Reminder that we’re following the new schedule as voted on in the home thread
Week
Start Date
Chapter
Percentage
文庫ページ
Week 5
Feb 28
stop when you see 明瞭で淀みのない調子で店内を流れていく
32%
192
Week 6
Mar 7
stop when you see chapter 7
37%
224
Week 8
Mar 14
stop when you see chapter 8
43%
261
Week 9
Mar 28
stop when you see chapter 9
50%
300
Week 10
Apr 4
stop when you see chapter 10
56%
334
Week 11
Apr 11
stop at the section beginning with 2月２４日
62%
371
Week 12
Apr 18
stop when you see chapter 12
69%
413
Week 13
Apr 25
stop when you see chapter 13
75%
446
Week 14
May 2
stop when you see chapter 14
80%
479
Week 15
May 9
stop at line break ending 再び汽笛が鳴った
86%
512
Week 16
May 16
stop at the end of the book, not including 解説
98%
584
Discussion Rules
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Readership stats
I’m reading or have read this section
I’m planning to read this section
I’ve already read this and I’m here for the discussion
I had no intentions of reading the book, but I desire to click a poll
The more I read, the more I get annoyed at the typical Japanese ideal of the loving housewife…
Being a very average middle-aged European woman, I work, have a family and still manage to home-bake a cake for and with my child. My mother was also working and still managed to bake with me and teach me how to bake cakes. And I never felt deprived in any way just because she was working, thankyouverymuch.
I also really don’t like Makoto. He only puts her down and does nothing for the relationship. I really hope that the relationship won’t last, but since it seems to be going upwards, I guess the relationship will flourish more towards the end of the book. Not that he has any part in why it’s getting better, it’s absolutely one-sidedly Rika who puts effort into the relationship at the moment and Makoto doesn’t even seem to appreciate her or the effort.
I kinda hope she ends up with her older, divorced colleague. At least he seems to be really supportive of her, not focused on looks and they actually talk on a deeper level. Seems like the much healthier relationship to me.
I got sick again, I’m a little behind. I’ll probably be behind the next few weeks as well
I have not much written down for this week. But I think I misunderstood some parts and am happy for any input there.
And Kajii does Kajii things again. Sure I give you an exclusive interview but will not answer any questions. Do some more challenges for me and change who you are first -.-. It’s really predictable by now.
I was surprised by it being a gas oven and 里佳 not being even able to set the temperature. In germany coffee and cake are such an integral part of our culture that most homes have a proper oven and people use them regularly. But I know in Japan the best you can hope for is a toaster oven and people baking cakes in rice cookers .
There was a part I felt lost. I read that part 2 times but still feel like I’m totally missing the point. It seems to me she thinks that the wife and daughter of 篠井san might have died, and he is lying about the divorce??? Why would she jump to that conclusion just from only some baking utensils being left and no other cooking utensils? (ここから先は立ち入るべきではない。ひょっとしてすべては嘘で、二人は亡くなったのではないだろうか。) That sentence and thought made 0 sense to me.
I liked 篠井 talking about the problems his daughter had and why they stopped baking. Seems like a real realistic scenario to me to get bullied in school because of being a little healthier sized. Then the bullying and mental anguish spiraling out of control. Also, him not really paying attention to both of them because of work and just not taking their comments as problematic as they actually are. The whole relationship breaking apart as a result.
Additionally, interesting that 里佳 sees parallels between how her father lived and how 篠井 lives, and she is wanting to give him a push to pull his life back together.
Seems next chapter will be the visit to Kajiis family. Let’s see what we learn there and how these 2 women view Kajiis case.
I think that is in large part because of the different work cultures in both countries.
In Japan work is culturally much more important. The work-life balance is also really shit. So the only possible way to manage children is a houseperson. Combine that with the discrimination against women when it comes to having any kind of career, because “they will quit either way when they marry” and you get a pretty bad working culture overall. And bam → you are a bad mother if you are not 24/7 only caring about the household because look at all the other examples that do such a great job.
By all my love for Japan the work culture is still one of the worst parts in my view .
I haven’t been good with consistently reading since getting back from my vacation, but I have finished this chapter. I found the middle part to be rather slow to get through with all of the detailed cooking.
As far as the Japanese work culture, I’m almost so impressed by people who both work and have families here. As a personal anecdote, when I go into the office I’m out of the house for at least 12 1/2 hours of the day, I barely have enough time to take care of myself let alone a small human being… I want to start a family eventually but I get worried about the logistics.
