SCATTERED ALL OVER THE EARTH

It could be the end of the world as we know it, but Tawada’s vision of the future is intriguing.

Hiruko, a refugee from a Japan that no longer exists—Tawada hints at sinister environmental reasons—spends her days in Denmark teaching young immigrant children to speak Panska (from Pan-Scandinavian), a seemingly simplistic language she's invented. When she appears on television, Hiruko draws the attention of linguist Knut, and the two embark on an increasingly madcap quest through northern Europe in search of another speaker of Hiruko’s native language. A varied cast of characters—each in search of something—joins the quest along the way, and, as the band of seekers grows, Tawada expands upon the themes of language, immigration, globalization, and authenticity which underpin this slyly humorous first installment of a planned trilogy. As the pilgrims travel around in the shadows of the Roman Empire and its legacy of domination and assimilation, questions of contemporary mutations of culture arise: If pizza is served at an Indian restaurant in Germany, is it Indian food? Similar observations about the effects of global warming on Greenland—where the fish have disappeared but vegetables can now be grown—highlight the evolution of culture and existence. As dire as the quasi-dystopian future could be, with reminders of menacing climate change and Japan’s nuclear history, Tawada’s intrepid travelers seek community and consensus, and, when confronted with the loss of something “original,” they seek out the best copy. Tawada, who won the National Book Award for Translated Literature for The Emissary (2018), also translated by Mitsutani, lives in Berlin and writes in both German and Japanese.

Who decides what’s authentic? Tawada will tell you that’s in flux and always has been.