Restless Wave; an Autobiography

By Ayako Tanaka Ishigaki

Book Overview

With this critically acclaimed 1940 memoir, pioneering Japanese writer and activist Ayako Ishigaki made history. Restless Wave is the first book written in English by a Japanese woman, introducing... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1171845499
• ISBN13: 9781171845492
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: Nabu Press
• Length: 266 Pages
• Weight: 0.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Remarkable memoir, remarkable woman

Ayako Ishigaki's wonderful fictionalized memoir is revealing for it's sometimes subtle, sometimes angry, and sometimes tender treatment of the both the culture she was born into and the culture she experienced in the U.S. It's also a remarkable historical document that presents views of Japanese women that may startle the reader. The writing is fluid and engaging. You can read it easily in a day or two.

Wonderful Unknown Gem

I picked this book up on a recommendation from a friend interested in anything Japanese and I'm quite happy I did. If you're sick and tired of reading about geisha, or if you like geisha but are interested in expanding your horizons and reading about the lives and struggles of other Japanese women who haven't been given a story, you owe it to yourself to read this book. Ayako Ishigaki gives voice in her memoir to post war Japanese women, fighting against the stereotypes and mixed messages sent to them via eastern vs western ideals. What's most intriguing about this is that I can still see this struggle played out today in the way female characters are portrayed in certain manga and anime; it gives a lot of context to modern day stories, and shows just how far Japanese women still have to go to be portrayed as humans and not mere objects of desire/ fetish. Lest you think this story sounds too high brow, never fear: its easy to understand and read on the subway or after a hard day of work. The writing is simple, clean, and flows well. If nothing else, the tidbits of Japanese culture and traditions (post and pre war) and the personal ancedotes of the author interjected in the story will stay with you long after the last page. Enjoy *(^_^)*