Abstract

" Mr. Nitani, won't you play a trick on Mr. Ashikawa with me?"
A novel of work + food + romance that will make your heart flutter.

The story is about a man, Nitani, who is doing well at her workplace; a Woman, Ashikawa, a good cook and someone everyone wants to protect; and Oshio, who is good at her job and a hardworking person.
This masterpiece depicts the delicate relationships between people through "eating.

Highlights
A feminist novel set in a generic Japanese company. The narrators are a male mid-level employee and a female junior employee. The story centers around a female employee who has ties to both of them. A particular aspect of the novel is how the character’s personality is described through the
act of “eating”. However, as the work environment steadily worsens through the story, alienation brought about by old-fashioned feudalist values as well as capitalism sees them suffering deeply.

Author’s Information

Born in 1988. An up-and-coming author deeply influenced by Sayaka Murata (1979-). Recognized in Japan as a “PostMurata” author with youth and talent. Many points to the way that many of her works reflect on the oppression faced (primarily by) women in modern society as a similarity
to Murata. However, while Murata is known for writing wildly fantastical developments, Takase prefers to write in a more realistic tone, painting a vivid picture of the grotesque aspects of Japanese society.