Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 351: Making Friends (I’m too sleepy to know what title to give it, so let’s just leave it like this for now)

"I'm so sorry!" Kadokawa Toshihiko apologized to Zhang Chao, "I really didn't expect Ishihara to cancel the trip."

He spoke in English. As a top student at Waseda University, Kadokawa Koyomi's English had a typical Japanese accent, but it was not difficult to understand.

It was 9 o'clock in the evening. After the welcoming banquet prepared by Kadokawa Lehiko for Zhang Chao's family, Zhang Chao's parents followed Tanida back to Qingjiyuan to rest, while Zhang Chao himself stayed and had a private meeting with Kadokawa Lehiko.

Zhang Chao did not speak, but took a sip of tea from the cup. Kadokawa continued to explain: "Originally, Ishihara was going to attend the "Tokyo in World Literature" event organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, but for some reason, he canceled the trip. We just found out about it yesterday."

Zhang Chao frowned and said in an ambiguous tone, "Is it such a coincidence? Would he personally review the list of this kind of activity?"

Although Kadokawa Koyomi is over 60 years old, he also feels a huge pressure at this moment. Zhang Chao is not only a best-selling author who brings hundreds of millions of yen in revenue to Kadokawa Bookstore every year, but also attracts great attention from the domestic cultural circles in Japan.

Although a publishing house is a commercial organization, it must also abide by the human ethics of the literary circle. Otherwise, why would it just pay the author and get the book? Why would it go to so much trouble to hold various field trips, and why would it even make phone calls and send gifts during festivals?
Originally, he could have asked the vice president or editor-in-chief to come to the welcoming party, but this was the reason why he insisted on attending in person.

However, Kadokawa Koyomi is an old hand after all, and he quickly adjusted himself and explained calmly: "Ishihara's personality is erratic and cannot be judged by common sense, so it is not surprising that he would behave like this."

Zhang Chao stroked the teacup in his hand. This cup has a typical Japanese "wabi-sabi" aesthetic, with a crooked shape and even an uneven rim; the glaze on the body is even rougher, and the pattern looks like several pieces of burlap sewn together.

If this kind of cup was placed in China, the craftsman would probably want to commit suicide the moment it was fired. However, in Japan, it is the work of a master, full of simple and naive natural beauty, and is a top-quality tea set for entertaining guests. If a big shot like Kadokawa Lehiko did not visit, the teahouse would never have used it.

While Zhang Chao was "sighing" at the difference in aesthetics, he casually asked, "What kind of person is Ishihara? How do you Japanese view him?
I want to hear the truth.”

Zhang Chao's attitude made Kadokawa Leyan more serious. He tried hard to recall the past and present lives of this Tokyo governor, and then he organized his words carefully before saying:

"From any angle, Ishihara is a troublemaker. But such a person has a certain charm. Although he has many opponents, he also has loyal supporters.

In particular, his family is considered a first-class "chaebol" and has many supporters in the political circle. Therefore, including this year, he has served as the governor of Tokyo for three consecutive years.

In his early years, he was considered a representative of "manliness" in the literary world. In addition to having a strong "male consciousness" in his works, he was also very keen on organizing various adventure activities.

For example, in the 70s, when the "Loch Ness Monster" was a hot topic, he organized Japan's first Loch Ness Monster Search Team to go to the UK to look for traces of the monster. I still remember that activity very clearly. The TV station broadcast it for a week straight, which made him very popular among the people.

Later, he began to be deeply involved in Japanese politics, and he always showed an arrogant and conservative attitude. For example, when he was the Minister of Environment, he not only refused to meet with the "Minamata disease" patients, but also went to play golf that afternoon.

Later he became the governor of Tokyo, and he never stopped making outrageous remarks... So you don't need to take it too seriously...

In any case, his attitude is very attractive to conservative voters in Japanese politics, especially those elderly people - Japan is a country of elderly people. Win the elderly, win the election! "

Zhang Chao couldn't help but smile when he heard this. Kadokawa Toshihiko seemed not to notice and continued to introduce: "Of course, he has another advantage in politics - as a writer, he likes to name his policies with his own elegant sense of language, such as "Oedo Line", "Metropolitan University Tokyo", "New Bank Tokyo", "Tokyo Revolution in the Heart" - many of his young supporters know him because of this.

His administrative style is to cut personnel expenses and education and welfare budgets and use the money to support his own large-scale projects. On the one hand, it is considered to be an effective use of the budget, but on the other hand, there are voices criticizing him for cutting off the weak.

This is probably what he is like - conservative, tough, arrogant, decisive, sharp... more like a politician than a writer. "

At this point, Kadokawa Koyomi tentatively said: "Ishihara said something very extreme, but if you speak too harshly, it may cause unnecessary trouble. After all, he still has many supporters...

And you have to know that Ishihara may not like China, but he may hate the United States even more. He doesn't even seem to like Japan now - he once said, "Japan is like a castrated dog, harmless to anyone."

So you see... you really don't have to care what he said, that's just who he is!"

Zhang Chao did not comment. Kadokawa Leyan's introduction was as objective as possible, and he did not deliberately belittle Ishihara to please himself, which also made him understand this person better. It was understandable that he did not want Zhang Chao and Ishihara to have a direct "conflict", after all, Ishihara was the "old mayor".

Zhang Chao smiled and said, "Ishihara is a troublemaker in your eyes, what about me?"

Kadokawa Koyomi was speechless. In terms of causing trouble, Zhang Chao was definitely no less troublesome than Ishihara - it's just that the trouble Zhang Chao caused was all in the literary world, and it became a booster for book sales time and time again, so people often overlooked that he was also a "troublemaker".

Just like the publication of "Hometown" this time, Kadokawa Shoten was originally cautious. After all, this novel is not popular literature in the traditional sense, and the subject matter is far from the daily life of the Japanese.

But ever since Zhang Chao's rejection of Ma Yueran caused a stir in the international literary world, the enthusiasm of Kadokawa Shoten and Shueisha has risen; and when he had a verbal battle with Pamuk, the two publishing houses showed great sincerity.

Japan's book market may be very exclusive, but it is definitely not exclusive to the United States. On the contrary, novels that are popular in the American market are almost certain to be bestsellers in Japan. For example, for Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" series, Japan is almost the largest market outside the United States.

Both publishers saw that Hometown would definitely top the sales charts in the United States and even cause a sensation, so they fought tooth and nail for it. In the end, Kadokawa Shoten took the lead thanks to its long-term cooperation with Zhang Chao in novel publishing.

Zhang Chao said to Kadokawa Lehiko: "The sales of "Hometown" have not yet found a good foothold in Japan. It is not enough to rely solely on the best-selling market in the United States. I hope that before "Hometown" is officially released, Japanese readers will realize the value of this novel."

These words made Kadokawa Lehiko confused - wasn't the sales of "Hometown" in Japan based on the hype of the best-seller in the United States to sell out the first print?

Could it be that the Japanese are interested in the immigration history and mentality of the Chinese? Fantastic!
However, he still showed respect for Zhang Chao and asked, "Handhold? Can you be more specific?"

Zhang Chao asked curiously: "Didn't you introduce them just now?"

Kadokawa Koyomi was confused: "What? Really?" Then he reacted: "You mean... Ishihara? What does he have to do with "Hometown"? "

Zhang Chao smiled but didn't tell his answer.

Ishihara's image is a microcosm of Japan's post-war contradictions - it is eager to get rid of the label of "defeated country", but is unable to face up to historical crimes; it advocates Western modernization, but is obsessed with the "Yamato national superiority theory."

The dispute between his supporters and opponents is essentially a rift in Japan's historical reflection, national positioning and cultural identity. Zhang Chao did not directly answer Kadokawa Lehiko's question, but asked: "Will "Tokyo in World Literature" be held in three days?"

Kadokawa Koyomi was a little surprised. He thought that since he couldn't meet Ishihara, Zhang Chao would lose interest in the event. But it seemed that he still wanted to participate? So he said carefully, "Yes, the event will be held in Ginza in three days."

Zhang Chao said: "I have never written about Tokyo in my works. Would it be too abrupt to have it appear like this?"

Kadokawa Lehiko quickly said, "This is originally an event for the Agency of Cultural Affairs to connect young writers from around the world. It is not necessary for them to write about Tokyo in their works. What is more important is that after participating in the event, writers are willing to write about Tokyo in their works.

Therefore, your appearance will not only not be abrupt, but will also be a surprise of the event - after all, Chao-san, you are the most popular foreign writer among Japanese readers in recent years!"

Zhang Chao sighed in his heart, looking at the cultural communication they have done, and then looking at the masters of the Writers Association... He nodded and said, "That's good! After three days, I'll ask you to arrange a guide and translator."

Kadokawa Lehiko bowed slightly and said, "Don't worry, we will make you the most dazzling star at the event, Chao-san."

The conversation ended here, and the two said goodbye with their own thoughts.

Zhang Chao did not ask the driver of Kadokawa Bookstore to take him back to Qingjiyuan, but walked alone on the streets of Tokyo at night. In 2007, Tokyo was still undoubtedly the first city in Asia. At this time, whether it was Beijing, Shanghai or Shenzhen, it could not compare with this monster that was home to one-tenth of Japan's population.

If the three prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama are included, the population of the entire Tokyo metropolitan area has reached an astonishing 3 million, accounting for more than one-third of Japan's total population. The level of prosperity is beyond the imagination of many Chinese people.

Regarding the speech or discussion at "Tokyo in World Literature" three days later, Zhang Chao only has a rough framework, but he still needs to touch the texture of the city of Tokyo more delicately.

Zhang Chao had been in a hurry on his previous visits, and coupled with the city filter of his previous life, he did not have any particularly deep impression of Tokyo.

Now he is in Shibuya district of Tokyo, surrounded by various restaurants, tea houses, bars, neon lights spreading like blood vessels on the streets and shops, and from time to time, office workers in suits and ties stagger by drunkenly, arm in arm with each other.

Zhang Chao also met a group of Korean tourists. The leading tour guide was discussing something with the madam in front of a brothel. The tourists behind him had green eyes, like wolves.

He also saw some European and American backpackers holding posters of the movie Lost in Translation starring Scarlett Johansson, trying to find the scenes in it. Looking up again, the twin towers of Sumitomo Building and Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building cast a cold blue halo in the distance.

Of course, the voices of our fellow countrymen were also present. In just over ten minutes, we had heard at least three accents of Mandarin.

In addition, you can occasionally see girls standing or sitting on the roadside, wearing COS costumes or sailor suits and with heavy makeup, and some of them have a suitcase next to them or are carrying a large backpack.

These girls looked at every man passing by with an unfathomable look, as if they were considering whether they had enough money in their pockets and whether they had enough desire.

If they have spotted their target, they will wriggle forward and make an invitation in a sweet voice. Most of their targets are middle-aged or elderly office workers with balding heads.

Zhang Chao was dressed simply and casually tonight, wearing a hoodie, jeans, and sneakers. He did not attract much attention as he moved freely among the "flowers".

As a foreign tourist, he didn't have to spend much effort to blend into this environment. After a while, he arrived at the world's busiest intersection - Shibuya Station Hachiko Exit. When the green light came on, he crossed the zebra crossing with thousands of people.

On that Tokyo night in 2007, Zhang Chao could hear the symphony of email alerts from his flip phone and the crisscrossing of leather shoes and wooden clogs on the pavement. The scars of the bubble economy had healed, AKB48 had not yet become a hit, and people were still enjoying the tenderness of midnight in the cracks between the old and new worlds.

“It’s so bizarre and confusing…” Zhang Chao is no stranger to big cities. Whether in his past life or this life, a large part of his life experience was gained in China’s big cities.

There seems to be a restlessness that never stops day and night, giving rise to a unique "24-hour social physique". Every moment, people are witnessing the new urban metabolism of this city that never sleeps.

But Tokyo seems to be different from every other big city he has been to - it is a perpetual motion machine for making wealth during the day and a garbage dump for discarding souls at night. In the pulse of the sleepless city, there seems to be the helpless roar of contemporary Japanese.

Its neon lights are on all night long, and its flow of people is like the waves of the sea, but in the convenience store, Zhang Chao can still see many lonely figures "eating alone".

Enthusiastic anime fans were cheering for the COSERs' collective dance even in the middle of the night; on the last train passing behind them, the overtime workers were wrapped in darkness and fell into a deep sleep.

Tokyo is the city with the most serious light pollution Zhang Chao has ever seen. Countless bright lights completely kill the starry sky, but the strange geometric shapes formed by these lights, aren’t they the constellations that the city has created for itself?
Zhang Chao suddenly understood that the magic of Tokyo's night came from the huge contradictions it carried:

It is a megacity with a per capita GDP of over $4, but it is also a shelter for countless "Internet cafe refugees" huddled in small rooms; it sells romance with countless lights and flowers, but also makes women who come home late hold anti-wolf alarms tightly and walk through dark alleys.

Tokyo is a maze that constantly deconstructs and reconstructs itself in neon and shadows.

Many times, it is like a compulsory question for almost all Japanese in modern and even contemporary times, which lies across their lives. At a certain stage, they must make a choice - whether to go to Tokyo or stay in the "countryside".

No other city in China can achieve such a high degree of concentration. Whether it is Yanjing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Wuhan, Xi'an... they can only represent the choice of a part of the Chinese people.

But Tokyo is different - 3.5% of the land area, 35% of the population, 40% of the GDP - Tokyo is Japan!

If we want to talk about "Tokyo in World Literature" well and connect it with "Hanako" and Ishihara, we must understand the difference between Tokyo as a symbol in the minds of foreigners and Tokyo as the "eternal hometown" in the hearts of Japanese.

While deep in thought, Zhang Chao was suddenly dazzled by the astonishing density of signboards. Looking up, he saw a sign with red letters on a white background that read "Kabukicho Ichibangai" in front of him. Behind it were rows of colorful signs of restaurants, bars, clubs, karaoke bars, cinemas, theaters... everything you could think of.

The flow of people is much greater than in other places. People of all skin colors and languages ​​converge into a long river, flowing in every corner within sight.

Before Zhang Chao could come to his senses, a thin man with narrow cheeks, wearing a black suit and a white shirt stood in front of him. He said to Zhang Chao with a smile on his face, "Little brother, you are Chinese, right? Is this your first time here? Let's make friends. My name is Li Xiaomu."

(I got home very late tonight, but I still decided to write it down. My classes are very busy tomorrow, so I may not have time to write it down, but I will try my best.)
(End of this chapter)