Mimikaki by Yaro Abe

 

Mimikaki by Yaro Abe

Structured in the same way as Midnight Diner by the same author, Mimikaki is a series of short stories on a single theme, but with neither the recurring characters nor the unity of place of Midnight Diner. Mimikaki is the action of getting one's ears cleaned, apparently an art in Japan, undertaken in a quasi ritualistic way by very specialised craftspeople. It seems to procure to some a genuine pleasure akin to orgasm, which makes this a theme both strange (to me as a westerner) and troubling. Interesting book, but not as captivating as Midnight Diner.