The Street of a Thousand Blossoms (74 page)

In the process of researching and writing, I realized the sport of sumo was symbolic of the Japanese culture itself—in its rituals and religion—and in its belief of honor and defeat. Writing Hiroshi and Kenji’s story gave me a glimpse into a complex world that moved far beyond what began as an interest in sumo. More than anything,
The Street of a Thousand Blossoms
is the story of family and love, the futility of war, and the resilience of a country and her people. Hiroshi and Kenji represent part of the new generation after the war, whose family and country become a source of their strength and inspiration. Ultimately, as distinctive as all cultures are, it’s our common humanity that provides the greatest stories. In the end, we are all children of other histories.

Recommended Reading

Recommended Reading

Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Emma
, and
Sense and Sensibility
by Jane Austen—No author has so successfully
looked at the foibles of a society with such a keen eye.

My Àntonia
and other books by Willa Cather—
Cather wrote of the strength and forbearance of
women and the immigrant experience set against
the vast natural beauty of the American prairie.

The Persian Boy
by Mary Renault—One of
the first books I read that was a brilliant
melding of history and fiction.

Atonement
by Ian McEwan—A beautiful story of
regret that comes full circle—encompassing the
themes of family, class, love, and war.

Family Matters
by Rohinton Mistry—
Mistry illuminates India with his writing of
family love and obligation.

The Poisonwood Bible
by Barbara Kingsolver—
The Belgian Congo is brought alive through a
fanatical missionary and his family living through
three turbulent decades in the Congo.

Charming Billy
by Alice McDermott—
Alice McDermott has a brilliant ear for dialogue.

The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse
by
Louise Erdrich—It’s beautifully written and I always
learn more about the Native American culture.

Any short story by Alice Munro—She illuminates
worlds and the complexity of her characters
with economy and grace.

The Complete Stories
by David Malouf—A wonderful
Australian author whose prose is crystal clear in
its precision and power.

Reading Group Questions

1. Tradition plays an important role in
   The Street of a Thousand Blossoms
   , and one way for traditions to be passed down from generation to generation is through storytelling. Discuss various stories in the novel and their significance for some of the characters.
   

2. What lessons do Hiroshi and Kenji learn from their grandparents, and how do those lessons serve them in a changing world? How would you compare the marriage between Yoshio and Fumiko to those of their grandsons?
   

3. Even though no one in the novel ever fights on a battlefield, in what ways does the war shape their lives? How might their lives have been different if there had been no war?
   

4. Yoshio tells his grandsons on page 23: “Just remember Every day of your lives, you must always be sure what you’re fighting for.” What implications does this have for Hiroshi—who literally becomes a great fighter—as well as for other characters in the story?
   

5. Both Kenji and Aki feel like “ghosts” among the living. In what other ways are they similar—and different? Why do you think Kenji survives, while Aki gives up?
   

6. Art and beauty are obviously central in the lives of Kenji and Akira, as well as the violinist Mariko. What roles do they play in other characters’ lives? How does beauty help—or not help—the characters survive in difficult times? What does Haru mean when she says that she sees “such beauty” at the end of the Prologue?
   

7. The four central female characters—Fumiko, Aki, Haru, and Mika—lead very different lives. In what ways do they represent the changing roles of women, and in what ways do they represent their individual natures and circumstances? How do you regard each of these characters?
   

8. Kenji gives Hiroshi a poem before his first big match:
   Winter solitude / in a world of one color / the sound of wind
   . What do you think it means to Hiroshi? To Kenji?
   

9. Hiroshi, Akira, and Kenji all achieve considerable fame. What are its rewards and pitfalls for them?
   

10. Members of the kasutori generation are filled with “guilt and grief,” clinging to the past while also struggling to find their own way in a “new” Japan. In what ways do Kenji and Hiroshi, as well as Aki, Haru, and Mika, rebel against the “old” Japan of their childhood? In what ways do they embrace it?
    

11. The novel spans several stages in the history of Japan: prewar, war, reconstruction, and postwar boom. What happens to the landscape of Tokyo in these different stages? How does the changing landscape affect the characters?
    

12. Discuss the role of family in various characters’ lives. What joys and sorrows does it bring them?