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Oh, Tama!
Oh, Tama! takes the reader deep into the haphazard lives of Natsuyuki, the protagonist, and his loosely connected circle of dysfunctional acquaintances and family. Trying to keep some semblance of order and decency in his life, working as an occasional freelance photographer, Natsuyuki is visited by his delinquent friend Alexandre, who unexpectedly entrusts him with his sister's pregnant cat, Tama. Despite his initial protests, Natsuyuki accepts his new responsibility and cares compassionately for Tama and her kittens.
Half-sister Tsuneko, meanwhile, is herself pregnant by one of several lovers, all patrons of the bar she runs. She contacts three of them, claiming each to be the father, and demands money. One of these is Fuyuhiko, the older half-brother of Natsuyuki, although he is not aware of this fact. When Fuyuhiko comes to Tokyo in search of Tsuneko, he gravitates to Natsuyuki's apartment, where he and Alexandre move in with the weak-willed Natsuyuki.
Awarded the Women's Literature Prize in Japan, Oh, Tama! is the second book in the Mejiro Series, named after the area of Tokyo between the mega-towns of Shinjuku and Ikebukuro. The main characters (not to mention the author and her artist sister Kanai Kumiko) all live in this area. Most of the main characters in one book appear as side characters in the others. Natsuyuki and Alexandre, for example, appear in the third work in the series, Indian Summer. The protagonists of that book—Momoko, Hanako and Momoko's writer-aunt—all appear first in Oh, Tama!.
These Mejiro texts are full of humor and irony. While earlier works of Kanai are noted for their surrealistic, sensuous and poetic style and arresting, at times violent themes, the Mejiro novels focus on the human comedy in the seemingly mundane, actual world. The protagonists of the series are, however, in one way or another engaged in creative or intellectual activities, even though they are often unemployed or at loose ends.
While a few of the author's short stories, poems, and excerpts from her longer works were translated into English beginning in the late 1970s, and attracted some attention among feminist literary scholars, this is only the third book-length English translation of her work, following The Word Book and Indian Summer.
Half-sister Tsuneko, meanwhile, is herself pregnant by one of several lovers, all patrons of the bar she runs. She contacts three of them, claiming each to be the father, and demands money. One of these is Fuyuhiko, the older half-brother of Natsuyuki, although he is not aware of this fact. When Fuyuhiko comes to Tokyo in search of Tsuneko, he gravitates to Natsuyuki's apartment, where he and Alexandre move in with the weak-willed Natsuyuki.
Awarded the Women's Literature Prize in Japan, Oh, Tama! is the second book in the Mejiro Series, named after the area of Tokyo between the mega-towns of Shinjuku and Ikebukuro. The main characters (not to mention the author and her artist sister Kanai Kumiko) all live in this area. Most of the main characters in one book appear as side characters in the others. Natsuyuki and Alexandre, for example, appear in the third work in the series, Indian Summer. The protagonists of that book—Momoko, Hanako and Momoko's writer-aunt—all appear first in Oh, Tama!.
These Mejiro texts are full of humor and irony. While earlier works of Kanai are noted for their surrealistic, sensuous and poetic style and arresting, at times violent themes, the Mejiro novels focus on the human comedy in the seemingly mundane, actual world. The protagonists of the series are, however, in one way or another engaged in creative or intellectual activities, even though they are often unemployed or at loose ends.
While a few of the author's short stories, poems, and excerpts from her longer works were translated into English beginning in the late 1970s, and attracted some attention among feminist literary scholars, this is only the third book-length English translation of her work, following The Word Book and Indian Summer.
156 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1987
4 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
About the author
Mieko Kanai
18 books66 followersMieko Kanai (金井 美恵子 Kanai Mieko?, born November 3, 1947 in Takasaki) is a Japanese writer of fiction, especially short stories, as well as poetry. She is also a literary critic.
Mieko Kanai read widely in fiction and poetry from an early age. In 1967, at the young age of twenty, she was runner-up for the Dazai Osamu Prize for Ai no seikatsu (A Life of Love), and the following year she received the Gendaishi Techo Prize for poetry. While maintaining a certain distance from literary circles and journalism, she has built up her own world of fiction with a sensual style. Along with her fiction, her criticism, which shows off her scathing, acid insight, has a devoted following.
Mieko Kanai read widely in fiction and poetry from an early age. In 1967, at the young age of twenty, she was runner-up for the Dazai Osamu Prize for Ai no seikatsu (A Life of Love), and the following year she received the Gendaishi Techo Prize for poetry. While maintaining a certain distance from literary circles and journalism, she has built up her own world of fiction with a sensual style. Along with her fiction, her criticism, which shows off her scathing, acid insight, has a devoted following.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 26, 2019
I would say 4.5 stars to this book - I thought it was absolutely delightful. It’s is about time that added to my knowledge of modern Japanese lit, besides the revered Murakami. A seemingly random set of characters without strong family connections and definite occupations form somewhat of a loosely bound “family unit” where they come and go as they please and take care of each other to the point of silliness. At the center of this is a tabby cat who has lived with a few of the characters and is certainly loved and happy. It has changed owners, but it feels as though she is the one who finally found this place that would become the hub of newly formed family’s life, in the flat of the main character, who is lonely, but at the same time, introverted and full of ideas. The men and women populating this short novel seem directionless, but also talented, strongly opinionated, thinking and caring, no matter how bizarre some of their conversations may seem. They come and go like Tama the cat, but they all need the warmth and connection of a home and a friendship. Although the author sets out with a white and grey striped tabby, later on she writes that on adopting a kitten named Toraa (Tigger) she insists that dark grey black striped tabbies are the handsomest of all cats. At the moment I could not but agree, having opened my home to a family unit of such tabbies - and I am looking forward to reading Indian Summer sometime soon.
January 30, 2019
I just didn’t find it funny like the blurb and prologue claimed, but for one tiny paragraph. The story of dysfunctional people going through existential crisis and trying to impress one another with how arty their references are just left me feeling awkward, disappointed and eager to be done with the tale. I’m surprised the cat stayed with these people.
February 28, 2019
I ended up skimming this, because I just really wasn't enjoying it at all. Not my cup of tea, I'm afraid.
September 5, 2024
Cats have been prominent in Japanese literature since Natsume Soseki made his name with his debut I am a Cat. Tama, the cat, in Mieko Kannai’s novel Oh, Tama! (translated by Tomoko Aoyama and Paul McCarthy) is the central force that drives the plot of the story. None of the eccentric characters would have met if Tama hadn’t needed a home. Idle freelance photographer Natsuyuki, with an obsession with the fictional photographer Amanda Anderson, is pressed into the duty of looking after the heavily pregnant Tama by his former fling Tsuneko’s half-brother Alexandre, a mixed-raced model and sometimes porn actor. Alexandre also moves in with Natsuyuki for short periods of time during the course of the novel. It seems that Tsuneko gets around and she has told all of her recent lovers that they each are the father of her unborn child to get money. Subsequently, she has gone on the lam and no one, even Alexandre, knows where she is. One of the prospective fathers, Fuyuhiko, a psychiatrist from Kyoto, turns out to be Natsuyuki’s abandoned half-brother. He arrives in Tokyo looking for Tsuneko and also decides to stay on at Natsuyuki’s apartment in the Meijiro neighborhood of Tokyo that bridges Takadanobaba and Ikebukuro. This neighborhood acts as a sort of character as Kannai refers to specific places there and in the neighborhoods that border it. The story sort of meanders and the characters just interact and talk about various things such as Japanese and western writers, actors, artists, and directors among other things. Thus, aspect of the novel call to mind the writing of Haruki Murakami in the foreign culture references in particular, but there’s no magical realism her-it is all rather unexceptionally realistic. There are some bits that I think must have come across as more clever in the original Japanese; such as the conversation that the characters have about the difference between neko-inazu (poisoned food) and nezumi-inazu (strong cupboards that keep rats out). That being said, there’s voyeuristic feel to the novel, in which the readers can observe these idiosyncratic people. Furthermore, this novel doesn’t have a conventional ending. At the end of the novel both Alexandre and Fuyuhiko have returned to stay with Natsuyuki in Meijiro, and Tama has given birth to her kittens, all of which have found good homes. And I guess that can be seen as a happy ending.
January 26, 2021
“As for the theme of the novel, briefly put, it would seem meaningless to search for the identity of the father of a child who has come into this world, whether in the case of cats or of humans. It is the same with the question of one’s own real identity as well.”
I like the theme that Mieko Kanai describes in her afterword (as quoted above). The men that are dealing with the possibility of being a father to an unborn child are fitting vessels for an exploration into the question of one’s identity. They’re all lonely men that were raised in broken homes and irregular families. Their lives seem frivolous and empty. Oh, Tama! is a good reflection of this aspect of society.
Rather than being a story, Oh, Tama! resembles a series of encounters. We follow Natsuyuki’s dysfunctional life and his conversations with other people that know Alexandre’s pregnant sister Tsuneko. The daily conversations mostly revolve around the pregnancies of Tsuneko and the cat Tama. The father is unknown in both cases. Tama’s role in the story is rather superficial, other than being at the center of many references. Unfortunately, none of the characters – including the cat – are really interesting. This must have been on purpose.
Oh, Tama! is a parody that makes heavy use of intertextuality. The title is inspired by Oh, Nora!, a book by Uchida Hyakken. Throughout the book, you can find references to other cat novels in the chapter titles and the names of the other cats mentioned in the book. Even the name ‘Tama’ is taken from the Japanese titles of the books Mieko Kanai references in her novel. If I hadn’t read the intro, I wouldn’t have known about all the sophisticated references that are woven into the story. But even though I am aware of the fact that it is happening, the meaning is lost in translation (due to my lack of knowledge about the other books).
From a literary viewpoint, I should probably appreciate this book for its intertextuality and for being the parody that it is. I am aware that it holds more meaning to a Japanese audience.
From a personal viewpoint: I didn’t find this book an enjoyable read. It feels like a collection of stories turned into chapters; a collection that lacks an immersive story. This is not why I read books. On a side note: I appreciated the intro and two afterwords way too much in comparison.
I like the theme that Mieko Kanai describes in her afterword (as quoted above). The men that are dealing with the possibility of being a father to an unborn child are fitting vessels for an exploration into the question of one’s identity. They’re all lonely men that were raised in broken homes and irregular families. Their lives seem frivolous and empty. Oh, Tama! is a good reflection of this aspect of society.
Rather than being a story, Oh, Tama! resembles a series of encounters. We follow Natsuyuki’s dysfunctional life and his conversations with other people that know Alexandre’s pregnant sister Tsuneko. The daily conversations mostly revolve around the pregnancies of Tsuneko and the cat Tama. The father is unknown in both cases. Tama’s role in the story is rather superficial, other than being at the center of many references. Unfortunately, none of the characters – including the cat – are really interesting. This must have been on purpose.
Oh, Tama! is a parody that makes heavy use of intertextuality. The title is inspired by Oh, Nora!, a book by Uchida Hyakken. Throughout the book, you can find references to other cat novels in the chapter titles and the names of the other cats mentioned in the book. Even the name ‘Tama’ is taken from the Japanese titles of the books Mieko Kanai references in her novel. If I hadn’t read the intro, I wouldn’t have known about all the sophisticated references that are woven into the story. But even though I am aware of the fact that it is happening, the meaning is lost in translation (due to my lack of knowledge about the other books).
From a literary viewpoint, I should probably appreciate this book for its intertextuality and for being the parody that it is. I am aware that it holds more meaning to a Japanese audience.
From a personal viewpoint: I didn’t find this book an enjoyable read. It feels like a collection of stories turned into chapters; a collection that lacks an immersive story. This is not why I read books. On a side note: I appreciated the intro and two afterwords way too much in comparison.
April 19, 2019
This offbeat, quirky little novel from Mieko Kanai is certainly one to enjoy, especially for fans of Japanese literature. Indeed, those who are familiar with some of the great ‘cat’ literature of the 20th century, or anyone who has read a lot of Japanese authors, will recognise the style and themes of the book which, superficially, can be quite hard to completely get a grasp of for the uninitiated.
Natsuyuki Kanemitsu, a freelance photographer, lives a quiet enough life but it is soon interrupted by the arrival of his friend Alexandre (real name Kanemitsu) who announces that his sister Tsuneko is pregnant and that there are several possible fathers – one of whom, perhaps, is Natsuyuki himself. Alexandre also brings with him the eponymous hero of our tale, the heavily-pregnant Tama, and leaves the cat with Natsuyuki. And that’s pretty much it, plot-wise. There appears another character called Fuyuhiko, a friend of Alexandre’s who, as it happens, is Natsuyuki’s half-brother, and who may also be the father of Tsuneko’s child. As is the case in much of the Japanese literature I have read, the pace is slow, the main focus is on dialogue and scene-setting, on the quiet unravelling of themes and ideas which, in the case of ‘Oh, Tama!’, rely a lot on coincidence. There is much discussion and reference to literature and film, art theory and fashion, and always in the background is Tama, having had her kittens and caring for them in Natsuyuki’s wardrobe, watching from the side-lines at the eccentricities of the human race!
Without over-playing the parallels, there is obviously the comparison between Tsuneko and Tama, between the human and the animal world and our attitude to sex and relationships. There is a lot of humour and almost farcical plot developments as all of the characters arrive at and leave Natsuyuki’s small apartment. It is a little gem of a book that will stand up to multiple re-readings to tease out the subtlety of the writing. If you are looking for a fast-paced page-turner, a thrill a minute ride, then this is not for you. If you are looking for a quiet, eccentric little book and have a penchant for Japan and Japanese literature, then this should definitely be on your reading list.
Natsuyuki Kanemitsu, a freelance photographer, lives a quiet enough life but it is soon interrupted by the arrival of his friend Alexandre (real name Kanemitsu) who announces that his sister Tsuneko is pregnant and that there are several possible fathers – one of whom, perhaps, is Natsuyuki himself. Alexandre also brings with him the eponymous hero of our tale, the heavily-pregnant Tama, and leaves the cat with Natsuyuki. And that’s pretty much it, plot-wise. There appears another character called Fuyuhiko, a friend of Alexandre’s who, as it happens, is Natsuyuki’s half-brother, and who may also be the father of Tsuneko’s child. As is the case in much of the Japanese literature I have read, the pace is slow, the main focus is on dialogue and scene-setting, on the quiet unravelling of themes and ideas which, in the case of ‘Oh, Tama!’, rely a lot on coincidence. There is much discussion and reference to literature and film, art theory and fashion, and always in the background is Tama, having had her kittens and caring for them in Natsuyuki’s wardrobe, watching from the side-lines at the eccentricities of the human race!
Without over-playing the parallels, there is obviously the comparison between Tsuneko and Tama, between the human and the animal world and our attitude to sex and relationships. There is a lot of humour and almost farcical plot developments as all of the characters arrive at and leave Natsuyuki’s small apartment. It is a little gem of a book that will stand up to multiple re-readings to tease out the subtlety of the writing. If you are looking for a fast-paced page-turner, a thrill a minute ride, then this is not for you. If you are looking for a quiet, eccentric little book and have a penchant for Japan and Japanese literature, then this should definitely be on your reading list.
May 16, 2017
I seem to read a lot of cat literature lately. I like cats but I'm by no means a crazy cat lady.
Anyway. 3 or 4 stars? This book had plenty of flaws (imho many based in the fact that this book first appeared serialized in a literary magazine - which explains repetition etc). Still, it was charming and I enjoyed it.
Anyway. 3 or 4 stars? This book had plenty of flaws (imho many based in the fact that this book first appeared serialized in a literary magazine - which explains repetition etc). Still, it was charming and I enjoyed it.
March 4, 2016
It was a strange book. Nevertheless many things, many bizarre strands of narrative and quirks of the characters stayed with me throughout the book. I think I need to think more about it. this was one of those books that feeling them is not enough.
September 3, 2017
Couple of lowlifes and a cat - doing nothing in particular in an apartment.
December 23, 2024
This book is pleasantly indecisive in what it wants to be.
At times it jumps off the page with realism, itching to tear down the barrier between its world and our own (re: heavy real-world references and beautifully crafted characters and relationships). At other times, it can't escape itself, weaving too dense a world to break free of its own gravity (re: horse mackerel with tade vinaigrette debacle).
Sometimes it follows a distinct narrative structure (re: Tsuneko runs away --> where is she --> she is found). And sometimes events are totally random (re: senile landlady's husband's generosity, cinephile student encounter, etc.).
These contradictions make Oh, Tama! feel like actually lived life: real and fake, linear and random.
A joy of a read.
At times it jumps off the page with realism, itching to tear down the barrier between its world and our own (re: heavy real-world references and beautifully crafted characters and relationships). At other times, it can't escape itself, weaving too dense a world to break free of its own gravity (re: horse mackerel with tade vinaigrette debacle).
Sometimes it follows a distinct narrative structure (re: Tsuneko runs away --> where is she --> she is found). And sometimes events are totally random (re: senile landlady's husband's generosity, cinephile student encounter, etc.).
These contradictions make Oh, Tama! feel like actually lived life: real and fake, linear and random.
A joy of a read.
April 30, 2025
2 stars…it was ok.
This book isn’t really about Tama the cat, but about three losers who sit around talking shit. And I mean just endless random babbles.
Our protagonist Natsuyuki is a painfully passive photographer. Then there’s Alexandre is unemployed but sometimes works in porn, and Fuyuhiko is a doctor or psychologist of some sort…not that you’d know it. The connection between the three - Tsuneko - is absent but the glue that keeps these losers together as they obsess over her whereabouts.
Too much talk of penises. An absent narcissistic mother. A random and gross conversation about cats in heat…
The introduction says there’s some clever allusions to other cats in Japanese cat literature, but it was all lost on me sadly.
So yeah. Didn’t get it 🤣
This book isn’t really about Tama the cat, but about three losers who sit around talking shit. And I mean just endless random babbles.
Our protagonist Natsuyuki is a painfully passive photographer. Then there’s Alexandre is unemployed but sometimes works in porn, and Fuyuhiko is a doctor or psychologist of some sort…not that you’d know it. The connection between the three - Tsuneko - is absent but the glue that keeps these losers together as they obsess over her whereabouts.
Too much talk of penises. An absent narcissistic mother. A random and gross conversation about cats in heat…
The introduction says there’s some clever allusions to other cats in Japanese cat literature, but it was all lost on me sadly.
So yeah. Didn’t get it 🤣
November 7, 2025
I'm quite sure this must be better in Japanese, but it's not for me. I was looking for a writer by a similar name and picked this up by mistake. It's supposed to be funny...well, maybe it is in Japanese. Maybe it is if you actually find Harold Pinter's stuff amusing (I never did). When I came on GR to check reviews I find it's supposed to be "satire"--a genre I never got along with, and of course if you don't know the culture well enough to know who or what they're taking off, you're lost. All I got was three losers sitting around holding forth about not very much. Vintage Pinter, if it comes to that. The cat has a walk-on part at best. If you know someone who romanticises Japan without ever actually having been there, this might be an antidote.
I'll pass.
DNF at about 40%
I'll pass.
DNF at about 40%
December 23, 2025
Sweet :) This book wasn't heavy at all. It wasn't too light either. It was simply human, telling the story of 3 humans, 3 men, all different and trying to survive in a way. Of course, none of them are necessarily good people, they all suck somewhat - the MC for being so passive, Alexandre for being a gay whore, the other guy for being one of those annoying filmbros - yet you enjoy to watch them try and live, making sense out of a world that doesn't make sense for them due to the chaos surrounding them. Cool. Not the best but still a lovely read. I also really liked the lowkey homo moments I got to witness.
February 26, 2023
It took me quite a while to finish just about 150 pages-book. I wouldn't say that because it was not a good piece. I would rather say that there seemed to have no progression in the story which is weirdly resembled to how people life progress in reality. The characters and their connections were somewhat peculiar and as described by the authors, they are dysfunctional.
This book could be one of your thought wandering companion. No complex issue to think about. Yet, not a heart-fluttering slice-of-life one.
This book could be one of your thought wandering companion. No complex issue to think about. Yet, not a heart-fluttering slice-of-life one.
January 20, 2025
Cảm giác tất cả các nhân vật trong cuốn sách trong sâu thẳm tâm hồn đều cô đơn, bất an nhưng họ tìm mọi cách để chối bỏ điều đó, hoặc đôi lúc họ nhận ra nhưng phớt lờ và đôi lúc ta có cảm giác các nhân vật có gì đó thật vô trách nhiệm với cuộc đời họ, điều đó đôi lúc mang lại cảm giác khó chịu nhưng đồng thời cũng mang lại sự đồng cảm với sự lạc lối của họ.
January 6, 2024
It’s a story about dysfunctional individuals facing existential dilemmas, attempting to outdo each other with their artistic knowledge, which made me feel uncomfortable and let down, eager to finish the story.
May 3, 2025
A somewhat funny story of (mis)adventures as young adults in Tokyo go through life.
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May 26, 2014"Is this a strange tale? Not so much strange as convoluted. Yet it is an enticing novel and one that allows the reader to envelop herself in the strange sights, sounds, and tastes of this group of Japanese characters." - Janet Mary Livesey, University of Oklahoma
This book was reviewed in the May 2014 issue of World Literature Today. Read the full review by visiting our website: http://bit.ly/1lNAVAa
This book was reviewed in the May 2014 issue of World Literature Today. Read the full review by visiting our website: http://bit.ly/1lNAVAa
February 26, 2016
A decent one sitting book (me personally on a plane), but a little too aimless- reminded me of Kazushi Hosaka's PLAINSONG. Much less about cats than the cover/title would suggest, so be prepared cat lovers.
Much more interesting was the narrator's preoccupation with the American photographer, who sadly, does not actually exist. Kanai brings this "character" to life perhaps more so than anyone actually in the book.
Much more interesting was the narrator's preoccupation with the American photographer, who sadly, does not actually exist. Kanai brings this "character" to life perhaps more so than anyone actually in the book.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews