Review: Tokyo

I had been anticipating the third novel from Mo Hayder for sometime now, but the wait has been tempered with a dash of trepidation, as it deals with a dreadfully murderous period in the dark history of man – The Rape of Nanking.

Firstly I must say that from the outset, this book is a beautifully written work, with a split narrative and split time frame. Secondly I must warn you that it does feature a dreadfully visceral climax, and one that builds from the shadows cast by Tokyo’s skyscrapers, and despite the terrible turn of events, the horror is necessary and far, far from gratuitous. Thirdly, this book will rest uncomfortably in your mind for a long time after you put it down, as its ideas about the preciousness of time and the inter-relationship of time and lifespan are profound and in equal measure depressing as well as thought provoking.

The book starts with the memories and diary notes of Shi Chongming, an elderly Chinese scholar who was one of the few survivors of the terrible occupation of Nanking by the Japanese in the winter of 1937. Seeking the truth about a specific torture that was rumored to have been carried out by the occupying Japanese troops comes ‘Grey’ Hutchins – a troubled and deeply disturbed British girl. She calls herself ‘Grey’ likening her appearance to that of the rumored Alien abductors who pepper the X-Files conspiracy believers. Hence the metaphor for Alienation and inhumanity is subtly set-up.

Grey starts her quest to discover a copy of a 8mm film dating from the Nanking massacre. She believes that the elderly Chongming has film evidence of this specific type of torture, so she contacts him at his post in the University to find the evidence. Chongming is annoyed by the strange woman who calls herself ‘Grey’ and sends her on her way. Penniless and desperate in Tokyo she finds herself befriending a young American called Jason. Soon she finds herself lodging with Jason and his two housemates, twins Irana and Sveltana from Vladivostock and becomes introduced to the hostess-bar scene. The dark world of the hostess bar is written with some authority, and we get a glimpse of a landscape as alien to ‘Grey’ as it would be to any westerner. The Club is managed by the weird Strawberry Nakatani – the Mama-san, and Grey soon finds herself noticed by the local gangsters, and is introduced to a dangerous wheelchair-bound Yakuza called Fuyuki. Fuyuki is carefully guarded by not only henchmen, but a sinister nurse. It is rumored that Fuyuki has a special elixir, a drug that has supernatural qualities and is guarded by his nurse.

When Chongming discovers that Grey has become involved with the local Yakuza, he decides to lay down a bargain with Grey. If she can track down the mysterious elixir from Fuyuki and his nurse, he will show Grey his ancient celluloid; the one from Nanking showing the rumored torture. Grey agrees despite the dangers infiltrating the Tokyo gangworld, and all the while Jason looks at her with a lustful eye, and the Russian twins warn Grey about the dangers that lurk ahead. Or is that just Siberian jealously?

This narrative story is intertwined by the pages from Shi Chongming’s journal detailing the horrific time he and his wife endured during the Japanese occupation in 1937. This is terrifying stuff, as the atmosphere of menace builds and builds giving the reader a growing sense of unease and ultimately terror. Reading these sections felt like the sensation of driving through a series of car crashes, because as horrific is the imagery, it is hard to pull your eyes away from the carnage that is the landscape.

While back in contemporary Japan, Grey soon finds out what links the elixir that Fuyuki takes and the mysterious power it releases. We also learn why Grey is looking for photographic proof of a specific torture and the darkness in her own past. But more crucially we learn why Shi Chongming has kept the hideous and profane footage for these decades, and what the grainy images have trapped.

This is a very challenging book, and though a crime-mystery at its core, it also is far, far more. It is a tale about belief, about the sanctity of life and how belief can allow the unstable to cross boundaries that the sane would not. It is about how easy it is to create a hell on earth, and it is about exactly how dangerous people become, when they have blind faith.

Tokyo is a deeply, deeply disturbing look under the rocks of society and into the darkness beneath. Researched meticulously with the methods of a scholar, ideas and insight carved into the text by scalpel, and written with a literary flourish that makes the words hang above your very eyes. The climax explains everything, even though the horror is beyond belief, because belief is the key. It makes the image of the sun on the Japanese flag take on a completely different meaning, because as Grey finds out; when you get the opportunity to turn your face toward the sun, you should, because in life there is often more darkness than light. A challenging and complex book – not one for lovers of cocoa and biscuits.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Ali Karim - RAM

Book Review: Tokyo