Was there ever an English translation in print? Haven't been able to find anything on Amazon or any other online retailer; worried I'm gonna have to 1) learn Japanese and 2) find someone who can smuggle this shit out to the U.S. Heard rumors that Soho Crimes has translated many of Matsumoto's works and that there should be some copies floating around independent book stores but that hasn't been of much help. Any insight?



This post was edited by Grime on Mar 31 2013 11:31am

I got this

Right.

Bumping so this thread doesn't die I suppose.

Up. Homie studying Japanese at university wasn't even able to help, nor were his Japanese friends `_`

Well, you've gotten me interested. I'm trying to find any information whatsoever about this book and really haven't been able to find anything. All I can tell is that it's a story about two lovers who commit suicide in what is now a very popular suicide spot.

I don't think it would have ever been translated to English. The author was very critical of the US, which may have dissuaded him from allowing translations to be made. Additionally, it seems like more of a cult novel, which would generally not have a wide choice of languages.

It is weird, however, that there are no summaries or anything online. I'm going to keep looking for information.

Also, if there were an English copy of the book, if any were printed, it's unlikely you will find them in bookstores. They'd probably be found in private libraries and would be worth a lot of money.

Good luck.

Glad to see I'm not the only one intrigued about both the novel and the secrecy surrounding its publishing. I appreciate you taking the time to look into it. What surprises me is that there's not even a self-translated copy floating around, say, the internet or something. Maybe it's not that great of a piece or maybe people are more infatuated with the suicide forest itself than the literature that started it all.

Yeah, all I can find are reports about the forest that briefly mention the book. However, the book didn't start the suicide thing, people had been going to that sacred place to kill themselves long before 1960.

"Most of the place’s popularity came from a book publication by Seicho Matsumoto named, “Tower of Waves” in 1960. The forest has had a reputation even before this date, but it got more buzz after that book which tells the story of two lovers committing suicide in Aokigahara. Another book known to be carried by many of those who contemplate suicide is “The Complete Manual of Suicide” by Wataru."

"Although a book called Nami No To (Wave Tower) was written decades ago by Seicho Matsumoto telling the story of an unhappy young woman who takes her life in the forest, the authorities place the majority of the blame for the suicides on a book published in 1993 by Wataru Tsurumi. It is called “The Complete Manual of Suicide,” and tells a person how to take their own life." Tsurumi highly recommends the forest as a great place to commit suicide.

Did you happen to look at any pictures of the bodies? It's pretty gruesome...

http://blackicewarning.***/2012/10/03/aokigaharajukai/ -- Has pictures
http://www.bellaonline.com/ArticlesP/art63454.asp -- Contains the second quote

I'd never heard of Wataru Tsurumi or his "suicide manual," that sounds interesting (maybe a little edgy, but interesting nonetheless). Had no idea the authoritative figures of Japan placed more blame on that than they did Tower of Wave.

Yes I've seen plenty of corpses from Aokigahara, there's a short yet beautifully done documentary on the forest that was uploaded last year, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Up.