Interview With Suzanne Kamata, Author of Losing Kei (With Giveaway!!)

I've been interested in Asian cultures since college, where I took Asian American and World literature courses. I'm always looking for new books that provide a glimpse into the Asian culture, and Suzanne Kamata's Losing Kei did just that. (You can read my review here.) I found Losing Kei interesting as a mother, knowing nothing about custody laws in other countries, and as a wife. People have many different ideas about marriage based on culture, religion, personal experience, etc., and Losing Kei shows how conflicts can arise when a man and woman come together with different cultural beliefs and expectations.

I was curious when I read that Suzanne Kamata has a lot in common with Jill, the main character in Losing Kei, in that they both are Americans who moved to Japan and married there. She graciously granted my interview request, and here's what she had to say:

How much research did you conduct for Losing Kei? Could you give a brief explanation of Japan's custody laws, which play a significant role in the story?

I researched legal issues, such as those pertaining to divorce and drug possession. There's also some mention of Philippine cuisine, which I researched in the kitchen by trying out adobo recipes. That was the fun part!

In Japan, when a couple divorces, only one parent gets custody of the children. There are no provisions for joint custody or visitation rights. In the case of an international marriage, if custody is contested, Japanese courts tend to award custody to the Japanese parent. Also, abduction by a non-custodial parent is not considered a crime in Japan. Japan is considered to be a haven for parents who kidnap their children.

What prompted you to write Losing Kei?

About twelve years ago, I read an article in a magazine about foreign parents who'd lost custody of their kids to their Japanese exes. One of the parents interviewed was an American woman, a journalist, who'd basically lost contact with her son. Her son's father effectively turned him against her. I thought that was tragic, and also that it would be an interesting issue to explore in fiction. How would it feel to lose one's child in such a way?

I first wrote it as a short story, in which the mother leaves Japan in the end, resigned to being without her child. But after I had children of my own, I realized that the mother in my story would have fought harder to get her son back. She would have gone to desperate measures.

How long did it take you to finish the book?

It took me about three years to write the first draft. My kids were small at the time, so I could only work when they were sleeping, or if I had a babysitter.

I read on your website that you moved from South Carolina to Japan. I've always wanted to visit Japan, and hopefully I will some day. How long have you lived in Japan?

Twenty years.

Did you experience major culture shock?

Of course at first everything was shiny and new and different, but that's what I wanted. I came in search of an exotic experience. Then again, I think in some ways the culture shock here is gradual. There are many things that appear to be the same as the United States on the surface that turn out to be very different underneath.

What are some of the biggest differences culture-wise between Japan and the United States?

The attitude towards family. In America, the idea is that you raise your children to be independent, and once you've done you're work, your children make decisions on their own. Here, for better or worse, families tend to be much more entwined. For example, I've heard of many people having to give up their great loves because their parents didn't approve. Or mothers who haven't had any say in the naming of their own children because it's the grandparents' privilege. I'm constantly reminded by my mother-in-law that everything I do reflects upon my husband's family. For instance, when I pay the telephone bill late, I am bringing shame upon the Kamata household!

Also, couples tend to lead independent lives. I'm never invited to the many work-related dinners and parties that my husband attends. When I first arrived, I was surprised to meet couples who took vacations separately, but now I guess I'm sort of used to it.

I think the fact that you are an American living in Japan makes Losing Kei more authentic. Do you identify at all with Jill in terms of acclimating to Japanese culture, particularly in the roles of wife and mother?

Yes, of course. I wrote this book shortly before we moved in with my mother-in-law. In some ways, Jill's feelings reflect the dread I had about living with my mother-in-law. I was worried that she would try to take over my children, as I'd heard Japanese grandparents were wont to do, and that she'd be badgering me about my housekeeping.

What is the one thing you'd like readers to take away from Losing Kei?

I think the greatest thing that fiction can do is to help up develop empathy and understanding for people unlike ourselves. So if readers come away with a better understanding of Japan and the characters in my book, I would be happy.

Are you working on another novel?

Yes. The working title is The Baseball Widow. It's a family drama about a Japanese high school baseball coach who dreams of reaching the national baseball tournament and his foreign wife who is trying to decide what's best for their disabled child.

If you could own only 5 books, what would they be?

That's a very difficult question, and I'd probably answer differently on another day, but here goes...

The Lover by Marguerite Duras, Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje, Birds of America by Lorrie Moore, and Blow Up and Other Stories by Julio Cortazar.

A fun question: I've never had Japanese food, but I'd love to try it. What would you recommend I order as my first Japanese dish? Any table etiquette I should know about? I've always been fascinated with such details.

I'd start with noodles--udon, or soba (buckwheat) noodles. Udon is usually handmade on the premises and is served in a broth with a variety of toppings. Or they're also good cold in summer and dipped in sauce.

If you're eating a bowl of rice in Japan, you should never leave your chopsticks sticking up in the rice! (That's only done with offerings for the dead.) Don't pour your own drinks, but keep the glasses of your dinnermates filled at all times. And if you're in a restaurant and you make a trip to the bathroom during the meal, don't forget to change out of the toilet slippers!! To my horror, I once wore toilet slippers throughout almost an entire meal.

Thanks so much, Suzanne! I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my many questions! I'll be looking for your next book, and I wish you all the best!!

***Readers: Would you like to read Losing Kei? Suzanne has generously offered to give one of my readers a signed copy of the book!! (Thanks again, Suzanne!!)***

Here's what you have to do:

1. Leave a comment on this post and let me know what you found most interesting about my interview with Suzanne. Please make sure you leave your email address. Any entry without an email won't count, as I need a way to contact you if you win.

2. For an extra entry, comment on my review (posted here), and let me know why you want to read Losing Kei. (If you've already commented on my review, just enter here, and your original comment will count for the extra entry. You must let me know in this post that you want to be entered!)

3. For another entry, post the giveaway on your blog, linking to this post, and let me know in the comments here.

The deadline is Midnight EST on Wednesday, October 15!

Good luck!!