Writer, director and producer Shawn Mahler will lead an informal discussion about his debut novel Chizawa Bay at Imaike Library Club on Nov. 28th.
Chizawa Bay is a slice-of-life novel set in a small, rural seaside community in central Japan. The story dives into the hearts and minds of the residents and explores their relationships and worldviews.
Throughout the novel many life-philosophies unique to Japanese culture are presented. These philosophies will be the topic of our discussion. You won’t need to have read the novel to join this event. We have selected a few chapters to focus our discussion. We ask that everyone attending familiarize themselves with the following chapters and their themes before the event:
- Chapter 6 – Life Purpose
- Chapter 13 – Spirituality in Japan
- Chapter 17 – Racism in Japan
Chizawa Bay covers a wide array of philosophical topics and themes, but we’ll be using these as our springboard. For anyone who doesn’t own a copy of the book the selected chapters will be available upon request. Please send your request via this form.
Space is limited to 10 seats per session. Please RSVP early to ensure your seat. Multiple sessions may be created based on demand. This event is open to library members and non-members alike, so feel free to send the sign-up link to anyone you think would be interested.
Click here to sign up: https://forms.gle/EytZVp2fScSY8JKY8
This is an English-speaking event, but we do encourage intermediate~advanced English learners to participate. It will be a good opportunity to discuss art and literature in an open and friendly environment. We’d love to have Japanese participants involved in the discussion to share their thoughts and feelings on the novel and its themes.
The event is free of charge, but donations of ¥500 will be accepted for the upkeep and maintenance of the library. Free coffee will be provided.