The Widow, the Priest and the Octopus Hunter - (Tuttle Specials) by Amy Chavez (Hardcover)

About the Book

"When American journalist Amy Chavez moved to the tiny island of Shiraishi (population 430), she rented a house from an elderly woman named Eiko, who left many of her most cherished possessions in the house--including a portrait of Emperor Hirohito and a family altar bearing the spirit tablet of her late husband. Why did she abandon these things? And why did her tombstone later bear the name of a daughter no one knew? These are just some of the mysteries Amy pursues as she explores the lives of Shiraishi's elusive residents. Interspersed with the author's reflections on her own life on the island, these stories paint an evocative picture of the dramatic changes which have taken place in Japanese society across nearly a century."--

Book Synopsis

Get to know the inhabitants of a tiny Japanese island--and their unusual stories and secrets--through this fascinating, intimate collection of portraits.

"This book beautifully describes the residents of tiny Shiraishi Island as well as telling how Amy herself came to be in such a fascinating little corner of Japan...Amy herself, with this book, has shown herself an integral part of this preservation. --Rebecca Otowa, author of At Home in Japan

When American journalist Amy Chavez moved to the tiny island of Shiraishi (population 430), she rented a house from an elderly woman named Eiko, who left many of her most cherished possessions in the house--including a portrait of Emperor Hirohito and a family altar bearing the spirit tablet of her late husband.

Why did she abandon these things? And why did her tombstone later bear the name of a daughter no one knew? These are just some of the mysteries Amy pursues as she explores the lives of Shiraishi's elusive residents.

The 31 revealing accounts in this book include:

• The story of 40-year-old fisherman Hiro, one of two octopus hunters left on the island, who moved back to his home island to fill a void left by his brother who died in a boating accident.
• A Buddhist priest, eighty-eight, who reflects on his childhood during the war years, witnessing fighter pilots hiding in bunkers on the back side of the island.
• A "pufferfish widow," so named because her husband died after accidentally eating a poisonous pufferfish.
• The ex-postmaster who talks about hiking over the mountains at night to deliver telegrams at a time when there were only 17 telephone numbers on the island.

Interspersed with the author's reflections on her own life on the island, these stories paint an evocative picture of the dramatic changes which have taken place in Japanese society across nearly a century. Fascinating insights into local superstitions and folklore, memories of the war and the bombing of nearby Hiroshima, and of Shiraishi's heyday as a resort in the 1960s and 70s are interspersed with accounts of common modern-day problems like the collapse of the local economy and a rapidly-aging community which has fewer residents each year.

Review Quotes

"The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter is a touching, even heartrending, chronicle of an old community near collapse. Nothing remotely like this has been written in English or Japanese about Japan's regional decline. Amy has gifted us a precious record of Japan's fading rural soul." --Alex Kerr, author of Dogs and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Modern Japan

"Once in a great while, you come across a book so compelling, interesting, and important that you want to share it with everyone. Such is the case with the latest book from author Amy Chavez, entitled The Widow, The Priest and The Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island..." -- Dr. Jessie Voigts, Wandering Educators

"The chat will surely be a treat for fans of Amy's work. For those stumbling across her work for the first time, I am certain you'll enjoy all that is discussed and covered in this compelling talk." -- The Life As A...Podcast

"What began with her curiosity about the previous inhabitant of her house, ultimately led Chavez to interview many of her neighbors. The result is a fascinating narrative that includes photographs, anecdotes, and memories from the people living there." -- Mary Hillis, Asian Review of Books

"When it comes to writers on Japan, Amy Chavez is as good as it gets. Her works convey such energy, enthusiasm and richness of detail that everything she writes is a joy to read." --Robert Whiting, author of You Gotta Have Wa

"With The Widow, the Priest and the Octopus Hunter, Amy Chavez has presented us with a gift of cultural preservation...she has revealed to us a culture that has disappeared in most places in Japan and may soon disappear on Shiraishi Island as well. [...] Her love and appreciation of her surroundings is so deep, she captures the sights, smells and sounds so vividly, that she has made me nostalgic for a world I have never experienced." --Tina deBellegarde, author of the Batavia-on-Hudson series

Frank, idiosyncratic and lucid, it is easy to read as only a book written by a person well used to writing can be. Gathering the threads of history from 1912 to 2021, carefully holding together the details of island life--ceremonial, economic and everyday--before they are swept away by the harsh realities of modernity, has been Amy's pleasure and mission [...] Amy herself, with this book, has shown herself an integral part of this preservation. --Rebecca Otowa, author of At Home in Japan

About the Author

Amy Chavez arrived in Japan from America in 1993, fresh out of graduate school. After a few years enjoying the city life, she began a search for the "real Japan" and found it on Shiraishi (population 430), a tiny island in the Seto Inland Sea. For ten years she lectured at a Japanese university before becoming a full-time writer. For over 20 years she has penned a column for The Japan Times covering issues central to island life such as tourism, the environment, aging and depopulation. She and her Australian husband have been renovating their Japanese home on Shiraishi for the past 17 years, the amount of time it takes some species of cicada to reach maturity. Chavez is the author of several books, including Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan: Do it Right and Be Polite. She has a B.A. in creative writing from Miami University, Oxford, and an M.A. in technical writing.