The Scent of Sake: A Powerful Saga of One Woman Who Defied Tradition to Forge Her Empire

by Joyce Lebra

She was taught to submit, to obey . . . but she dreamed of an empire. The sole heir to the House of Omura, a venerable family of Kobe sake brewers, nineteen-year-old Rie hears but cannot heed her mother's advice: that in nineteenth-century Japan, a woman must "kill the self" or her life will be too difficult to bear. In this strict, male-dominated society, women may not even enter the brewery—and repressive tradition demands that Rie turn over her family's business to the inept philanderer she's been forced to marry. She is even expected to raise her husband's children by another woman—a geisha—so that they can eventually run the Omura enterprise. But Rie's pride will not allow her to relinquish what is rightfully hers. With courage, cunning, brilliance, and skill, she is ready to confront every threat that arises before her—from prejudice to treachery to shipwrecks to the insidious schemes of relentless rivals—in her bold determination to forge a magnificent dynasty...and to, impossibly, succeed. An epic and breathtaking saga that spans generations as it sweeps through the heart of a century, Joyce Lebra's The Scent of Sake is a vivid and powerful entry into another world...and an unforgettable portrait of a woman who would not let that world defeat her.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Japan, Fiction, Historical, Asia, Asian Literature, Japanese Literature

366 pages, Paperback

First published February 6, 2009

About the author

Joyce Lebra, also known as Joyce Chapman Lebra, was an American historian of Japan and India and the celebrated author of nine non–fiction titles and three novels. She was a scholar of Japan and notable professor emeritus at the University of Colorado.

Reviews

[Heidi (can’t retire soon enough)]

DNF

I was hoping to be an outlier but those reviews I scanned before starting this one were spot on!!

While there’s some fascinating information, the characterization, sadly, is simplistic at best. I wanted to know the emotional back stories and impulses of the characters, specifically our MC. I was trying to feel compassion for our MC, but alas her on-again whiny petulance was at total odds to her sincere love for her family and shining business acumen. (It could have worked, but just didn’t!)

After 1/3 of the way through, I felt more like I was reading a great lecture on another place and time, rather than feeling a potentially moving story.

So now I’m the one moving on!!

[Tocotin · Rating 1 out of 5]

My 1.5-year-old baby maimed this book and I let him.

No, but seriously… there is always a new low. Always, I'm now sure of it. Before I read The Scent of Sake, I thought The Pure Land was the worst of all books about Japan. Before The Pure Land I thought it was Shogun. I dread the day I'll find something worse than The Scent of Sake.

It's so bad I can't even… all I am now able to do is to write a review as bland and dull as the book was. So there is this woman named Rie. She is the only child in the family of sake brewers.　She wants to be the head of the household but cannot, because she is a woman. You must know how bad & mean the Japanese are to their women, and if you don't, the book won't let you forget. Not through any sophisticated plot devices, or fine phrasing, or atmosphere or anything, but just because the main character thinks so.

She is unhappy about having to marry a stupid drunkard (she had to marry him so that the brewing dynasty would have a heir, not that he was in any way suitable), about having to adopt his son he had by a geisha (who is not a geisha at all, later about that…), about adopting all children he had with every "geisha" in town (not sure why she had to), about having her own children, about having a lover and a child with him, about managing all the brewery by herself and earning the respect of all her workers, about getting the drunkard husband out of her life, about finding a spring with a particularly delicious water just for making great sake, about buying out all other breweries that went broke, about building her private fleet, about getting lots of pretty little grandchildren… LOL WUT that was exactly my reaction.

The poor woman has got everything on a plate. She encounters no obstacles. Everything she does is a success. Instead she whines and whines. She makes people around her miserable. She causes suicides, breaks marriages, and profits from the bankruptcies of others. I waited for her to die at the end, but she didn't even die. Serves me right. I hope to never read anything with such an oppressed woman in it again because it just made me broken-hearted.

In case anyone made it so far and is now wondering what period of Japanese history we are in, here's a little quiz:

1. When would the Japanese people go to concerts?
2. When would they ride a ricksha?
3. When would they go to a bunraku theatre?
4. When would they marry in a Shinto shrine?
5. When would they wear slippers?
6. When would they take their hair down before going to sleep?

You're right, but we are NOT in the Meiji, or Taishō, or Shōwa period. We are talking the EDO PERIOD here ladies & gentlemen. As in, 1825, Bunka-Bunsei f*cking deep Edo period.

There is a bit of Meiji towards the end and Rie is going to die in the Meiji period I guess, unless she lives to this day, which is entirely possible, according to the weird flow of time in the book. Like, her dad dies all right, but his rival is alive and kicking for the duration of the whole story, and so is the go-between, who arranged Rie's marriage, and who is now arranging the marriages of her children, and is the same slightly corpulent go-between as she was - she may even be borrowed from some other book which has arranged marriages, I'm not sure.

So, about geisha. There are no geisha in this book. There are prostitutes. But they are called geisha. [By this I am by no means trying to say geisha didn't sleep with their clients for money because that's not the point, they did, but their way of doing this particular sort of business was different. The women described in the book do their sex-for-pay business in the way prostitutes did.] They also get pregnant like nothing, because they can be sure there is some gent in the town of Kobe who is going to have their children brought up in his shiny residence. With slippers and lacquered tables. Actually, it's not him, it's his oppressed wife who is afraid her husband will be the talk of the town of Kobe for playing a lot with geisha ladies.　AIEEEEEEEEEEEE

I'm so tired of this book. I have way better stuff to review. Just wanted to get it off my err, chest.

Now one great thing that I got out of it is a short clip in which my son is holding the book upside down, leafing through it and saying: "Reading-reading-reading."

[Milliebot]

fuck it, 50 pages in and it's time for a DNF. Rie is bland, there's no atmosphere and I'm so bored I don't care what might happen in the future of the book. No time for books I'm not enjoying. Maybe it seems harsh but I could tell from a few pages in that I wasn't enjoying the tone/writing style. I was hoping to at least get some good historic world building, but nope.

[Sandy]

this is THE most emotion-less piece of fiction I have read in a long time. It did not evoke one single emotional reaction from me for any of its characters, regardless of what they were going through. However, having lived in Tokyo for 2 years, I decided to read it to its conclusion and found it somewhat interesting for its historical narrative.
For its hard lines and severe edges this story brought back to me the often rigid, stiff, protocol and "saving 'face' is more important than anything" society I lived in.
Its history portrayed the hard line of tradition in Japanese business 'Houses' and the families that forged them. Its protaganist is a woman whose life we see from childhood to old age. She is stiff, rigid, formal, and unrelentingly devoted to her father, to the family business (brewing Sake) and to the family bloodline, all of which are absolutely paramount in her mind. Nothing, absolutely nothing can stand in the way of one's 'duty to the house'. This duty takes precedence over self, family, lovers, children. Nothing can stand in the way of or cause the loss of face of 'the house'. It is a hard line in this society that is absolutely uncompromising and unattractive from my western, emotionally-expressive society..... hence one of the reasons my time in Japan was so challenging!

I did not think the book well written as it was utterly unexpressive but it did convey the harder side of a complex society.

Japan can be a really challenging place to live for 'gaigins' (literally 'aliens'). If you read this and are interested in a good book on the enigmas of this unique, beautiful and often insidious place, check out this excellent book: 'The Enigma of Japanese Power' by Karl Van Wolferen. This book was originally banned in Japan because it was so on-target and unforgiving. An excellent read about a complex and fascinating country.

[Nanako Water · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this historical novel and finished it in two days. Professor Lebra did a wonderful job combining her knowledge of Japanese history and culture with an interesting story line. The Japanese terminology and mannerisms didn't bother me since I'm familiar with much of them. In fact, I was impressed with her knowledge of the details of Japanese life in that time period. The story reminds me of the historical television dramas which the Japanese themselves love. I noticed a few of the other reviewers commented on the ages of the characters but no one noticed Professor Lebra's own history. After a full and busy career as a professor of Japanese history, she decided to tackle another new field (the Sake industry) and wrote this fictional novel in her 80's. Writing a good novel is a very difficult task for anyone, much more so for someone who is starting one in her 80's. I applaud her efforts and urge readers to enjoy this book and also appreciate what a person can accomplish at her age.

[Kirsten · Rating 1 out of 5]

This had so many possibilities - a woman in paternalistic 19-century Japan - but the writing was just deadly. After about 100 pages, I started skimming; somewhere around page 200, I started skipping forward in big chunks. The narrative is clunky and disjointed, and skips around in a really confusing manner. The main character starts out interesting, but quickly devolves into everything she didn't want to be, and seems to feel it necessary to insure that her children (and others of that generation) have to suffer just the way she did. She just got more and more unlikeable. Most of the other characters were just cardboard cut-outs. In all, way too painful - don't bother.

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This first half of this novel was very enjoyable. The prose and style were terrific. Rie is a young girl living in 19th century Japan. Her father is a leading merchant in the sake business. Due to the traumatic loss of her brother, Rie is the heir. She is forced into a loveless marriage with a man that prefers the company of geishas and sake to that of his wife. As his drinking escalates, he neglects the family business, causing Rie to take the reins and save it from financial ruin. While she causes the business to prosper, Rie's husband is dropping his pants all over town and one by one, illegitimate children of geishas come into her home, becoming his heirs.

The last half is a total change from the first. The style is different and Rie's character becomes somewhat unlikeable. She is in such a hurry to marry off all the children, including her own two biological ones. She is inflicting on them what was once inflicted on her, unhappy marriages to strangers. In between constantly removing the comb from her hair, replacing it (this is done EVERYTIME she speaks!), and rapidly fanning her fan, Rie manipulates all the offspring like chess pieces, hoping to leave the family business in her own children's hands.

I loved the first half, but did not care for the second. You would think that two different people wrote this novel. It was, however, a very interesting look at the sake brewing industry.

[Veronica · Rating 1 out of 5]

This seriously should have been titled, "The Scent of Suck-ay." The only good thing about this book was the awesome conversation it propelled in our book club. Other than that, go ahead and save 3 hours of your life by skipping this one...

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review: https://hiplibrariansbookblog.com/200...

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

More accurate titles for this book:
Smell of Sake, Taste of Cotton Candy
The Easy Way Out
Coulda Woulda Shoulda
Lite Historical Fiction: Japan Edition
An American Soap Opera in Japan

The kindest way to describe this novel is that it's very fast paced and light. A less optimistic way would be to observe we were one amnesia case away from a full-blown soap opera. Or perhaps I should compare it to Noh: the set piece and costumes were gorgeous, but the story flat and the characters as wooden as the traditional masks. If you want more details, read on; if not, the best way I can summarize this book is "Japanese flavored chick lit."

SPOILERS
For starters everything happened way too quickly. Months or even years take place in between paragraphs, so major problems are solved quickly with the first idea suggested. Therefore, nothing has significant impact; it's all forgotten quickly as we hurdle through Rie's life and on to the next easily surmounted challenge.

Another thing that bothered me is the inconsistent narration style. Most of the book is from Rie's perspective, but occasionally we follow another character when she isn't around...which would be bad enough by itself, but let's not overlook the fact that when this happens, inevitably we have to read about it AGAIN when it's told to Rie. For example, we inexplicably follow a drunken sod who drowns...and then the very next page, Rie is told that he drowned in the night. It would've been so much more interesting, more shocking, to strictly stick with Rie and discover this drowning at the same time she does.

Speaking of Rie, she's irritatingly infalliable. Every decision she makes is the right one and no one ever opposes her. Any obstacle is quickly and briefly overcome. She takes huge gambles and never loses. Yawn. I'm all for strong women, but she's a flat out tyrant. Worse still, she's hypocritical. She's quick to push everyone else around into doing what she wants under the veil of "for the house," forcing a faithful employee of several decades to divorce his wife for badmouthing her and yet she has no qualms about having an affair, even knowing that if she were caught it would mean her death and deep disgrace upon her family.

By far though, the biggest problem is that the author decided on the least interesting path for the characters to walk. For example when Rie decides to have an affair, the gentleman in question is idealized and sweet and neither one of them is caught. Ok that's great for her. But how much more interesting would the story have been if she had been caught? Or if he had proven to be a lascivious jackal who had seduced her only to blackmail her?

Or for another example: Rie initially despises her husband. And throughout the rest of the novel, nothing ever happens to challenge that initial prejudice. If anything, the author chose for the events to confirm it. I can't help but wonder how much more interesting the story would've been if instead, Rie had pushed for a decision and her husband and father had opposed it. Or she got her way and it failed; humbled, she learns to trust other people. Or what if Jihei, her husband, would have been spurred on by her prejudice and, through a lot of hardwork, eventually wins her begrudging respect which then blossoms into genuine affection? I could go on and on, but the point is: at every juncture the author took the path of least resistance and the plot suffered for it.

[Angie Fehl · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

This was one of those ones that I really wanted to be awesome...and the first chunk of it did have promise.... but ultimately Rie just didn't feel as badass as I was expecting her to become.

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Scent Of Sake:
Novel dengan jalan cerita yang membuat emosi tapi tetap puas dengan endingnya. Kenapa saya bilang bikin emosi? Karena saya benar-benar tidak habis pikir, bagaimana mungkin seorang anak yang terlahir dari seorang Geisha, bisa dijadikan ahli waris dan menerima tongkat estafet kepemimpinan suatu usaha? Adapun alasan yang membuat anak Geisha tersebut jadi ahli waris adalah karena istri sah dari sang suami belum juga melahirkan seorang anak!

Seperti yang kita tahu, Geisha itu berarti "wanita penghibur alias pelacur." Seorang suami yang gemar ke tempat pelacuran, lalu si wanita Geisha itu hamil dan berhubung istri sahnya di rumah belum juga hamil, akhirnya keluarga sepakat untuk membawa bayi si Geisha tersebut ke kediaman mereka. Apalagi kebetulan bayi yang lahir tersebut berjenis kelamin laki-laki! Menurut saya ini keterlaluan banget!

Kalian bayangin aja deh, suami kalian selingkuh, lalu selingkuhannya hamil dan kita malah diminta untuk mengurus anak hasil dari perselingkuhan tersebut, dan kemudian nantinya dijadikan ahli waris pula karena kita sendiri tak kunjung-kunjung hamil! Apa gak nyesek dibuatnya?!

Sungguh saya benar-benar tidak habis pikir dengan "tradisi" orang-orang di zaman dahulu. Di mana ketika pasangan pria-wanita menikah, mereka diharapkan untuk bisa melahirkan anak laki-laki terlebih dahulu, agar garis keturunan keluarga bisa diestafetkan nantinya ke anak tersebut. Dan jika yang dilahirkan perempuan, maka anak tersebut dianggap akan membawa keberuntungan untuk keluarga, tapi sayangnya si anak perempuan tidak mempunyai hak untuk melanjutkan estafet kepemimpinan keluarga. Perempuan benar-benar dianggap lemah pada masa-masa ini!

Maka wajar saja, di beberapa kisah kerajaan yang sering saya tonton, seorang permaisuri bisa melakukan hal-hal ekstrim terhadap anak-anak dari para selir sang kaisar. Apalagi bila si permaisuri tersebut tidak bisa melahirkan seorang anak laki-laki, atau jikapun punya, tapi si anak tidak memiliki cukup bakat dan kepandaian untuk menyandang status sebagai Putra Mahkota. Permaisuri bisa nekat untuk menyakiti anak-anak selir tersebut. Ya sekali lagi, wanita mana sih yang rela bila anak dari seorang selir (alias wanita simpanan) lantas mendapat gelar Putra Mahkota? Tidak ada wanita yang merelakan hal tersebut!

Oke, balik lagi ke The Scent Of Sake!

Di cerita ini, Rie (tokoh utama wanita) terpaksa menikah dengan seorang pria bernama Jihei, yang juga sama-sama anak dari pemilik bisnis sake. Rie tidak bisa menikahi pria lain, karena tongkat estafet bisnis sake keluarga mereka harus tetap dilanjutkan. Jihei di sini berstatus sebagai Mukoyoshi (anak adopsi; yang mana ketika selesai menikah, si pria lah yang masuk ke rumah wanita, bukan wanita yang masuk ke rumah pria, demi melanjutkan kepemimpinan bisnis dikeluarga wanita tersebut). Dikarenakan Rie adalah seorang wanita, jadi otomatis dia tidak akan bisa untuk menggantikan posisi kepemimpinan ayahnya kelak. Maka dari itu Jihei-lah nantinya yang akan menggantikan posisi ayahnya tersebut.

Pernikahan Rie dan Jihei sama sekali tak bahagia. Jihei bukanlah pria yang bisa diandalkan. Hobinya mabuk-mabukan, main ke tempat pelacuran, dan dia juga bodoh! Iya, bodoh banget! Dia tipe pria yang tidak berani mengambil keputusan dalam kondisi terdesak, terlalu takut ambil resiko dan tidak mempunyai ide-ide cemerlang. Maka wajar jika Rie benar-benar membenci suaminya tersebut dan tak sudi untuk "disentuh"! Pernah suatu hari Rie hamil, tapi sayangnya dia keguguran dan itu membuatnya sedih karena batal memberikan ahli waris untuk keluarganya. Dan disaat yang bersamaan, terdengar kabar seorang geisha hamil dan pelakunya tak lain adalah suaminya sendiri!! Luar biasa kurang ajar!! Dan seperti yang sudah saya sebutkan di atas, anak geisha tersebut (yang kebetulan laki-laki, diberi nama Yoshitaro), akhirnya diadopsi oleh mereka untuk selanjutnya dijadikan calon pemimpin usaha sake mereka dimasa mendatang, -- karena setelah keguguran, Rie tak lagi menunjukkan gejala hamil. (Enak banget yaa si geisha itu! Tidak perlu menikah, tapi anaknya sudah dijamin punya masa depan cerah!).

Waktupun terus bergulir, hingga suatu hari Rie kembali diberi kepercayaan untuk hamil. Tapi anak yang dikandungnya itu bukanlah darah daging Jihei, melainkan hasil perselingkuhan Rie dengan pria yang benar-benar dicintainya. Tak ada satupun yang mengetahui hal ini selain Rie sendiri. Rie benar-benar menyayangi & memanjakan anaknya tersebut (yg lahir perempuan, bernama Fumi). Dan hal ini cukup terlihat mencolok di mata orang-orang yang ada di seputaran keluarga mereka. Di sisi lain, Jihei kembali berulah! 2 geisha dilaporkan sedang mengandung anaknya! Tak tanggung-tanggung, 2 geisha sekaligus!! (Minta dirajam banget laki kayak gini!!) Rie benar-benar murka dibuatnya. Untungnya 2 geisha tersebut melahirkan anak perempuan, jadi sebenarnya mereka tidak punya kewajiban untuk mengadopsi. Namun, demi memikirkan nama baik keluarga (takut si geisha itu buka suara & bisa merusak reputasi bisnis sake mereka), akhirnya anak-anak geisha tersebut tetap diadopsi kembali oleh mereka, untuk nantinya dimasa mendatang, bisa mereka manfaatkan dengan dijodohkan kepada anak-anak dari pebisnis sake lain.

Tongkat estafet kepemimpinan bisnis sake keluarga Rie pun terus berlanjut hingga akhirnya resmi dipegang Yoshitaro (dikarenakan Jihei meninggal). Yoshi dinikahkan dengan perempuan (bernama Tama) anak pebisnis sake juga, tapi sayang Yoshi tidak menyukainya. Yoshi malah mengikuti jejak ayahnya, bermain-main di rumah geisha hingga geisha itu juga hamil!! (Ini yang dinamakan buah jatuh tak jauh dari pohonnya!). Yoshi yang sama sekali tak sudi menyentuh Tama, maka memutuskan untuk membawa pulang anak dari geisha itu untuk dibesarkan olehnya (anak Yoshi ini perempuan, bernama Ume). Ume ini nantinya akan kembali dicarikan suami mukoyoshi agar estafet bisnis sake keluarga Rie bisa terus dilanjutkan. (Bayangkan coyy!! 2 anak hasil perselingkuhan dengan geisha, Yoshi & Ume, bisa melenggang manja menjadi ahli waris!! Enak banget geisha2 itu ckck!!).

Waktu terus bergulir. Usaha sake keluarga Rie terus berkembang pesat meski beberapa kali ditimpa musibah. Rie pun sudah menikahkan semua anak-anaknya, baik anak kandung (Fumi & Seisaburo), maupun anak dari perselingkuhan Jihei & para geisha (Yoshitaro, Kazu & Teru). Hingga suatu hari Yoshi tertimpa penyakit yang cukup parah. Anak Yoshi, Ume, sudah tiba diwaktu untuk menikah. Rie berniat menjodohkan Ume dengan Hirokuchi (anak dari Fumi), karena Hiro dianggap paling potensial untuk meneruskan tongkat estafet kepemimpinan bisnis sake keluarga Rie. Tapiiii, niat Rie ini mengalami kendala karena Hiro menolak untuk menikah dengan Ume. Hiro ternyata jatuh cinta pada seorang geisha & itu benar-benar membuat keluarga besar marah. Rie bersikeras agar Hiro lah yang jadi pemimpin selanjutnya, tidak mau pria yang lain. Hal ini sempat membuat Yoshi geram. Maka diambillah kesepakatan antara Rie dan Yoshi (meski Yoshi terpaksa menyetujuinya); Ume dinikahkan dengan pria lain, lalu nantinya Ume akan keluar dari rumah tersebut & bekerja di cabang sake mereka yang lain (ini artinya suami Ume bukanlah mukoyoshi & tidak bisa dijadikan pemimpin selanjutnya). Karena Rie bersikeras apapun yang terjadi harus Hiro-lah yang jadi pemimpin selanjutnya (btw, Hiro ini benar-benar cucu kandung Rie yaa, karena Hiro adalah anak Fumi. Rie juga ternyata memang diam-diam bertekad ingin menghabiskan jejak keturunan geisha di keluarga mereka, makanya Rie "nekat mendepak" Ume & suaminya untuk kerja di kantor cabang saja.)

Usaha & niat Rie ini akhirnya membuahkan hasil, meski harus bertahun-tahun merayu Hiro agar mau dijodohkan dengan wanita-wanita yang sudah Rie siapkan. Hiro akhirnya menikah dengan Naoko (wanita pilihannya sendiri) yang nerupakan anak dari seorang bangsawan besar dan hal ini benar-benar membuat Rie bangga, karena bangsawan tersebut bisa membawa dampak yang sangat baik untuk bisnis sake mereka nantinya. Bisnis sake Rie pun akhirnya sukses menjadi sake nomor 1 di Jepang. Rie benar-benar puas & bangga dengan usahanya selama ini, dan tentunya juga berkat usaha dari cucu kesayangannya, Hiro, yang ternyata berhasil membawa pengaruh positif bagi bisnis keluarga mereka. (**ini yang saya maksud saya puas dengan endingnya, karena keturunan resmi Rie-lah yang akhirnya kembali mengambil alih kuasa atas bisnis sake turun-temurun ini, bukan dari keturunan geisha lagi).

Inti dari cerita ini adalah, meskipun kehidupan Rie benar-benar menyesakkan akibat ulah suaminya, tapi Rie tetap bertanggung jawab & penuh kasih sayang merawat anak-anak tersebut (meski "berat sebelahnya" tetap nampak). Rie juga berhasil membuktikan kepada semua orang, bahwa perempuan yang selama ini dicap sebagai makhluk yang paling lemah, tapi diam-diam memiliki kekuatan yang patut diacungi jempol dalam mengurus sebuah bisnis. Bahkan para lelaki yang ada di sekitarnya pun terlihat kalah saing dengan otak Rie yang luar biasa cerdas. Ini mengajarkan pada kita bahwa sebagai perempuan, kita harus berani dan tegas untuk menunjukkan pada dunia bahwa kita ini kuat dan bisa diandalkan! Jadi perempuan jangan mau ditindas dan tertindas. Apapun yang terjadi, kita harus tetap bangkit dengan api semangat yang tak boleh padam.

Di cerita ini juga, kita jadi belajar mengenai tradisi Jepang kuno, bagaimana proses pembuatan sake, bagaimana perempuan-perempuan di masa itu harus kuat, sabar & ikhlas dalam menghadapi berbagai badai rumah tangga (**meski menurut pendapat saya pribadi, hal itu tetap saja "kurang ajar & tak beradab"!), bagaimana cara menghadapi dan bertahan dari berbagai ancaman persaingan bisnis, serta bagaimana bangsa asing (re: bangsa Eropa) akhirnya mempengaruhi berbagai sektor yang ada di Jepang secara positif. Ya, banyak pelajaran berharga dari novel karya Joyce Lebra ini.

[Natasa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn’t a good read. The story lacked any kind of tension or conflict and was more like a list of events that just happened. No actual plot and too much reliance on fortunate coincidences or an overheard bit of gossip. To be honest, it was boring. The author goes into a lot of detail about the domestic life of the characters, but nothing interesting happens.

[Kurnia Dwi Aprilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku ini bercerita mengenai tradisi dlm pewarisan bisnis sake di Jepang.
Seorang pewaris tunggal bernama Rie yg merupakan seorang perempuan harus menikah dengan suami adopsi atau disebut Mukoyoshi, yg kemudian nantinya akan menjadi kepala keluarga dan pemegang perusahaan. Pernikahan Rie dengan seorang Mukoyoshi bernama Jihei tidak pernah dilandaskan oleh rasa cinta, karena Rie sendiri sebenarnya sudah lebih dahulu jatuh cinta kepada Saburo, seorang anak ke-3 pembisnis sake juga di Jepang. Oleh karena Jie tidak pernah menaruh cintanya kpd Jihei, Jihei akhirnya selalu mencari kesenangan di luar rumah dengan mendatangi Geisha bernama O-Toki yang kemudian menyebabkan geisha tersebut hamil dan melahirkan seorang anak laki2 bernama Yoshitaro. Karena Rie belum memberikan keturunan untuk mewarisi bisnis keluarga Omura, maka Yoshitaro diadopsi dan diasuh di rumah besar Omura untuk nantinya menggantikan ayahnya menjadi Kinzaemon X.
Kebiasaan buruk Jihei mengunjungi Geisha tidak hanya menghasilkan seorang anak saja, namun juga menghasilkan 2 orang anak perempuan yg bernama Teru dan Kazu yg juga diadopsi di rumah keluarga Omura. Rie juga akhirnya memiliki seorang anak perempuan hasil hubungan gelapnya dengan Saburo bernama Fumi dan seorang anak laki-laki hasil pernikahannya dengan Jihei bernama Seisaburo. Semua anak di rumah Omura diperlakukan secara adil. Namun sebenarnya hati Rie lebih condong mencintai Fumi dan Seisaburo daripada anak yg lainnya.
Dalam tradisi Jepang, seharusnya seorang anak perempuan tidak boleh terlalu ikut campur dalam perihal bisnis. Namun karena Rie merasa suaminya tidak terlalu baik memegang bisnis maka dia mulai banyak terlibat dlm bisnis sake bahkan memberi banyak masukan dan kendali. Sikap Rie yg mendominasi membuat Jihei merasa kesal dan akhirnya menghancurkan produksi sake mereka sendiri yg kemudian diketahui oleh Rie. Rie marah dan mengusir Jihei yg kemudian berakibat pada kematian Jihei yg hanyut tenggelam di sungai karena terlalu banyak mabuk. Dengan kematian Jihei, maka Yoshitaro menggantikan ayahnya sebg Kinzaemon. Namun ternyata Yoshitaro memiliki kebiasaan yg sama dengan Jihei, sering mengunjungi Geisha di Sawaraya. Sejarah pun terulang. Rie yg memiliki janji menjadikan bisnis sake White Tiger nomor 1 di Jepang dan memurnikan keturunan Omura dari darah geisha, menjadi sangat keras kepala dan keras mempertahankan pendapatnya. Meskipun Rie bukanlah kepala keluarga Omura, namun sesungguhnya dialah yg memegang kekuasaan tertinggi dlm mengambil keputusan. Hingga akhirnya Rie melakukan berbagai cara demi tujuan2nya tersebut.
Alur ceritanya menurut saya menarik. Namun ada beberapa keganjalan dan cerita yg agak menggantung. Selain itu endingnya terlalu happy ending dan terlalu sesuai dengan keinginan tokoh utama yg sebenarnya tidak sepenuhnya baik dalam karakernya di sini.
Saya memang tertarik dengan budaya Jepang. Dengan membaca buku ini saya jadi lebih memahami kebudayaan orang Jepang dlm perihal pewarisan keluarga, cara berbisnis, cara menikahkan anak pada masa itu, juga sedikit mengenai Geisha dan Samurai.
Ternyata banyak sekali kekurangannya jika dilihat dari segi agama.
Saya jadi semakin tertarik untuk membaca buku Last Samurai dan The Diary of a Geisha.

[Hobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books ”AROMA SAKE”
Judul Asli : THE SCENT OF SAKE
Copyright © 2009 by Joyce Lebra
Penerbit GagasMedia
Alih Bahasa : Gema & Wirawan Sukarwo
Editor : Ayuning & Gita Romadhona
Proofreader : @ceriamawardi
Desain sampul : Dwi Anissa Anindhika
Cetakan I : Maret 2012 ; 548 hlm
Rate : 3 of 5

Tema seputar kehidupan kaum wanita Asia terutama sebelum abad ke-20 senantiasa menarik untuk disimak. Budaya, adat istiadat serta norma-norma sosial yang merupakan aturan baku bagi setiap anggota masyarakat terhormat, wajib dipatuhi dan dilaksanakan tanpa pernah mempertanyakan kelayakan atau pun kehendak pribadi. Bahkan untuk kaum wanita, mereka dapat dikatakan tidak memiliki hak ‘suara’ sekalipun untuk menentukan jalan hidup pribadi. Wanita merupakan pendamping dan pendukung kehendak serta kehormatan para pria, terutama pasangan hidup masing-masing, serta bakti kepada keluarga adalah sesuatu yang sangat mutlak harus dipenuhi.

Kisah ini tentang sosok gadis bernama Rie Omura, dari keluarga besar Omura yang terkenal sebagai penghasil sake ternama di wilayah Jepang. Secara turun temurun resep serta ramuan rahasia dijaga, dan kualitas sake keluarga Omura tak perlu diragukan lagi, bahkan dikabarkan akan dinominasikan sebagai sake no. 1 di Jepang. Sebagaimana sebuah keluarga besar dan terpandang, mereka telah mempersiapkan segala sesuatunya demi masa depan dan kehormatan keluarga, terutama menyangkut pewaris bisnis tersebut. Namnu tragedi menyedihkan menimpa mereka, ketika putra tunggal serta pewaris kerajaan bisnis itu tewas semasa kanak-kanak akibat kecelakaan tragis. Tinggal satu orang keturuna, sang kakak, gadis bernama Rie Omura.

Rie bukan gadis biasa, karena ia memiliki kecerdasan serta perhatian tinggi terhadap bisnis keluarga. Ia mampu memikirkan berbagai solusi seputar kegiatan serta pekerjaan, memiliki disiplin dan rasa ketertarikan yang besar untuk mengetahui seluk-beluk bisnis keluarganya. Sayang sekali, sebagai seorang wanita, ia dilarang untuk ikut campur dalam pekerjaan ‘pria’. Maka jalan tengah demi menyelamatkan masa depan bisnis, dilakukan ‘pengangkatan-suami’ bagi Rie, yang akan diadopsi dan dilatih untuk meneruskan bisnis mereka. Calon suami serta pewaris bisnis Omura dipilih secara hati-hati dan dengan pertimbangan masak, semuanya demi kepentingan serta masa depan keluarga besar Omura. Hanya satu hal yang kurang, kedua orang tua Rie tak pernah memberi kesempatan bagi putri mereka untuk mengeluarkan isi hatinya yang terdalam.

( more about the book, check on my review at here : )
http://asian-literature.blogspot.com/...

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read; but doesn't really break new ground. I like history, Japanese culture, and strong female protagonists so I generally enjoyed the book. It chronicles the life of Rie, from a young girl to her old age, and her dedication to her house- sake merchants- and it's triumphs in business.

It's easy to sympathize with Rie from the beginning, and again at the ending- but through the middle her character becomes unlovable to the reader (and I'm sure, to her family as well). Due to her loveless marriage (to a grade A loser) and humiliation at having to accept her husband's bastard children into the family as heirs, she bends her mind to revenge: purging the family of geisha blood. Too bad that the children grow up to be dedicated to the house and think of her as their mother, to her they are just tools the family business can benefit from. She becomes an amazing businesswoman, and her successes in a male-driven world are wonderful to read about.

It's interesting to see the transition in her character from a young woman with passions and love, and how she 'kills her self' over the years, ridding herself of genuine attachments and focusing solely on business profits. When this happens, it seems she forgets the despair that her parents caused her with their decisions, and forces the same on the next generation. At this point, sympathy for her character has died. She makes more and more cruel choices, and by the end the reader realizes how pride and prejudice (haha) has corroded her character which started with good intentions.

It really irked me how she didn't learn from her parent's mistakes; how she thought she knew better, but didn't consider letting her own children/grandchildren have the chances for the love she missed out on. Often times she'll feel a nagging sense that something is wrong, but can never figure out that it's her conscious.

The book isn't completely told from her point of view, some chapters switch so the reader can see the inner workings of others. This is really helpful for rounding out the narrative, and I enjoyed many of the supporting characters. It was a easy read- something that kept me always turning the pages with Rie's "desperate-housewife" like conniving and continuous family drama. If you like reading about historical Japan, this is definitely an addition to your bookshelf, with more personal drama than other books I've read in this vein.

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd say a 1.5 rating would be fair. Sub-par writing... This just did not have an authentic feel to me. The author used the device of having an older character explain Japanese traditions to a younger character, in order to explain Japanese culture to the reader. Here's an example; The main character, the O-kusan of the house, tells a teenaged girl to always remember that rice is sacred. But this is something a Japanese child would learn at age 3, 4, and 5. And isn't this something that most people attracted to this sort of book would probably already know about Japan, anyway? This sort of simple, boring, repetitive, and contrived writing peppers the whole book, and replaces the more subtle and artful writing of a true Japanese person, or even a Nihon-ophile's writing that is not only well researched, but which holds that special affinity for and understanding of Japanese culture and aesthetic. It just fell short for me. The portrayal of geisha traditions seems rather inaccurate too. And while I appreciate complex and imperfect characters, the main character here was a bit too tyrannical and hypocritical for me to sympathize with her much. I read the entire book, but a bit faster than usual to get it over with.

A better book, if you want the real deal, is "Geisha, A Life" by Mineko Iwasaki, (memoir) though it's about geisha, specifically, during this era in Japan, and not brewers or merchants, of course.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so disappointed in this book. It's all surface, details are glossed over, and apparently Lebra sees the geisha as expensive concubines, since they keep getting knocked up by someone who frankly doesn't seem to have any power or real money.

I read the author's little essay in the back about why she wrote the book, and many things became clear. Despite living in Japan for years, despite being considered an "expert in Japanese culture", and despite her clear love for Japan and its history, she doesn't seem to really get it on an emotional level. Instead of writing the true story that she clearly wanted to write (and was apparently being invasive and rude about researching, although I doubt she meant to be), she decided "hey, I'll write a fiction novel!" But what is good in academia isn't always good in fiction, and this book falls so so flat. A reviewer upstream mentioned the "fiddling with the hair comb", and that is a perfect example of a novice writer trying to show her character is nervous, but doing it poorly. Oh, that hair comb scene.

This isn't a terrible book, and many people enjoyed it. But I was hoping for so much more, and was so disappointed. I left the book half-finished in the Columbus, OH airport, and didn't regret it at all. Hopefully someone will read it an enjoy it more than I did.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

The topic of the book--an account of the daughter of a sake brewer in 19th century Japan and her struggle to control the destiny of the family business--is intriguing, but the writing style is frustrating in the extreme. The main character often feels like a 21st century Western woman plunked into feudal Japan, and there are numerous awkward places where characters explain Japanese culture and history to each other in way that feels utterly artificial. "It's so important to keep our communication with the ancestors, the Buddhas, just as we see to the continuity of the house with our heirs," the heroine's father says, speaking through Rie directly to us, and I get knocked right out of the story. It's a delicate balance to introduce readers to cultural issues that all the other characters know (I suppose this is why outsider characters are so common when writing about an unknown culture) but this book didn't keep the balance well enough for me.

[Marrionette · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a nice book. If you've never read anything on japanese culture you may actually rate it higher than I have. Most of the plot was around Rie's suffering as a female in feudal japan, and eventually all the other internal family politics and intrigue that take place within the story. It does pique ones interest in that way. Also I thought the author was very talented since she made it sound so authentic when she is not even japanese. But that is usually why books are so good ^__^.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book. The author does a great job of drawing the reader into mid-nineteenth century Japan and its strict culture. This is a very good book if you enjoy reading about the inner workings of families and relationships and learning about other cultures.

[Lynn Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

this could have been so good; however the writing was mediocre and for a woman who lived some years in Japan, I am shocked at how little she assimilated beyond the external. This is why I prefer to read translations I guess

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Every now and again there comes a book that is so abhorrently written, so mind-numbingly boring, so egregiously offensive (against both my sensibilities and the subject at hand), that you can't help but think, "How in the world did this get published?" while also screaming aloud into the void.
Generally when reading these types of books, I would try and find something--anything--to give it praise for, but this book, and by extension, its author, don't deserve any flattery for this utter waste of time (not to mention the paper and ink it was printed with).
The premise was interesting and what was initially drew me in: an account of the daughter of a sake brewing family in early 19th century Japan and her struggle to control the destiny of the family business over the years.
Okay, a woman not only working, but eventually thriving, in a man's world against all odds? Color me intrigued. I love the idea of a woman using her wits to subtly ingratiate herself into a position where she can make small changes and gain more influence over time. She'd probably face many obstacles along the way, and might suffer severe backlash and consequences for her refusal to leave the business alone and leave it solely up to her father and husband.
Unfortunately, none of that happens.
Our main character, Rie, experiences no repercussions for her actions and is actually the smartest person in the room at all times. Her father, with 20+ years of brewing and business experience, is consistently impressed with all of her suggestions and "innovations." Everyone bows to her whims in this book, there's hardly ever pushback, and even when there is, they all eventually come around to her way of thinking in the end. Oh, and her husband who is a spiteful drunkard and frequents geisha houses... well, he drowns half-way through the book, so that's no problem either.
Speaking of the geisha houses, I'm appalled at how the author (a supposed historian and recognized cultural "authority" on Japan and India) portrays geisha in this novel. Instead of the high-class entertainers they're supposed to be, they're nothing but common prostitutes, bearing children left-and-right to further the story along and give something for Rie to disparage over.
Oh, I'm sorry, did I say disparage? I meant she'll complain about it endlessly, but still use the children to further her own gains.
The writing and dialogue were also beyond frustrating, and quite frankly, abysmal, as every other sentence was just one of the characters reiterating something someone had said or thought two lines ago, and the character movement... good god, it was either someone (usually Rie) tapping the table with a fan, fiddling with a hair clip, or pouring tea for someone.
I'm not an advocate for burning books, but I'm genuinely considering destroying my copy so that no one 1) spends their hard-earned money on it, and 2) doesn't have to suffer reading through this crime against literature.
-1 million stars

[Cakranthebook · Rating 2 out of 5]

Novel ini menceritakan tentang perjalanan hidup seseorang anak perempuan dari keluarga pebisnis sake, dalam menjadikan sake tersebut menjadi nomor satu di Jepang. Ia bernama Rie. Terlahir dari keluarga pebisnis sake yang telah beroperasi secara turun temurun dari leluhurnya. Rie, yang merupakan seorang perempuan dengan kelahiran pada abad ke-sembilan belas, harus rela "membunuh dirinya sendiri", hal ini karena hak-hak perempuan Jepang pada saat itu telah dibatasi bahkan tak dianggap keberadaannya.

Sejak kecil, Rie mengerti bahwa dirinya kelak akan menjadi penerus bagi keberlangsungan bisnis sake milik keluarganya, disisi lain Rie memiliki batas-batas yang nggak boleh ia langkahi.

Rie berkali-kali mesti bertahan dalam berbagai kondisi yang tidak diinginkannya di dalam kehidupannya. Dimulai dari menikah dengan suami yang tak diinginkannya, perselingkuhan berkali-kali yang dilakukan oleh suaminya, hingga suaminya yang tak memenuhi tanggung jawab disaat terpilih sebagai penerus keberlangsungan bisnis sake milik keluarganya.

Disaat ibunya meninggal, Rie mulai berani untuk ikut andil dalam bisnis milik keluarganya. Ia kerapkali menyampaikan ide-ide yang cemerlang kepada ayahnya, yang dimana telah berhasil membuat bisnis sakenya menjadi lebih baik dan melewati masa-masa kritis. Alhasil, ia menjadi perempuan pertama yang menjadi otak dibalik kesuksesan bisnis sake miliknya.

____

Novel ini menurutku cukup seru, juga membosankan. Ada beberapa part yang seru, juga beberapa part yang membosankan. Yahh, wajar aja, cerita di novel ini cuma seputar kehidupan sehari-hari seputar keluarga dalam membangun bisnis, banyak pengulangan cerita di dalamnya, terlalu runtut, konfliknya sedikit, dan banyak istilah Jepang yang nggak dikasih catatan kaki, yang dimana bikin kita harus bolak balik buat nyari artinya ke google.

Sejujurnya, aku hanya menikmati beberapa bagian cerita saja dari novel ini, beberapa kali sempat ingin berhenti untuk membaca halaman selanjutnya, tetapi aku tetap berusaha menyelesaikannya.
Novel ini akan cocok untuk orang yang seneng sama cerita budaya kuno Jepang.

[Starling · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story written by Joyce Lebra explores the life of a young Japanese girl Rie, born in the Omura house well known for brewing skas and are in competition with the Yamaguichi (another family that brew's sake)
SPOILERS!!!
I didn't hate this story but I didn't like it either. It was very enjoyable to read during the start but towards the ending I was just dreading to finish it. I liked reading about the different traditions, customs and beliefs, though I don't agree with some that's just my opinion. I thought Rie "the main character" would bring a change or do something amazing but her character didn't differ from society in fact most of the time she looked like the "bad guy" I hated some of her views on bringing the geisha daughters to the house just for their advantage, all she thought was about house and business and house, which is totally fine but if your going to start treating your children well not own children but young kids as objects forcing marriage, when she forced Yoshitaro to get married when clearly he didn't like her, she didn't have to bring the geisha in her house but the fact their were other choices and she was selfish and chose who she wanted instead of Yoshitaro's choice and when she made Kinno to divorce his wife, she got everything she want and did everything she wanted except marrying saburo but she fulfilled most of her wishes and her reasons were reasonable when she was young but later she was just getting annoying!! and her "comb" and "fan" I felt bad for Tama, I think she was brave and amazing, I didn't hate Yoshitaro his attitude towards Rie was well deserved but despite that he still respected her. Jihei was a pain! but he could of been better if Rie had been more accepting towards him but overall both were annoying and just ughhhh!

[Adrian N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buku ini bercerita tentang usaha pembuatan sake dari sudut pandang seorang perempuan.
Di masa itu, seorang perempuan tidak boleh terlibat banyak mengenai bisnis keluarga. Sementara bisnis keluarga dipandang sangat fatal dan krusial.

Kita akan melihat bagaimana perempuan itu--Rie--merealisasikan satu demi satu, mimpinya, dengan determinansi tinggi dan keyakinan penuh akan tiap langkah yang ia buat. Menunjukkan bahwa berkecimpung di bisnis keluarga itu possible bagi seorang perempuan. Bacaan yang baik untuk kamu yang suka emansipasi perempuan!

Perjalanan (dan sedikit banyak intermeso budaya Jepang) yang diceritakan di buku ini seru untuk diikuti, tapi entah mengapa di pertengahan buku aku merasa bosan... terhadap pola kehidupan yang ada di dalamnya. Rie ini terlalu memusingkan banyak hal yang gak perlu. Anaknya harus menikah dengan siapa, anaknya harus melakukan apa, di-assign dimana, sampai ke cucu-cucunya pun diatur sedemikian rupa demi kelangsungan bisnis keluarga. Awalnya seru, tapi makin kesini pengemasan storyline tersebut dituliskan dengan semakin bland, polos, jadi membosankan.

Tapi tetep kita harus salut terhadap semangat perjuangannya menerobos stigma peran perempuan terhadap bisnis keluarga di masa itu. Bagaimana dia mengendalikan perasaannya saat dikhianati sang suami adopsi, dan betapa getir saat dia tahu sejarah kelam keluarganya terulang kembali. Betapa tajamnya insting bisnis yang dia punya sehingga dia dapat membuat keputusan-keputusan kunci.

Keren sih ini, cuma jadi agak cheesy karena kadang kita merasa "kepenuhan" sama sudut pandang Rie. Its too centered on her point of view, dengan segala kebaper-baperannya hahaha.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel reads as if the author watched the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha" and thought she could write that too.

With every sentence, it felt like she was reinforcing the JAPAN-ness of the setting. Every time the characters stowed an item on their person, they tucked it in their OBI. When someone got a ride somewhere, it was always stated IN A RICKSHA. Each time someone entered a house, they stepped onto the TATAMI. It got very tedious very quickly, when everything was over-described in this way.

I thought the setting was interesting, from the perspective of a brewing family, and the characters were interesting. I always appreciate when a main character isn't entirely likeable, and when they fail at achieving goals. And while there were aspects of many characters that were appealingly unappealing, by the end of the novel I found myself wondering where the overall struggle was. Every venture White Tiger the business undertook, it succeeded at. Rie herself never actually failed at her goals. Even when her adopted daughter took her own life, it was barely a bump in the road, as she was the youngest and only being married out to cement relationships.


By the end of the book I was frustrated that nothing was happening. The characters were simply growing older, while every business venture succeeded. White Tiger sake become first. Whoopee.

If you're looking for a fabulous story on old world Japan, well, this is not it.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great premise, bad execution.

Joyce Lebra's prose is so below average it's at the bottom of a poorly maintained koi pond. The characters are so underdeveloped they seem like they’re from a very low-quality budget theatre production. The dialogue is stiff and clunky and I can't imagine people saying this in real life, even in 19th century Japan.

However, speaking of 19th century Japan, there are details in her descriptions of the Tokugawa shogunate period that seem to show Lebra did her research. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad she did; some authors don’t bother to put in enough research when writing historical fiction, especially if it’s set in a foreign country that they don’t live in and which they don’t have any heritage from, and that reflects (poorly) on the overall quality of the book.

Update: In the author’s note I found out Lebra is actually a historian of Japan, so if she didn’t use her decades of academic work to good use I would be surprised. I’d like to say she takes care to ensure the historical period is written accurately, but even take this with large grains of salt as I am not of Japanese descent, nor do I live in Japan, nor am I a historian of this period.

BUT extensive research can’t make up for the fact that as a piece of fiction writing, this really sucked. I was skipping pages even before the halfway point, just to find out how this bore of a novel ends.

Also, this is just a pet peeve of mine, but why are there so many instances of Lebra describing how polished a piece of wood is. “Slippery wood”, “slipper stairs”, wood that’s “been polished until it was slippery.” It threw me off and I kept expecting someone to fall.

[MiKia · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I began this book I was going to give it three stars until today when I was reading the last 168 pages I realized that this book deserved one star. The main character is a woman who feels that she cannot lead the house that her ancestors and father have created and when she is given the option she becomes this power-hungry person. She made employed someone she saw as a son divorced his wife because of what the wife was saying to others. She hated her husband and because of this hatred she has for her husband she so spoiled her child that she had with another man than her other children. The children she decided to take it in as her own. Also, the writing in this book is not that good, the way we learn news is not built up properly, and the way toward the end it seem like she didn't know what to make up and begin to write about the business and how Rie deal with it, but it make her seen more as a shitty person. No better than her husband. She is also a hypocrite Rie is, she saw things her mother told her she said to her daughters. Knowing how it feels to know a complete stranger that you don't want to marry. Finally, the author is a white woman writing about a Japanese woman and the culture of Japan in 1850.

[Aethelwyne Pixie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Feminisme yang mengkritik konstruksi budaya keluarga dan bisnis Jepang menjadi isu yang sangat menarik. Akan terlihat bagaimana perempuan mampu bertahan dan mendobrak konstruksi sosial tersebut. Sayangnya, tokoh utama tidak mengalami pengembangan karakter. Pemikirannya tidak terlalu membawa perubahan besar. Memang keinginannya tercapai, tapi dobrakan konstruksi sosial yang dimaksudkan untuk dikritik tidak terlihat. Atmosfer emosional tokoh juga sangat kurang. Padahal isu perempuan Jepang pada masa itu begitu mencekik, baik bagi seorang anak perempuan dalam keluarga berbisnis, maupun geisha. Sayang sekali karena tidak begitu menikmati pembangunan suasana, pengembangan cerita, dan pengembangan karakternya, hanya bisa memberi rating dua. Saat membaca terpikirkan, mungkin penulis menitikberatkan pada pengkritikan isu, namun itu tidak terjadi begitu hebat oleh si tokoh-tokohnya. Mereka mengikuti arus konstruksi sosial dan mencari solusi dengan cara yang aman menurut kebudayaan. Membaca ini seperti membaca buku non-fiksi yang membahas tentang perempuan dalam budaya bisnis di Jepang, bukan seperti membaca fiksi yang akan meninggalkan kesan terhadap tokohnya. Penulis memang ahli dalam menyusun buku non-fiksi.