If the thought of immersing yourself in a far away place appeals, even while we must stay close to home, step outside the everyday with this virtual display of e-books and e-audiobooks from the library that explore these surreal, tender, and humorous examples of contemporary Japanese fiction.
If further exploration of contemporary Japan appeals to you, the hypnotic and beautiful videos of Japan on the YouTube channel run by the anonymous Rambalac are an unusual and captivating glimpse of everyday life.
In the middle of the lockdown last Spring, I stumbled across a recommendation for Rambalac’s channel, which posts ‘walking videos.’ Rambalac records themselves walking around Tokyo’s districts, neighborhoods, and suburbs–other Japanese cities and locations appear periodically. There are videos recorded during the day and at night, in rain and snow. Rambalac describes the videos as “Not a vlog, no intrusive faces or talking, pure Japan only.”
During the lockdown, I loved being able to get such an (extra)ordinary glimpse of an unfamiliar place even while I was stuck at home–in a more visual, but no less compelling way than in the Japanese fiction in the above display. Try Sakura in snow, recorded last April, or this night walk, to get a feel for the hypnotic calm and the vibrant glimpses of contemporary Japan.