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1. On page 95 paragraph 2 Akira is described as a "working homeless person," and later on in paragraph 2 Akira says, "...not wanting to burden or worry his already ailing mother, he has never told her the truth about his life," how do these lines reveal the stigma surrounding living in cyber-cafes in Japan and what larger global stigmas/issues do these lines address?

2. On page 96 paragraph 2 of the story Akira describes the surroundings of the places he sees on his night walks with Yoshiko in great detail with long syntax, "...Ameyokocho Street Market, a bustling maze of alleyways filled with the smell of fresh fish, exotic fruits and knock-off Louis Vuitton Bags", in the last paragraph of the story Akira describes his night-walk with little detail and with short syntax; how does the change from long syntax with a lot of detail to short syntax with  little detail show the effect Yoshiko's death has had on Akira's everyday life?

3. On page 100, paragraph 6 Akira reads a headline that states, "Spilled water does not return to the tray", how does this headline act as a metaphor and represent Akira's life in the story?

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1) On page 95, Nagamatsu reveals Akira’s grueling state of life as a homeless person. He portrays the current state of Akira’s life going in a downward spiral. “Akira was an office worker at a small printing company that eventually went out of business. His father died in a gas factory accident and not wanting to burden or worry his already ailing mother, he has never told her the truth about his life.” How does this reflect the struggles for homeless people? What does the writer, Sequoia Nagamatsu want the reader to take away about the difficult life of Akira in particular?

2) On page 97, Akira is determined to work, but finds that the system works against him. “I need to work so I can find a home but then they tell you that you need a home to get work. What kind of system is that”? At the end of that line, Akira expresses his frustration towards the system and he felt that any effort to improve his circumstances would be futile. Do you think the Japanese work system provides enough opportunities for the homeless? And if so, how?

3) On page 102, Nagamatsu foreshadows the death of Yoshiko and her daughter in the form of Akira’s imagination. “He imagines Yoshiko’s tiny silhouette lying in bed beside her daughter, the movement of their shadows quick and uneven as if they were both crying, gradually slowing down until their forms are quiet and motionless.” How do you think the word ‘motionless’ helps foreshadow the death of Yoshiko and her daughter to the reader? Moreover, how does this line signify the gloomy theme of the story as a whole?

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Leyla 3 Questions on "Melancholy Nights in a Tokyo Cyber Cafe"

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Leyla 3 Questions on "Melancholy Nights in a Tokyo Cyber Cafe"

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1. On page 96 there was mention of a website designed to bring people together who did not want to end their lives alone, on page 102 “it’s easy to be lost in fear and sadness. It brings people together but often for wrong reasons. It blinds them”, Akira then responds by looking in his eyes and saying, “I know’. Why did Akira respond this way and how did Seiji's words affect Akira on a deeper level?

2. On page 97, what do you think the quote “people like to forget about the sadness of the city. People choose to be blind to it. It makes their hearts cold” say about how Japan is affected, and handles mental health issues and suicide? What factors vary from the way the west handles mental health issues compared to Japan's stigmatization of the issue?

3. Throughout the story, how does the theme of the global issue "family" on pages 95, 97, and 102 “Not wanting to burden or worry his already ailing mother”, “she has to manage alone with her daughter, who suffers from autism”, “my daughter thinks i killed her mother. She says she has no father” create discomfort and a conspiracy of silence for those affected?

Leyla

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1) Throughout the story, Akira reveals his hardships in life including his father's death, his lonely mother,  the odd jobs and homelessness he faces. However, Akira finds a platform to talk about his problems with a person that can relate, and faces similar problems too. Akira then grows a  strong connection online with Yoshiko, and approaches her every Sunday and Saturday from a distance. It is later revealed on page 104 after Yoshiko's death that, "He might have wallowed in his sadness, in some unfounded guilt, but he does not. Instead, Akira continues to walk to Ameyokocho as he always did when Yoshiko was in his life." Why had Akira never approached Yoshiko after he had noticed her absence on the platform for so many days? Why did he not feel regret or guilt in not confessing and helping Yoshiko during her tough moments?

2) On page 98, Nagamatsu writes, "perhaps treating her and her daughter...He smiles and bites his lip to stop himself from grinning on city streets." Akira finds a new hope and motive in life, after finding the job listing, as he was  depressed and questioning suicide. It is revealed at the end of the story that, Yoshiko and her daughter had died. Did Akira lose purpose and motive in life after the tragic incident? Do you think he reverted to his old, depressed lifestyle before contacting Yoshiko?

3) Sequoia Nagamatsu characterizes Akira as being alone as it is revealed that Akira had lost his father, and does not live with his mother. Nagamatsu continues to build this characterization on page 98 where he reveals, "I feel as if I'm on a sled on a very big hill in winter but with no one to push me." and, "Cease being invisible." But soon, he finds Yoshiko on an online platform, and creates a strong intimate relationship. However, she passes away too. Akira returns to feeling alone once again. On page 98, Takashi says, "Good things will come but sometimes suffering is needed to realize it." Does Akira's life contradict with this statement. How has this feeling of loneliness characterized Akira?
-Alvan

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On page 103 it says that 'He looks upon the faces of the people around him, vastly different, in their own ways, but each having a story not unlike the other, connecting them in out most human ways and fragile moments'. What does this tell us about how Akira views his past relationship with Yoshiko? Does he feel that he no longer finds that she was special or that they connected? Why, why not and how, elaborate.

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1) On page 97 paragraph 3 where Akira complains about the working system in Japan saying, “I am not lazy. I hate how people think that because you don’t have a home you are lazy. I need to work so I can find a home but then they tell you that you need a home to get work,”  what global issues do you think are connected and what impact do you think it creates to the readers?

2) On page 96 paragraph 5 it says that Akira found an article and a website encouraging people together who did not want to end their life alone to die together in the Aokigahara Jukai forest near Mt Fuji. On the other hand, on page 97 paragraph 6 it says that by finding Yoshiko through an online chatroom it helped Akira feel as if they were together as one and felt comfort. What do you think was the purpose of the author’s contrasting idea about the access of the internet and social networking?

3) On page 97 paragraph 5 there is a motif of isolation as Yoshiko says that her husband is a slave to a company who has stationed him on the other side of the country so she has to manage alone with their daughter. Furthermore, it says that  Yoshiko grew up far away in Nagasaki so she does not have the luxury to make friends which Akira relates to and agrees to. Thus, what do you think does this motif of isolation add to the overall message of the story?

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1 - How does Akira's situation in some way force him to pretend to be something he is not for the public and social eye.

2 - On page 104 Akira says "the isolation pulls at me", throughout the story it is shown that Akira is lonely, do you think that this is meant to be so that the reader sympathizes with Akira and how alone he is.

3 - Throughout the story it is a very sad and lonely tone, how do you think that this affects Akira and how he is almost always positive and imagining a better future.

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Open-ended Questions for "Melancholy nights in a Tokyo Cyber Cafe" - Lucy Kaydos-Daniels

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Open-ended Questions for "Melancholy nights in a Tokyo Cyber Cafe" - Lucy Kaydos-Daniels

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1. On page 6 what is the meaning of the newsletter title “Spilled water does not return to the tray”, and how does it relate to Akira’s relationships and the story as a whole?

2. The following are chronologically ordered lines: “They [Akira's trinkets and pens] are lined up and arranged neatly” (page 3), “he [Akira] walks quickly and without pause” (page 4), “...[Akira] folds it [the flyer] neatly and sticks it into his back pocket” (page 4), “Akira works furiously” (page 7), “his [Akira’s] steps are slow now, heavy” (page 8). How do these lines characterize the protagonist, Akira, and how do they show Akira’s change in attitude throughout the story?

3. On page 3, Yoshiko says “People like to forget about the sadness of the city. People choose to be blind to it.” On page 8, Seiji says “It’s easy to be lost in fear and sadness. It brings people together but often for the wrong reasons. It blinds them.” Yoshiko and Seiji have contradicting opinions. How do their different perspectives relate to their characters’ backgrounds, experiences, stories, and emotions?

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This photo shows the typical idea of a homeless person

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On page 95 the narrator says that "There are certain vendors who Akira suspects are homeless like he is". How do you think the use of the word homeless sculpts the reader's perspective on people living in cyber cafes? And do you think that the world 'homeless' is an appropriate word to describe people living in cyber cafes? Explain.

Vita

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A Cybercafé In Tokyo, Japan. | 日本の東京にあるサイバーカフェ。 |

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1. On page 98 of the online .pdf version of the story when Mr. Takahashi says to Akira ‘good things will come but sometimes suffering is needed to realize it’, what do you think this says about the relationship that Mr. Takahashi and Akira had with each other?

2. When Yoshiko does not respond to Akira when Akira says, “You can talk to me…….”, on page 101 of the online .pdf version of the story, what do you think this says about how the relationship between Akira and Yoshiko changed since they first began chatting with each other online?

3. On page 103 of the online .pdf version of the story, Seiji Kobayashi had confessed to Akira about Seiji’s ‘abandoned plans to take his own life’, what do you think this says about how Seiji perceived Akira and how Seiji’s perception of Akira can relate to the global issue of culture, identity and community?

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#1. On page 97, “Onaji kama no meshi o kutta” is the first thing that Yoshiko says to Akira, and as they get along, “Ishin denshin” are the last words Yoshiko says to Akira. Do you think the relationship between Yoshiko and Akira changed? How?

#2. After Yoshiko died, Akira went back to his original life before meeting Yoshiko. Although his routine did not change, how do you think Akira changed from the beginning of the story?

#3. On page 104, Seiji says “When I walk in the crowded street in this city, ~ I cannot bear this.” And in the last paragraph, Akira says “He looks upon the face of the earth~ connecting them together in our most human and fragile moments.” They have similar thoughts regarding how humans are connected. Why do they think this way?