In the Woods of Memory

"In its unsparing squint into the darkest moments of human experience, this masterpiece of Okinawan literature continues to speak to us all."The Japan Times 5/5 "An alternating narrative creates a subtle yet intense and multilayered portrait of Okinawans."Foreword Reviews "A study in chaos theory, an exploration of how a single act can have unforeseen and wide-ranging repercussions."GaijinPot "Shun Medoruma has emerged as one of Okinawa's leading literary figures and critical intellectual voices since receiving the coveted Akutagawa Prize in 1997. . . . His writing about Okinawan war memory and trauma stands out as particularly powerful and important."Kyle Ikeda, University of Vermont, author of Okinawan War Memory: Transgenerational Trauma and the Fiction of Medoruma Shun (Routledge, 2014) "Generally regarded as Okinawa's most adventurous and promising writer of fiction today."Michael Molasky, University of Minnesota, author of The American Occupation of Japan and Okinawa: Literature and Memory (Routledge, 1999) "Medoruma's uniquely visceral and realistic writing style creates a powerful portrait of a chain of sorrow that has destroyed human beings through the generations. Readers will yet again be astonished by the talents of the author, who obviously released this complex work after thoroughly crafting it."Sadatoshi Oshiro, author "Shun Medorumas 'literature of resistance' has evolved to a higher level through his inventive use of narration, which seems to reverberate through the cave in the woods described in this serialized novel. The work has also taken him one more solid step toward becoming a world-renowned literary figure."Yoshiaki Koshikawa, Meiji University "Based on an actual incident, this novel depicts the sexual assault of a village girl by an American soldier during the Battle of Okinawa and a village youths slashing counter-attack. Medoruma portrays the assault's life-long effects on the girl and her family, emotionally and socially devastated, and on the perpetrator, wounded in the counter-attack and later plagued with nightmares, from each of their viewpoints."Steve Rabson, Professor Emeritus of East Asian Studies, Brown University, Co-editor, Islands of Protest: Japanese Literature from Okinawa (University of Hawaii Press, 2016) "9/10, Powerful"Cultured Vultures

Shun Medoruma was born in Nakijin, Okinawa on October 6, 1960. After graduating from the University of Ryukyus, he worked as a guard and later as a teacher. He resigned from teaching in 2003. He has written unique novels that are based on Okinawan nature, history, and climate, focusing especially on the Battle of Okinawa and memories of that war experience. Two of his best stories, “Suiteki and “Mabuigumi are concerned with war memory. Medoruma also focuses on the current base issue and how the US military impacts on Okinawa. Another element of Medorumas fiction is his use of uchina-guchi or Okinawan language. Medoruma often expresses his strong anti-base political views through his articles in the local newspapers—and in his blog. AWARDS: 11th Ryukyu Shinpo Short Story Prize in 1983 for “Gyogunki [Diary of a School of Fish]. 12th New Okinawa Literature Prize in 1986 for “Heiwa dori to nazukerareta machi o aruite. 27th Kyushu Arts Literature Prize in 1997 for “Suiteki. 117th Akutagawa Prize in 1997 for “Suiteki. 26th Yasunari Kawabata Literary Award in 2000 for “Mabuigumi [Soul-Stuffing]. Shohei Kiyama Literary Award in 2000 for “Mabuigumi [Soul-Stuffing]. Takuma Sminkey (n Paul Sminkey) (Translator) is a professor in the Department of British and American Language and Culture at Okinawa International University. He has been living in Japan for over twenty years and acquired Japanese citizenship in 2010. He received a masters degree in English literature from Temple University and a masters in Advanced Japanese Studies from Sheffield University. His translations include A Rabbits Eyes by Haitani Kenjiro (2005) and Ichigensan—The Newcomer by David Zoppetti (2011). Kyle Ikeda (Afterword) received his doctorate in Japanese from the University of Hawai‘i—Manoa in 2007 and is now an associate professor at the University of Vermont. He is one of the leading researchers in English on Medoruma Shun. His comprehensive analysis of Medorumas work, Okinawan War Memory: Transgenerational Trauma and the War Fiction of Medoruma, was published in 2014.

Fumi (1945) Seiji (1945) Kayo (2005) Hisako (2005) Hisako and Fumi (2005) Seiji (2005) Videotape from M (2005) Js Grandfather (1945) Bullied Girl (2005) Tamiko (2005) Letter from an Interpreter (2005)