 西春・明美 | にしはる・あけみ | 79 y.o. izakaya owner (Ch. 10) |
| 西春・満 | にしはる・みつる | 明美’s son (Ch. 10) |
| 中目黒 | なかめぐろ | Tokyo neighborhood (Ch. 10) |
| 歌舞伎町 | かぶきちょう | Entertainment district in Tokyo (Ch. 10) |
| 置棟 | おきとう | name of apartment in 山梨県 (Ch. 10) |
| 山梨県 | やまなしけん | prefecture southwest of Tokyo, which includes Mount Fuji (Ch. 10) |
| 入間・蓮 | いるま・れん | 27 y.o. freelance designer (Ch. 11) |
| 新潟県 | にいいがたけん | prefecture (Ch. 11) |
| 妙高市 | みょうこうし | city in Niigata Prefecture (Ch. 11) |
| 栗原 | くりはら | architectural draftsman (final Ch.) |
| 梅ヶ丘 | うめがおか | neighborhood in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo (final Ch.) |
Floorplans 1-11 (pp1-295)
Floorplan 1: 行き先のない廊下(Corridor with no destination)
When: June 10 & 17, 2022
Where: 高岡市、富士山県 – Takaoka City, Fujiyama prefecture
Who:
• 根岸弥生－ねぎし・やよい – 30s, woman (corridor with no destination)
• 根岸・和樹くん – Kazuki-kun, son of Yayoi, 7 yo
• 美崎―みさき – Name of construction company building Negishi’s house
Floorplan 2: 闇を育む家 (the house that nurtures darkness)
When: Nov. 6, 2020
Where: 葵区・静岡市 (Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City)
Who:
• 飯村辰之-いいむら・たつゆき – Iimura Tatsuyuki – guy who did house cleansing was interviewed
• 津原 – Tsuhara family who lived in Hikura House (in Aoiku 葵区 ward in Shizuoka city)
• ヒクラハウス – Hikura House – house builder who built Tsuhara house open layout 16 yo charged with killing gramma, mom and younger bro – president accused of abusing young girl
Floorplan 3: 林の中の水車小屋 (the watermill in the forest)
When: Aug, 23, 1938 (Showa 13) – extracts from a diary
Where: 飯伊地方(Hani Region – which seems to be in Nagano prefecture near Iida city?, southern region of Nagano Prefecture)
Who: 水無字季 (Mizunashi Uki) 21 y.o. woman from Tokyo visiting aunt & uncle
Floorplan 4: ネズミ捕りの家 (the mousetrap house)
When: Mar. 13, 2022
Where: Roppongi, Tokyo
Who:
- 早坂・詩織さん- はやさか・しおり– 33yo woman – app company president
- ヒクラ・みつこ- 13 y.o. daughter of President of Hikura House homebuilder
Floorplan 5: そこにあった自己物件 (the property that used to be there)
When: Aug. 2022
Where: Shimojo Village, Nagano Prefecture
Who:
- 平内・健司 (Hirauchi Kenji) - homeowner
- 梓馬・清親 （Azuma, Kiyochika) rich guy from same area (dec. 1938)
- お絹さん (Okinusan) - maid of rich guy
Floorplan 6: 再生の館
When: Aug. 1994 – an article published in a certain (某) monthly magazine
Where: Foot of 焼岳(Yakedake) in Western Nagano
Who:教団 who follows a living goddess named Midōhikari (御堂陽華梨) aka the Holy Mother (聖母様 せいぼさま) Cult broke up in 1999.
Floorplan 7: おじさんの家
When: Nov 24, 1989-Apr 21, 1990 diary extracts
Where: 一宮市、愛知県
Who:
- 三橋・成貴(みつはし・なるき）ーboy
- 三橋・沙織（みつはし・さおり)-mom
- 中村・栄二(なかむら・エイジ）ーbf
- おじさん
(no floorplan)
Floorplan 8: 部屋をつなぐ糸電話
When: Oct. 12, 2022 (interview about a fire that happened when 笠原・千恵さん was in grade 4 (~32 years ago)
Where: 羽島市 (はしまし）岐阜県 （ぎふけん）
Who:
- 笠原・千恵（かさはら・ちえ）-40 yo woman
- 松江家 -neighbors (mother, father and son ヒロキ)
Floorplan 9: 殺人現場へ向こう足音
When: Nov. 11, 2022 interview
Where: 岐阜県
Who: 松江・弘樹 （まつえ・ひろき）son of the neighbors of 笠原・千恵さん
Floorplan 10: 逃げられないアパート
When: Jan. 25, 2023 interview (about events that occurred around 1969 or after, at 置棟 アパート in 山梨県)
Where: 中目黒、東京
Who:
- 西春・明美 (Nishiharu Akemi) ー 79 y.o. izakaya owner
- 西春・満 (Nishiharu Mitsuru) - son of 明美
- ヤエコ - another debtor living in the アパート
Floorplan 11: -一度だけ現れた部屋
When: July 2022 interview (about incident that occurred Oct. 23, 2004)
Where: 妙高市, 新潟県
Who: 入間・蓮 (27 yo freelance designer)
Membership
- Yes
- Yes, but I might start late
- Maybe
- No
- eBook
- Physical
Don’t know exactly when they’ll arrive though.
are indeed lonely.
