7. Winter in Tokyo

10 May 2011

Like i ever share in my previous journal, i like to read nove from Liana Tan. Finally, i can read her 3^rd book. That is Winter in Tokyo. I am very exiceted to read that book because her previous novel is very good.

The story is about Keiko. Her parents are from different country. Her mother is Indonesian and her father is Japanese but she and her parents have been living in Japan for a long time. Keiko, who worked in public libraries in the Shinjuku and lived in one of the modest apartment in downtown Tokyo, was obsessed with her ​​first love, Akira Kitano. That's why, even though he had aged 23 years, Keiko has not occurred for a serious relationship with any man. Keiko hope someday she will meet with Akira and realizing her first love. One day, Keiko apartment which is also inhabited by a husband and wife Osawa, Keiko, and Sato brothers, Tomoyuki Sato and his sister Haruka Sato, arrived of new residents, a man named Kazuto Nishimura, who lived in the apartment 201. Kazuto is back to Tokyo, after 10 years living in New York, United States, with both parents. Kazuto returns to Tokyo because he want to break away from the memories of the girl he loved, who was married to his best friend. Intimate relationships among apartment dwellers transmitted to Kazuto, which originally did not want to get too bothered with the life of neighbors. Even with Keiko, a handsome man who lives in New York as a professional photographer, feel the enjoyable life. Keiko herself felt that Kazuto, a reliable friend, though she upset because Kazuto have thougth that she is Naomi, Keiko’s twin sister, a Japanese famous model, who developed her career in the United States.

Same with other romance novel, predictably, after a month of establishing togetherness, there is a new feeling in the hearts of Kazuto and Keiko. Even Kazuto plans to express his feelings to Keiko, back from the overnight New Year in Kyoto, home of Keiko’s parents. But unfortunately, Kazuto who suffered a concussion due to some thugs ganged up, forget about everything that happened during his stay in Tokyo. He did not even remember if he had settled in one apartment and have neighbors who care about him. Well, husband and wife Osawa, Haruka and Tomoyoki Sato and Keiko, are very worried about Kazuto, who never returned to his apartment, after he brought Keiko to train station. Kazuto was oblivious to his feelings for Keiko, especially after he knew that Keiko had met with her ​​first love, Akira Kitano, who has become a doctor and Kazuto classmate during high school. The arrival of Yuri Iwamoto, Kazuto beloved girl, also buried Kazuto feelings to Keiko. Moreover, the arrival of Yuri to Tokyo, not just on business but also ask kazuto back to New York, with him.

Actually this novel is very interesting. The plot is also quite interesting. I am very appericiate to the writers. She can make such a good story line like this novel. There is a “red-line” in this novel with her other novel, Summer in Seoul and Autumn in Paris, but the “red-line” is vey natural. It is not too forced. But for the reader who already have read the previous novel, they think that Autumn in Paris is more interesting than this. Because Autumn in Paris’s ending is very tragic whereas Winter in Tokyo’s ending is only quite interesting. Same with others, i also think that Autumn in Paris is better than Winter in Tokyo because i prefer like the tragic ending than the happy ending. But i can not lie that Winter in Tokyo is also a good book.