Soramori has always helda torch for her old highschool rival, Takebe. Now, thanks to one mean shoulder throw, the two former (?) delinquents have started going out. But Soramori has a couple problems...For one thing, what’s a“proper” date supposed to look like anyway? And what if she’s not the only one with a thing for Takebe? Love’s a battle in more ways than one!

An otherworldly coming-of-age tale of a woman who believes she is an alien, from the author of the international sensation Convenience Store Woman.Sayaka Murata's Convenience Store Woman was one of the most unusual and refreshing bestsellers of recent years, depicting the life of a thirty-six-year-old clerk in a Tokyo convenience store. Now, in Earthlings, Sayaka Murata pushes at the boundaries of our ideas of social conformity in this bri...

Takebe and Soramori, her old high school rival turned girlfriend (by force), are finally getting used to each other’s company. But while Takebe’s eager to leave her delinquent past behind, Soramori has other ideas… and their relationship suddenly faces its greatest challenge yet. With the help of their friends Maria and Miharu, their confrontation reaches a boiling point, as Takebe seeks to convey her feelings in the only way she knows how—with her fists!

Shortlisted for the Best Translated Book AwardLonglisted for the Believer Book AwardLonglisted for the Warwick Prize for Women in TranslationA Los Angeles Times BestsellerThe English-language debut of an exciting young voice in international fiction, selling 660,000 copies in Japan alone, Convenience Store Woman is a bewitching portrayal of contemporary Japan through the eyes of a single woman who fits into th...

This work covers the history of optical communications, fibres and fiber cables, and compares optical fibres with other transmission media. It also discusses optical fibre materials, reliability and manufacture, illustrates the design, construction and properties of recent cables used for optical fibre, describes fibre splicing and presents automated fibre splicing machines, and more.

Nothing about Saitama passes the eyeball test when it comes to superheroes, from his lifeless expression to his bald head to his unimpressive physique. However, this average-looking guy has a not-so-average problem—he just can’t seem to find an opponent strong enough to take on!

Nothing about Saitama passes the eyeball test when it comes to superheroes, from his lifeless expression to his bald head to his unimpressive physique. However, this average-looking guy has a not-so-average problem—he just can’t seem to find an opponent strong enough to take on!

Monster Association big shots are taking out S-class heroes one after another… That is, until the strongest man alive, King, rises to confront this crisis. Though the monsters are seething with malice, King appears cool and composed. But can his cool act defuse the dire situation?!

The long-awaited first short story-collection by the author of the cult sensation Convenience Store Woman, tales of weird love, heartfelt friendships, and the unsettling nature of human existenceWith Life Ceremony, the incomparable Sayaka Murata is back with her first collection of short stories ever to be translated into English. In Japan, Murata is particularly admired for her short stories, which are sometimes sweet, sometimes shocking, and alw...

From the author of the bestselling literary sensations Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings comes a surprising and highly imaginative story set in a version of Japan where sex between married couples has vanished and all children are born by artificial inseminationSayaka Murata has proven herself to be one of the most exciting chroniclers of the strangeness of society, x-raying our contemporary world to bizarre and troubling effect. Her depictio...

Back in the day, Takebe was a tough-as-nails delinquent who could throw hands with anyone. But right when she finally decides to leave her old ways behind, Takebe has a surprise reunion with her old rival, the “Bloody Cardigan” Soramori. After all these years, she still wants a piece of Takebe-but not in the way anyone expected! Her proposal: If Soramori can beat Takebe in a fight, they have to start dating?!

An unforgettable novel of fearless women banding together to pursue the lives they want, inspired by the real-life historic Japanese courtesan strikeIn 1903, a fifteen-year-old girl named Aoi Ichi is sold to the most exclusive brothel in Kumamoto, Japan. Despite her modest beginnings in a southern fishing village, she becomes the protégée of an oiran, the highest-ranking courtesan at the brothel. Through the teachings of her oiran, Shinonome, Ichi begins to underst...