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Postwar Japan
Postwar Japan refers to the period in Japanese history immediately following the end of World War II in 1945 to the present day. After World War II things were beginning to become better for example peace surfaced the area as well as freedom especially the youth movement. Banana Yoshimoto had more freedom as a girl/child during her time than most. Thus expanding her abilities into writing. -
Youth Movement
Takaaki Yoshimoto, Banana Yoshimoto's father was said to have supported the movement against the 1960's ANPO treaty as an expression of the contradictions of the postwar order fifteen years after the end of the war. -
Birth
Mahoko aka Banana Yoshimoto was born in Tokyo,Japan on July 24, 1964. -
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North Korean Abductions of Japanese Citizens
The abductions of Japanese citizens from Japan by agents of the North Korean government happened during a period of six years from 1977 to 1983. This event is what inspired Banana Yoshimoto with her book "The Lake."The abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korea was big news in this country at the time I was writing The Lake. I believe that this incident has cast a shadow over this novel gently but surely. I wanted to write about the small happiness of people who suffer in silence. (mhpbooks) -
Social Changes
In the 1980s nearly all Japanese considered themselves middle class. Other abiding beliefs include companies looking after workers through lifetime employment. Life was beginning to change for the better. Thus may be a reason to why Banana lived a more free life as a teenager than others. -
Comics
Banana Yoshimoto says that comics are her greatest influence on her style. Especially shojo styled comics/manga which shapes the style of her work as it is more appealing to female audience and centers around women, love and happiness. (prezi) -
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Japan in the 1980's
In Japan during the 1980s, the economy was in a boom where buyers found themselves paying the highest prices for goods and commodities. Life was hard for Yoshimoto, a quote by her "I do not have wonderful memories. Everybody in Tokyo seemed to be in a hurry at that time. I often had the thought that I should leave and study abroad." (bookslut) -
First book
Yoshimoto entered the College of Art at Nihon University, Tokyo. There her graduation story, the novella Moonlight Shadow (1986), was an immediate hit and earned her the Izumi Kyoka Prize from the faculty. About this time, by her own account, she chose the pen name Banana Yoshimoto because she considered it both cute and androgynous and because of her love for banana flowers.(Britannica) -
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Financial Crisis
In the decades following World War II, Japan implemented stringent tariffs and policies to encourage people to save their income. With more money in banks, loans and credit became easier to obtain, and with Japan running large trade surpluses, the yen appreciated against foreign currencies. Also a viable way of living to help skyrocket Banana Yoshimotos works. (xtimeline) -
Beginning
Yoshimoto began her writing career while working as a waitress at a golf-club restaurant in 1987. She named American author Stephen King as one of her first major influences, and drew inspiration from his non-horror stories. As her writing progressed, she was further influenced by Truman Capote and Isaac Bashevis Singer. Her writing career had stared little before her big and usccesful debut of kitchen let out. -
Kitchen
Published her debut novel Kitchen, which was an instant success, with over sixty printings in Japan alone. This is her breakthrough novel and her golden ticket to become a well known in Japan and now a popularity across. -
Goodbye tsugumi
Another novel by Banana Yoshimoto that was success and this later on made into a movie in 1990. -
Lizard
Lizard is a short story by Banana Yoshimoto that was published in 1993. It is a collection of six short stories on love and the healing power of time. Which is influenced by her love for comic specifically shojo which is a basis of love and revoloving around females. -
Family
Yoshimoto keeps her personal life guarded, and reveals little about her certified Rolfing practitioner husband, Hiroyoshi Tahata and her son who was born in the year 2003. Other than this we know little of Banana Yoshimoto's personal life like her family. -
The Lake
The Lake was published in 2005 and was as well a success just like "Kitchen"was. There is no trace or information on her mother anywhere so maybe she is deceased which if that's the case had influenced her to make this book because it is about a girl named Chihiro who after her mother's death moves to overcome her grief when she sees a mysterious man, Nakajima, standing in the window. Chihiro begins to fall in love with him but his dark past threatens tear them apart.
