Salad Anniversary

by Machi Tawara, Julie Winters Carpenter (Translator)

Machi Tawara's first book of poems, Salad   Annivsersary , combines the classical 'tanka' form with the subject of a modern love affair. It became a sensation, selling over 2 million copies - and the 'salad phenomenon' in Japanese culture was comparable to the 'bananamania' that followed publication of the first novel by Tawara's contemporary Banana Yoshimoto. Contains 15

'August Morning'
'Baseball Game'
'Morning Necktie'
'I Am the Wind'
'Summertime Ship'
'Wake-up Call'
'Hashimoto High School'
'Pretending to Wait for Someone'
'Salad Anniversary'
'Twilight Alley'
'My Bisymmetrical Self'
'So, Good Luck'
'Jazz Concert'
'Backstreet Cat'
'Always American'

Pushkin Collection editions feature a spare, elegant series style and superior, durable components. The Collection is typeset in Monotype Baskerville, litho-printed on Munken Premium White Paper and notch-bound by the independently owned printer TJ International in Padstow. The covers, with French flaps, are printed on Colorplan Pristine White Paper. Both paper and cover board are acid-free and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.

Genres: Poetry, Japan, Japanese Literature, Asia, Asian Literature, Ebooks, Contemporary

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[L.S. Popovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

How is it possible that a slim collection of modern tanka poetry by an unknown schoolteacher in her twenties became a runaway bestseller, sold 3 million copies, spawned a cult following, 2 television shows, and a film? This poetry collection utterly decimated the literary climate of Japan. Besides Basho, Tawara appears to have hogged all the available attention in the realm of Japanese poetry, as if she had written the next Man'yōshū.

After reading it, most of my skepticism evaporated. This is a tender evocation of mundane beauties. It is a stunning and startling exploration of modern woes. It is a powerful and profound meditation on love. It is many things, and it is also difficult to describe. Tawara's unconventional approach to tanka writing, as expressed by the translator, was a mixture of old and new. Her reliance on traditional word groupings don't come over into English, but her subject matter is thoroughly modern.

I cherish the bit of crimson
staining your finger
as you open a raw oyster for me

Many of the poems are short stories contained in 3 lines. The apt phrases, chilling metaphors, and effortless artistry are undoubtedly to blame for the book's success. It contains the exact expressions of what love does to perception, of what caring means in the form of small gestures. It is a martial arts lesson in kindness.

The scenery of life, the seasoning of years, the perception of inanimate objects as deeply symbolic, the feminine versus masculine observations on behaviors take on shades of suggestion. City murmurs, encounters with the quiet night, and the magic of the mundane are mixed with enough cultural context to intrigue any Westerner. For instance, did you know Yokohama had a Chinatown?Reverence, intimacy, echoes of the great Haiku poets, hints of infidelity, subtlety, the balanced, soft and harmonious elegance, will leave you breathless

drone of cicadas in a bamboo grove
like a dizziness-
listening, I become bamboo.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most read books of poetry in Japan - Machi Tawara transforms everyday events into deep commentaries on life and love.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Salad Anniversary, first published in 1987 in Japan to tremendous following, is now being published By Pushkin Press and will now be available for an American audience. It is comprised of Tawara's tanka poetry on a variety of subjects, most very personal insights into modern life and love. This was a new, personal approach when it first appeared and highly popular and successful.

There is an afterward (which I recommend reading prior to the poetry) which explains tanka poetry. I found it helped to explain some issues I had had with my early reading in the book.

As I read, I found that these deceptively simple poems became more and more appealing in their simplicity and beauty.

Through the falling rain,
a shower of shivering "S" sounds, I watch your
umbrella recede

Your disappearing figure, a little too cool--
It's always the man

who sets off on a journey*
(loc 193, from Salad Anniversary)

There are small moments that struck me. From My Bisymmetrical Self:

the
ordinariness of home
is what I like best

From mother-and-daughter we turn into a pair
of women (loc 239)*

And lastly, from Jazz Concert:

Photographer
snapping away at the stage---he, too, master of
his instrument

Like a hit man
he peers into his camera
wrapped in layers of blue smoky air

.....

On the stage, tangled cords lie sprawled like
bars of melted music
fallen off the page. (loc 261)*

It did take me a little reading to become comfortable with the format and to slow down, settle in to the words, not hurry though. When I did that, I enjoyed this book and plan to read it again.

Any issues of layout are mine.

Recommended for those who enjoy poetry.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[gee ☽ (IG: momoxshi)]

"Marry me,"
after two canned cocktails—
are you sure you want to say that?

+

Poetry is not a genre I usually go for but Machi Tawara's Salad Anniversary gives sparkle to seemingly ordinary things. It's something that even those like me who aren't used to the genre would appreciate.

[Akylina · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Salad Anniversary' is a marvelous collection of poetry. Machi Tawara has managed to elevate a traditional poetic form to an entire new level, incorporating everyday matters and feelings into it in the most successful way possible.

Anyone who has experienced love, its initial excitement and its eventual loss will find themselves nodding in silent agreement to the feelings and situations described. I loved how each poem was like a short story by itself, but they all connected with each other somehow, as the personal element was evident in most of them.

Loneliness and emptiness are prevalent in all the poems, and the collection leaves you off with the bittersweet feeling of loss. However, not all the poems are about love. Machi Tawara also explores themes such as family, her experience as a school teacher, travelling and so on.

Overall, it is a poetry collection that I treasure immensely now, as the tenderness and despair of the poems have hit home for me. I loved every bit of this book and I can completely understand why it has gained this enormous recognition in Japan.

A copy was gently provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small poetic envelopes stuffed with moments, when opened, showing the wonderful rich and deep world of daily life. Perfect gifts, drawn from life. Splendid.

[erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gem of contemporary haiku and tanka. It reads like a collection of short stories, almost. If you've lived in Japan particularly, you'll enjoy the memories of vivid sights, smells, sounds, and feelings that are brought to life by a few evocative words. But I'd say any female who has ever thought herself in love will connect with Ms. Machi-chan's imagery. And any lover of small things will appreciate her sensibility...

[Pavle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pitko, slatko – ali ponekad preslatko. Dopao mi se način na koji Tawamara kombinuje neke obične prizore svakodnevice, delove menijalnih poslova, momente izmedju momenata i kako oslanjajući na tu običnost traži poreklo sve te neobičnosti koja krasi ljubav i njoj slična osećanja. U svakom slučaju vredi čitanja i prijatno je iskustvo savremene japanske, ali i svetske poezije.

3+

[laau · Rating 5 out of 5]

me he vuelto a leer los poemas que guardé como favoritos y le cambio las 4 estrellitas a un 5.
os animo a leerlo, que es muy cortito y muy ameno, os lo acabáis en nada. la edición que hay en españa es bastante fea, eso sí es cierto, pero la traducción de kayoko takagi es increíblemente fiel. os dejo por aquí mis favoritos para que os entre en gusanillo:

72. "Nací para correr"-dices.
Para ti, que no tienes pueblo adonde volver,
quiero ser tu mar

77. Poemas de amor antiguos
me afectan todos esta noche.
Pongo un círculo en todos ellos

87. Como la nieve cayendo
desde el pueblo donde vive mi madre,
soledad en Tokio

114. Tienes tus sábados, lo sé.
Los míos se pasan
fingiendo no darme cuenta

132. ¡Sal, pálido sol!
Este sentimiento de otoño
de perderte

199. Recordando tu chiste
se me escapa la risa
en mitad de la muchedumbre

202. Si mañana no va a llegar nunca
te lo contaré todo
antes de quedarme dormida

281. En mi mesa
el aroma de café tan rico
¡Cómo puedo pensar en vivir
sólo de amor!

284. Mi perfil dentro de un año
¿a qué mirará?
¿a quién mirará?

285. Me acuerdo de tus manos,
tu espalda, tu respiración,
tus calcetines blancos
dejados donde te los quitaste

287. De pie en la salida del metro
me da un vuelco el corazón,
no hay nadie esperándome

299. Tomo mi corazón herido,
lo lanzo con todas mis fuerzas,
¡que el cielo de mañana esté despejado!

306. Dejando en el andén solo
mi deseo de seguir contigo hasta mañana
tomo el último tren

321. El día en el que me voy
mi padre no murmura
"así que te vas!
sino "así que nos dejas"

408. Delicadamente
florece el cosmos
bajo la luz morada y transparente del sol
sin saber nada del pasado otoño

[Nafiza · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 There has been a LOT lost in translation unfortunately but glimmers still remain.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poesía sencilla, amena y cotidiana. Muy fácil identificarse con Tawara.

[gabby .__. · Rating 4 out of 5]

must reread with a more open heart!


can't believe they dared compare machi to rupi kaur though. more than mildly insulting.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exquisite Japanese tanka in pomo-style.

[Ashley Cracknell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The power of simplicity. This was my first experience with tanka poetry. Machi Tawara doesn't waste a word. I enjoyed this so much I read some of the poems half a dozen times before moving on to the next one. Her imagery is so simple, yet the repetition of things like tomatoes, baseball, music and seasons felt so true of relationships. Especially short ones where every little event becomes magnified in memory. Wonderful!

As a side note, this is (apparently) the ***300th*** book I've read, not counting some forgotten school books, books read to me as a child or self-help books I was too embarrassed to add on here. Anyway, congratulations to me! Thanks to all the writers out there.

[kutingtin · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first time to read tanka poems and love reading women’s translated lit. Read this continously per chapter and feel the imagery through Machi-chan’s prose. Also added this to books published on my birth year- 1987.

[Manon「マノン」 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"'I want to eat, and not gain weight!' So goes the commercial. I want to be loved - and not have to love."

[ashes ➷ · Rating 5 out of 5]

After you have gone
evening gathers in my heart—
all the scenery is you

A beautiful book of poetry combining Japanese tradition with modernity; the perfect read for anyone who wishes poetry could be relatable while retaining its beauty. Tawara’s talent is evident even through translation, and Winters Carpenter has done an incredible job interpreting the sound and feeling of the original tanka throughout.

Warm—knowing
when I say “I’m cold”
you’re there to say “Me too”

I’m loathe to say much because Tawara Machi is such a celebrated poet in Japan that it feels like it’s not really worth my adding on as a bystander, but this is the first book of poetry I’ve enjoyed to this extent, I think. Tawara writes a sort of poem-fiction-diary, which can be read one poem at a time or as a collected whole. The narrative flows smoothly, retaining a subtle ambiguity among the personal details, and each poem reads like a rock skipped across the water.

"Today only!"
Red blouse in the window,
on sale each time I go by

In particular, I find what appeals to me here is how both short and relatable the poems are. Of course, Tawara writes in Japan and in a manner which can seem so personal, but the simple insertions of omurice, McDonalds stores, yellow lights, and all the little aspects of everyday living are what give this collection its distinct, comfort-filled feeling. I personally love short poems, too, and find them too often maligned both in the larger poetry world and even here on GoodReads. I’m very happy that I was able to read a collection which satisfies these two particular desires on my part.

Only eighty years to live—
yet the “whys” of twenty-one
resist everything

Don’t assume, though, that short poetry means poetry without rhythm or care—each poem is so delicately crafted, so smooth, so beautiful. Tawara draws upon historical tanka while reinventing the genre, and I only wish that her afterword could’ve been translated and included in the edition I read (which only had Carpenter’s—a great read in its own right)!

Remembering your joke,
I giggle out loud
in the middle of a crowd

I just wish I’d read it before, so that’s what I’ll say—if you’re someone who’s open to poetry, you should absolutely read Salad Anniversary, and if you don’t like poetry, you might find yourself surprised.

One more for the road:

Arriving at the station one minute early
I spend one minute
thinking of you

Isn’t that beautiful?

[KLC · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book isn't for me, but its target audience will love it.

All of the poems are written in the same format. I prefer variety, but the consistency makes sense here. It draws you into a state of comfort so the words can sink in rather than shake you up.

The writing itself is relatable, which I'm hardly ever a fan of. Every line is written the way a normal person speaks, as opposed to traditional poetry which is heavily laden with symbols and strange lyrics. This book is like a journal set to a rhythm. But just when you start getting complacent, you’ll read a stanza that just hits differently.

Van Gogh exhibit -
move from one painting to the next,
seeing in the glass just my own face

This is how minimalist, “relatable” poetry should be written.

The only negative thing I can say is that I believe something was lost in translation. A lot of the lines feel clunky and awkward. I don't speak Japanese, so maybe the original poems are the same, but I feel like it's just the translation.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

He intentado prolongar la máximo esta colección de poemas porque de verdad que no quería que se terminaran. Son unos tankas sencillos y simples que logran concentrar todo el encanto de la cotidianeidad de la vida y el amor. Y en conjunto te cuentan una historia, una historia de amor, con momentos de felicidad, altibajos, rupturas y viajes en pareja.

Algunos de mis favoritos:

12. Tu mano izquierda
explorando mis dedos
uno a uno
tal vez sea amor

34. Me toma por tu mujer
la del puesto callejero.
Así que, por un rato, lo seré

199. Recordando tu chiste
se me escapa la risa
en mitad de la muchedumbre

376. Deseo decirte que te quiero
pero todavía seguiré alejada
de la zona en peligro

400. Como el periódico de la mañana
te deslizaste en mi vida
y la palabra "comienzo" adquirió brillo

[Dorrit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poetry.

[anarcho · Rating 2 out of 5]

There should be a foreword about tanka. Personally, I don’t think the translation works.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une lecture qui change et qui est tellement agréable ! C’est frais, c’est touchant, c’est mignon, et ça donne un coup de jeune au tanka, une forme de poésie trop peu connue par chez nous, sans pour autant la dénaturer. Un recueil à picorer sans modération.

Avis complet : https://comaujapon.wordpress.com/2017...

[a ☕︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

eating takeout sushi with you,
only 300 yen—
tastes so good i know i’m in love

*

skeptical of promises,
you don’t even bother
to build your castle away from the waves

*

“marry me,”
after two canned cocktails—
are you sure you want to say that?

*

sweet-sour cherries
on the rooftop terrace—
right now i feel more loved than anyone

*

in my hometown, children’s boots
running in the snow
like a sprinkling of bright gumdrops

*

wind at the night game
brushes against your profile
lit the color of grapefruit

*

as you take out a handkerchief
a summer butterfly perches
on the plaid of your cotton shirt

// very 1987. lots of it made me think of tampopo, his motorbike, her island, etc, which is why it’s funny that tawara notes most of this is completely imagined (the men don’t exist). shows what romantic imagery was at the forefront of jpn pop consciousness in the 80s.

[kelly]

perhaps i'm not well-versed enough in the tanka form to truly appreciate this poetry suite. perhaps the language barriers posed by translation prevent me from seeing the complex interplay between modern/traditional terminology the translator points out in her introduction. perhaps that's why i struggle to see this as a modern classics; the poems are short, sweet and nostalgic but still plain (in terms of style) and utterly unmemorable.

[Alan Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Official Web Site of Tawara Machi, Japanese tanka poet:
http://www.gtpweb.net/twr/indexe.htm

The superior translation is by Jack Stamm who used the familiar five line form of tanka, rather than a confusing three line format by Juliet Winters.

Salad Anniversary by Machi Tawara translated by Jack Stamm.
Published in Tokyo, 1987. Paper bound, 4.5 x 6 inches, kanji, and English. Machi Tawara's book, which has sold around 2.5 million copies.

This is an excellent book of short love poems, almost like a verse novel, and Machi Tawara cleverly fuses traditional tanka form with contemporary love lives!

[Evax · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me encantaría aprender japonés para leer estos poemas en su idioma original. Son muy lindos, pero siento que los poemas deben perder mucha emoción al traducirlo a otro idioma, en este caso, al inglés.

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un agréable recueil de poèmes.

[danicatalyst · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I want to tell you that I love you
but first let me edge a bit farther
from the safety zone"

[Avery · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I just don’t get 95% of poetry

[Jerome Berglund · Rating 5 out of 5]

* Tanka has never been more contemporary or enjoyable! *

The cover description of this collection being ‘unputdownable’ proves entirely accurate, almost frighteningly so.

Machi Tawara personally reestablishing the tanka as a powerful poetry approach with continuing relevance and thrilling capabilities was no easy feat to pull off, and the apparently downright fervent response, an outright national (and global) frenzy of enthusiasm - 8 million copies sold - this book generated one realizes immediately has been well deserved.

Having some familiarity with classical applications of this ancient Eastern short approach (originating in China and long predating haiku and senryu, for eons the go-to approach and method, allowing for an additional fourteen syllable more than those and providing greater flexibility by omitting stringent requirements on subject matter and season word) among lovers in the high courts’ upper echelons, it’s invigorating to find similar feelings and circumstances addressed with the same passion and eloquence in our modern world. Machi Tawara has established herself as a veritable pinnacle and paragon, stewarding the torch she received flickering, stoked to a great blinding blaze and carrying it to a fresh new generation with the most graceful stride.

But be warned, when you crack this thin tome (whose size contrasts its immense weight, is akin to dark matter) be certain you set aside the time to finish it straight away, because you shall have the overwhelming desire and urge to forthwith. One can only describe these tanka as the poetic equivalent of Fentanyl, highly addictive and habit forming. I'll be rereading this several times, have not the slightest doubt.

(I’m saddened to see that Tawara's other two works The Palm of the Wind’s Hand and Chocolate Revolution do not seem to have been translated into English yet, hope they shall be in the future… She does have a wonderful website worth visiting which includes translations of her work by one Professor Cranston!)