Michael Hoffman's short story, "The Fish Tree" — which ran Nov. 25 in the Timeout section of The Japan Times — is a wonderful piece. It's so exquisitely crafted and believable! His years in Japan show a formidable grasp of the culture and its intricacies. Bravo!
I wish Akira Kurosawa were still around today shooting movies. I'm sure he would grab this little gem for the small or large screen. I would peddle it to the hilt to translate word by word all the rich imagery. Maybe "The Fish Tree" is establishing an exquisite trend of writing for our jaded generation. I'm downloading it to keep as a forceful guide for my own writing.
Hoffman must translate it into Japanese.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.