Book Nook: Sea of Japan - a Novel

The Sea of Japan: A Novel is written by Keita Nagano

When thirty-year-old Lindsey, an English teacher in Japan who’s been assigned to a tiny fishing town, is saved from drowning by a local young fisherman, she’s drawn into a battle with a neighboring town that has high stakes for everyone—especially her.

As their efforts to save their town backfire, Hime gets closer to falling apart—putting Lindsey’s friends, her budding relationship with Ichiro, and her career in jeopardy. To save Hime, Lindsey realizes she’ll have to become a true American fisherwoman and fight for her new home with everything she has.


You can learn more in this interview.


As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I recall my first dream profession was astronaut. I was born in the Apollo age, before the space shuttle. I wanted to become a professional writer when I became 13 years old when my first handwritten novel was awarded in the school contest.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Or what first inspired you to write?
Like I mentioned, I got an award for my first novel at my junior high school. This was about a unique friendship between an underachieving teenager and a toddler with misfortune. In the following year, I received another award for the baseball drama. Having received awards for two years consecutively, my dream blew up and wanted to write more and professionally someday. I have continued writing since then.

What inspired your story?
I read a photo book about Japanese scenery. I saw the picture of firefly squids dive in Toyama bay. It is absolutely the most beautiful scene I have ever seen in my life. Mass of Firefly squids grow blue and dive to die, after they gave birth to new life. One can say that The Sea of Japan’s underlining story is life and death. If so, the beautiful mysterious billions of blue lights in the dark sea, on their final moment of the lives, is what inspired me most.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
Every time I write book, I get surprised at how great novel is as a form of entertainment. Sure enough, we all love movies, it takes only two hours or so. But this entertainment, a book, either 5 hours or 10 hours, the enjoyment of the story gets amplified by the readers’ own sense of achievement. In any form of arts or entertainment, only books can convey this sense of joy. The readers truly put themselves in the shoes of the protagonists. It’s awesome!

What’s the best writing advice you have ever received?
If you start it, you finish it. The first draft seems the worst story you have ever read, but I can guarantee that the second one is better. By the seventh draft, you will feel good, and by the tenth, you feel your work is precious.