New York & Tokyo: Kodansha, (1991.) dj. Hardcover first edition - His first collection of short fiction, one which confirms his reputation as one of Japan's most significant modern writers. The stories - often surrealistic - start from the same point: a seemingly innocuous act plunges an ordinary individual into extraordinary, often nightmarish circumstances that lead him to question his identity or his sanity. Translated from the Japanese by Juliet Winters Carpenter. 247 pp. ISBN: 4770014651.