Tomoka Shibasaki’s novel “Spring Garden” has many typical features of what I expect from Japanese literature. A singular friendship forms between the two neighbours, centred around a building close but far away for them. When she realises that she is spotted, they make contact and Nishi explains Taro why she is behaving this strangely: the house is actually quite famous, she even possesses a book about its interior and her greatest wish is to enter and have a look herself. She seems to try to look into it through the window. One day, he observes a woman walking around the sky-blue house neighbouring their block. Since the flats are going to be destroyed soon, they will have to leave anyway. His neighbours, he only knows the names that were given to the flats they inhabit, but not who is living close to him. His family is far away and they are hardly in contact, his father died already ten years ago, yet the memories of him are still alive. Taro lives alone in one of Tokyo’s anonymous block of flats.
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