What do you think?
Rate this book
The Kyoto Complex: a Thriller about the Japanese Mind
'The most controversial and sensational novel of the last twenty years.'
Here is a thriller that has factual research, artistic mood, and literary polish - for the intellectuals ; as well as action, suspense, and an original story - to give honey to the bears. Its issues are also of great topical importance ; and so this good old-fashioned tale has a universal appeal for now.
The book's fictional story is about Japan's undercover operations to abduct young children of Japanese-Western marriages, in order to create a live gene-pool. These children are needed as potential scientists for Japan's future program in atomic weapons - and for the development of her military technology.
The 'Kyoto Complex' is slightly similar to 'The Boys from Brazil' ; though with the sub-plot that Tokyo is secretly developing a nuclear arsenal. Enigmatic Japan is dissected with a Dan Brown-interest. At the same time, though, the personal side of the story largely revolves around a single character and family. Thus, the events are believable, the plot has structural logic, and the tone is down-to-earth.
With regard to its message for today, 'The Kyoto Complex' is prophetic in the way 'The Riddle of the Sands' was in predicting German rearmament, a hundred years ago. It argues that Japan could now be secretly developing nuclear weapons. Research was carried out in Kyoto for five years.
In addition to its gripping original story, 'The Kyoto Complex' also explores both the psychology of the Japanese people and the topography of the country. There are paragraphs of descriptive prose that are worthy of the very best travel-writing.
A must for anyone interested in Japan, in strategic affairs, in psychological thrillers or in conspiracy stories that make you think.
Here is a thriller that has factual research, artistic mood, and literary polish - for the intellectuals ; as well as action, suspense, and an original story - to give honey to the bears. Its issues are also of great topical importance ; and so this good old-fashioned tale has a universal appeal for now.
The book's fictional story is about Japan's undercover operations to abduct young children of Japanese-Western marriages, in order to create a live gene-pool. These children are needed as potential scientists for Japan's future program in atomic weapons - and for the development of her military technology.
The 'Kyoto Complex' is slightly similar to 'The Boys from Brazil' ; though with the sub-plot that Tokyo is secretly developing a nuclear arsenal. Enigmatic Japan is dissected with a Dan Brown-interest. At the same time, though, the personal side of the story largely revolves around a single character and family. Thus, the events are believable, the plot has structural logic, and the tone is down-to-earth.
With regard to its message for today, 'The Kyoto Complex' is prophetic in the way 'The Riddle of the Sands' was in predicting German rearmament, a hundred years ago. It argues that Japan could now be secretly developing nuclear weapons. Research was carried out in Kyoto for five years.
In addition to its gripping original story, 'The Kyoto Complex' also explores both the psychology of the Japanese people and the topography of the country. There are paragraphs of descriptive prose that are worthy of the very best travel-writing.
A must for anyone interested in Japan, in strategic affairs, in psychological thrillers or in conspiracy stories that make you think.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2019
About the author
Jon Lee Junior
11 books9 followersABOUT
British author Jon Lee Junior (Jonathan Lee) has written 8 critically acclaimed, full-length books.
He maintains that writing is a vocation which requires years of dedication. The result is that his books are enjoyable, understandable and easy to read - but also serious, informed and classically well-written. He believes in "urging up" - which is the opposite of the modern disease of dumbing down. Good writing should be classy but not artsy.
Jon Lee Junior has lived and taught in East Asia for 15 years. Much of this time was spent in background historical research for his controversial Japanese thriller, 'The Kyoto Complex', and for his screwball comedy series, 'A Coward in . . .'.
During his travels, he has had the pleasure of working alongside many North Americans (and Australasians) and so his writing is mid-Atlantic in tone, vocabulary and national idioms. It can be enjoyed by any English-speaking community. Despite his self-consciously fuddy-duddy and old-fashioned attention to detail, Jon Lee Junior is a truly international writer - and the humorously sane voice of our insane age. In these regards - as in so many others - his 'aristocratic standards' are at the same time representative of today's world and accessible to all people.
His hometown is Portsmouth in the UK, a city that is rich in history and the life of great writers, (even though its own residents gleefully laugh at Portsmouth's lack of high culture).
contact (specifying the query in the subject box) jonleejnr@hotmail.com
British author Jon Lee Junior (Jonathan Lee) has written 8 critically acclaimed, full-length books.
He maintains that writing is a vocation which requires years of dedication. The result is that his books are enjoyable, understandable and easy to read - but also serious, informed and classically well-written. He believes in "urging up" - which is the opposite of the modern disease of dumbing down. Good writing should be classy but not artsy.
Jon Lee Junior has lived and taught in East Asia for 15 years. Much of this time was spent in background historical research for his controversial Japanese thriller, 'The Kyoto Complex', and for his screwball comedy series, 'A Coward in . . .'.
During his travels, he has had the pleasure of working alongside many North Americans (and Australasians) and so his writing is mid-Atlantic in tone, vocabulary and national idioms. It can be enjoyed by any English-speaking community. Despite his self-consciously fuddy-duddy and old-fashioned attention to detail, Jon Lee Junior is a truly international writer - and the humorously sane voice of our insane age. In these regards - as in so many others - his 'aristocratic standards' are at the same time representative of today's world and accessible to all people.
His hometown is Portsmouth in the UK, a city that is rich in history and the life of great writers, (even though its own residents gleefully laugh at Portsmouth's lack of high culture).
contact (specifying the query in the subject box) jonleejnr@hotmail.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 2, 2018
Just this side of racist. So who rubbed Lee the wrong way. I have been travelling to Japan twice a year for the past 20 years and true somethings are cut off for me as I am not Japanese, but that is just the way it is . I never came into contact with anyone as anti-Western as Lee portrays the Japanese. Sure they a pro-Japan, it not to the exclusion of all others.
July 7, 2018
This has to be the most overt alt-right openly racist book I have ever read. While I do not necessarily mind the premise of the book for the sake of creating an interesting plot, the way it is delivered and ultimately ends is downright awful. All characters are thoroughly one dimensional and almost comically profiled according to race. The author makes little effort in hiding his disdain what he perceives is cultural relativism and it is abundantly clear that while not without faults, the WASP male is the racial superior. While we're at it, women in the book are clearly subservient to men, with typical faux "strong woman" tropes like black-belt in judo yet no free will to be spoken of. Appart from being spouses, the one only other woman mentioned is a "African-American" detective whose primary concern is to not appear as if her promotion to detective was racially motivated. Again, I do not mind the premise, and Japans complicated relation to those of darker complexion can be explored and exploited to great effect in the plot. However, as it stands it merely feels like a jab at yet another minority through racial stereotyping. There is also some mentions of the superiority of the Christian faith, which feel incredibly out of place, as if it should be self-evident that our righteous white man would be a believer.
November 29, 2016
If you enjoy an international thriller with a bit of a twist then this novel from Jon Lee Junior is for you. Having enjoyed Lee's humorous yet thought-provoking style in his first novel "A Coward in Modern China" I was keen to read more. The Kyoto Complex is a thriller rather than the previous comedy but Lee's trademark irony and wit remain. The novel is written from an alternate viewpoint in which Japan is the old enemy and her true designs for the future are brought into question. Secret nuclear arming, genetic engineering, international espionage, and of course a non-assuming Brit in the middle - all of these ingredients added up to an entertaining fast-paced thriller which I did find hard to put down. Throughout the book Lee pokes fun at trendy global perspectives and looks to deeper historical roots of nationalism and colliding civilisations. Overall I can highly recommend this, an intriguing plot, amusing characters, well-research historical insights, and a provoking look at international politics, five stars.
March 9, 2019
This basis of the story had a lot of potential developing into a great thriller.
BUT, here are the reasons why it failed (in my opinion) badly:
1. Too much details into the conversations and behaviour of the Japanese scientist(s) - while I usually welcome vivid descriptions of the characters I read, the scientists in this book did not have that much of an interesting personality, so why keep going back to those meetings
2. Repetitive. Ok, understand that all the Japanese wives have to “disappear” with the child at some point, but the back story as to lead (entice) them to disappear were all the same
3. Prejudices - I’ve lived in Japan, worked with Japanese, so I won’t say the so call “racism” in this story is all wrong. In fact, it is more rightly portrayed than wrong. But the author “victimised” the non-Japanese a little too much in this story.
4. There is no thrill or suspense, just a mystery to solve without any excitement - don’t know if that’s the author’s intent (like some Japanese authors I read) but this book is so plain and monotonous
BUT, here are the reasons why it failed (in my opinion) badly:
1. Too much details into the conversations and behaviour of the Japanese scientist(s) - while I usually welcome vivid descriptions of the characters I read, the scientists in this book did not have that much of an interesting personality, so why keep going back to those meetings
2. Repetitive. Ok, understand that all the Japanese wives have to “disappear” with the child at some point, but the back story as to lead (entice) them to disappear were all the same
3. Prejudices - I’ve lived in Japan, worked with Japanese, so I won’t say the so call “racism” in this story is all wrong. In fact, it is more rightly portrayed than wrong. But the author “victimised” the non-Japanese a little too much in this story.
4. There is no thrill or suspense, just a mystery to solve without any excitement - don’t know if that’s the author’s intent (like some Japanese authors I read) but this book is so plain and monotonous
December 27, 2018
Not sure
I liked the idea behind the story, but felt it went on for a bit too long in some places and not far enough in others. Wasn't overly impressed with ending. These are just my opinions and the book is worth a read
I liked the idea behind the story, but felt it went on for a bit too long in some places and not far enough in others. Wasn't overly impressed with ending. These are just my opinions and the book is worth a read
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews