乳と卵（2007）／川上未映子 "Breasts and Eggs" (2007, original novella version) by Mieko Kawakami

Mieko Kawakami won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize in 2007 for her novella "Breasts and Eggs" (the original novella version, not to be confused with the longer novel "Natsu monogatari 夏物語" which is the expanded version that was translated and published under the same title internationally). Despite its short length, it is very challenging for language learners to read because it is entirely written in Osaka-ben and the prose is always in one long stretch with no breaks in between at all. As the title suggests, this is a feminist novel examining the challenges concerning the body that women face on a daily basis. Three characters - a mother, a daughter and the mother's sister. The single mother is a hostess from Osaka and wants to get breast implants in Tokyo; the daughter starts to experience changes in her body and discusses them in a series of notes; and the aunt wants to conceive a child. These are some brutal and at times literally bloody discussions on body image, child bearing and why a woman should or should not conform to social expectations - real issues that affect directly half of the population and indirectly the other half. It is remarkable that, almost 20 years on, society still remains highly polarised on these subjects, with liberal minds openly discussing them and conservative circles avoiding them altogether. Regardless, the writing is still as fresh and explosive (even uncompromising) as ever and it must have made quite a big impact in the male-dominated world in 2007. It is certainly very progressive compared to the traditional testosterone-driven Japanese literature or softer female writings of the past. As a male reader, while none of them are particularly new concepts in this day and age, it is still a rewarding and enriching read. The novella is accompanied by a short story about a woman browsing cosmetics in a store and musing on casual sex, to further the discussion on the position of the modern woman.