The Japan Society’s in-person book club discusses Troubled Waters, Bryan Karetnyk’s English translation of five stories by Ichiyo Higuchi. The collection follows courtesans, children and working-class families living on the margins of Meiji-era Tokyo.
The book and author
The stories explore poverty, desire, unspoken longing and emotional endurance during a period of rapid social change. Higuchi combines close observation of everyday hardship with psychological insight and social realism.
Higuchi lived from 1872 to 1896 and is widely regarded as Japan’s first professional woman writer. Her short career ended with her death from tuberculosis, but her work remains central to modern Japanese literature.
Booking and attendance
This edition is an in-person discussion at the Japan Society rather than an online meeting.
The discussion begins at 19:00 on Monday 14 December. The organiser does not publish an end time. Advance booking is required.
Attendance is free for Japan Society members. Non-members are welcome and are asked to consider a recommended £5 donation. Anyone under 18 must attend with a parent or legal guardian because alcohol will be served.
Before you go
Read the book in advance so you can take part in the discussion. The organiser has not announced a visiting author, translator appearance, signing, workshop or merchandise programme.
Parking, step-free access, quiet-space and carer arrangements are not published on the event page. See the official Japan Society book-club page for booking and current information.
The event page also does not publish refreshments beyond the alcohol notice, a last-entry time or refund terms. Check the booking confirmation for any late-arrival instructions.