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Jay Rubin

The Sun Gods Kindle Edition

by Jay Rubin (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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Arriving in Seattle on the eve of World War II, Japanese-born Mitsuko falls for Tom, a widowed pastor, and becomes surrogate mother to his fair-haired American toddler, Bill. But the bombing of Pearl Harbor strains the newly formed family as U.S. government mandates and Tom’s growing discomfort with all things Japanese force Mitsuko and young Bill to leave Seattle and Tom behind for the Minidoka Internment Camp, unsure if they will ever return.

Two decades later, memories of Minidoka and long-lost Mitsuko haunt Bill, sparking an arduous journey that leads him from Seattle’s International District to newly reconstructed Japan to find his Japanese mother and learn the truth about their shared past.

Jay Rubin is one of the foremost English-language translators of Japanese literature. He is best known for his numerous translations of works by Haruki Murakami, Japan’s leading contemporary novelist, and the study Haruki Murakami and the Music of Words. Most recently, he has translated the first two books of Murakami’s bestselling novel, 1Q84. In addition, Rubin’s Making Sense of Japanese remains one the widely used guides to Japanese language studies.

Jay Rubin received his PhD in Japanese literature from the University of Chicago and taught at Harvard University and the University of Washington. He lives near Seattle with his wife.

Print length

361 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Chin Music Press Inc.
Publication date

May 18, 2015
File size

2442 KB
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Jay Rubin
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jay Rubin, an American scholar and academic, is one of the foremost translators of Japanese literature. He has translated several works of fiction by popular novelist Haruki Murakami and is compiling an anthology of contemporary Japanese literature for Penguin. Rubin received his Ph.D. in Japanese literature from the University of Chicago and taught at Harvard University and the University of Washington. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00XTAVFJI
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chin Music Press Inc. (May 18, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 18, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2442 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 361 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #1,016,774 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #437 in Historical Japanese Fiction
- #851 in Historical Asian Fiction
- #1,103 in Asian American Literature (Kindle Store)

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25 ratings

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Jay Rubin

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Jay Rubin (b. 1941) is an American academic, translator, and (as of 2015) novelist. He is best known for his translations of the works of the Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami. He has written about Murakami, the novelist Natsume Soseki (1867-1916), the short story writers Kunikida Doppo (1871-1908) and Akutagawa Ryunosuke (1892-1927), prewar Japanese literary censorship, Noh drama, and Japanese grammar. In May 2015 Chin Music Press published his novel THE SUN GODS, set in Seattle against the background of the incarceration of 120,000 U.S. citizens and non-citizens of Japanese ancestry during World War II.

Rubin has a Ph.D. in Japanese literature from the University of Chicago. He taught at the University of Washington for eighteen years, and then moved to Harvard University, from which he retired in 2006. He lives near Seattle, where he continues to write and translate.

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John Rachel

Puts a human face on what happened to Japanese both in America and in Japan during World War II..

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2019

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If we have to pay for the sins of our fathers, then Americans are in big trouble. Sure, every country has skeletons in its closet: episodes, decisions, policies, incidents which are at minimum embarrassing, at worst horrible blemishes on the historical record. But the US of A, from the genocide of native Americans and the importation and widespread use of slaves in the earliest chapters of its founding, has more bones in its closet than many countries combined. Not that its wholesale abuse of brute power, disrespect for life, trashing of basic human rights has much abated over the three millennia which embrace its settling and establishing itself as a nation.

My own education in the true history of my native country has proceeded slowly for four decades now. The reading of People’s History of the United States began the long and painful slog.

In terms of Japan, the country I’ve made my home now for going on a decade, I had heard of the incarceration of Japanese during World War II but frankly had given it scant attention. So many war crimes, so little time. Of course, I was very familiar with the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But like probably 99% of Americans, bought into the rationalization that these horrible slaughters of innocent civilians somehow ended the war sooner rather than later, saving as upward estimates have it 100,000 American troop fatalities.

The myth—calculated prevarication—about Hiroshima and Nagasaki was shattered when I visited the Hiroshima Peace Museum several years ago and saw documents admitting that the main reason those cities were bombed was to determine as a real-world experiment, exactly how effective the bombs would be, i.e. what the scale of physical damage would be, what the human toll would be, how an enemy nation would deal with the shock and awe of such a lethal device. Nine cities were in the running for the test of nuclear annihilation. In the end, Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the nearly 200,000 innocent people residing lost the draw and the result was human slaughter in those two cities on an appalling scale.

It’s hard to grasp and put such catastrophe and carnage into perspective. As Stalin eloquently put it: “One death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic.”

Which is why we should be infinitely grateful when a novel as brilliant as The Sun Gods comes along.

Jay Rubin has eloquently—if horrifyingly—put a human face on what happened to Japanese both in America and here in Japan during that tragic war. If you can handle the truth, I highly recommend this gripping story of how hate, prejudice, racism, xenophobia, and paranoia turn normally good, decent people into monsters, yet the power of love can in the end enable some victims to survive.

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Wild Gravity

Great book

Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2021

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I haven't enjoyed reading Murakami as much since he got a new translator (Philip Gabriel), so I figured I would go check out a book by one of his old ones -- I was not disappointed. This book is great. I borrowed it out to a friend and she loved it, too. Compulsively readable with a great, historically-informative and heartwarming story. Full of pain, sorrow, and hope. Highly recommend. Now if only the other old translator (Alfred Birnbaum) would write his own novel, too ....

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Wendy N. Kato

Beautiful Novel

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2019

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Loved this novel, emotional page turner. I've been reading a lot of Asian content or Asian authors lately. I picked up this book cause I'm a Japanese American born and raised in Seattle who's parents both were sent to Minidoka with their families when they were three and four years old. The historical descriptions of Camp Harmony and interment in Minidoka gave me a better understanding of what my grandparents had experienced. My parents were so young they didn't remember much and my grandparents didn't talk about this time of their life understandably. Enjoyed reading the descriptions of Seattle. Maneki still exists and I've been there for dinner with my family.

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Bernard . Pucker

The tragic handling of the Japanese in America after Pearl Harbor provides a pathetic picture of the flagrant ugly actions of fr

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2015

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Jay Rubin's The Sun Gods. Outstanding novel with fictional and convincing characters who are presented effectively against an authentic historical background. Once into the flow of the story it is almost impossible to put this book down. The tragic handling of the Japanese in America after Pearl Harbor provides a pathetic picture of the flagrant ugly actions of friends and neighbors and religious figures. One bad deed causes another evil act until incredible suffering ensues and until the next generation seeks the truth and brings a little relief and light to the story. Ever so well written and conceived. Omedeto gozaimashita. Bravo.

2 people found this helpful

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Steven H.

The greatest novel I've ever read

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2016

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I don't toss around the term "masterpiece" very often, but this book epitomizes it. I love reading novels, and I like to think I read a fair number of them. I can honestly say this is the best book I've ever read.

I was already a big fan of Jay Rubin from "Making Sense of Japanese." Despite it being a grammar book, it was so well-written that I actually laughed out loud multiple times while reading through. I got really curious to see what else he had written, and I discovered "The Sun Gods" was published just last year.

This novel is a scorching critique of America during World War II, delving heavily into the American concentration camps for Japanese, the unfathomable evil of the atomic bombs, and the racism against all things Japanese as a whole which swept through the country. This is of monumental importance, because America is always looked back on as purely heroic during World War II. Real history is much more complicated. This book doesn't romanticize the Japanese, either. It reminds readers of the Nanking Massacre, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and their own equally ugly racism.

On a purely story based-level, this book is still an absolute triumph. In the midst of its powerful subject matter lies a profoundly touching story about the love between a Caucasian boy and his adoptive Japanese mother. Each and every character is portrayed with remarkable humanism and multi-dimensions, which is a quality very important to me. I was so moved by the ending that I was brought to tears.

Thank you, Jay Rubin, for sharing this with the world. I eagerly look forward to the future novels you'll hopefully bestow upon us.

2 people found this helpful

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John Matson

Child's Search for Lost Mother

Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2016

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Poignant, sentimental story of relationship between youngster and mother figure, loss of that relationship due to circumstances and search to reconnect in adulthood. Plot involves Caucasian boy and Japanese "mother." and tragedy of WWII. Absorbing story.

One person found this helpful

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Nyanta

What "light" means to us...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 22, 2015

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Ever since I read "Silent Honor" by Danielle Steel quite few years ago, I was drawn into the fact of war time Japanese Internee and awaited more of that from American authors, American point of view.
As a Japanese myself, I regret the fact that I didn't get taught this side of war history in our school.
I have read quite few other internee story of Japanese Americans, as well as English POW of Japan in East Asia, this book shows me another aspect of human error. But what really makes this book interesting is that it focuses the "error" is done by so called Christian people and Christianity world. Human makes mistakes in a name of god, and we haven't learnt the lesson after 70 years.
Mitsuko the leading lady who married to Christian Pastor, once dedicate her life to Christianity, yet loses everything during the war in the end and this almost remind me of Madam butterfly.
Beauty of this book is Jay Rubin didn't make her commit suicide like chocho-san, but bringing "sunlight " in through the dark corridor, which will never betray her and the human world.
Yes, Jesus is the light of the world, he never makes mistakes, but we do.
I think all human must realise that fact and at least try to learn something from war time legacy.
I would love to read this book in Japanese translation one day which title is "Daily Light".

6 people found this helpful

Ultraume Amazon Customer

日米の近代史を背景にした心温まる話し。著者の良質な職業意識を感じる

Reviewed in Japan on November 23, 2015

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　この本のことは、読売新聞の書評欄で見つけて、絶対に読もうと思っていた。これから赴任する南スーダンでゆっくりと読もうと思って、原書と和訳の両方を買って原書を先に読んだ。

　著者は、夏目漱石や村上春樹さんの翻訳を手がけている、日本と長い付き合いのあるハーバード大学の教授である。それもあってか、外国人著者にありがちな誤った日本観がなく、しかも日本に対する愛情が感じられる内容になっている。昭和二十年三月の東京大空襲や、長崎の原爆投下直後の記述は率直で恐ろしい描写となっているが、アメリカ人でありながらもよくここまで書いたものだ、の感がある。著述者として真実を描こうとする気持ちが表れていて、良質な職業意識を発揮しての記述と思えた。

　内容は、日本の若い人たちの中には知らない人も多いと思うが、太平洋戦争時にアメリカ政府が日系アメリカ人を強制収容所に隔離した歴史的事実を背景にしている。アメリカ人青年と日本人の継母との親子関係や、それを取り巻く人間関係が、アメリカ人だからどうだ、日本人だからこうだ、という画一的な描き方ではなく、冷酷、偽善、人種差別、これに対する優しさ、忍耐強さ、親を慕う子の気持ちを主題にして、綾なすようにして丁寧に記述されている。最後の場面には感動を覚えた。

　筋書きはここでは書かないが、「巻を措く能わず」の言葉の通り、仕事が終わってこの本に向かうのが毎晩の楽しみだった。日米の近代史に興味を持つ人や、明治時代からアメリカに移住をしていた日本人の生活に興味を持つ人、或いは小説の醍醐味を味わいたい人に勧めたい作品である。

　以下は追記である。
　アメリカ政府は、日本と同じように敵国であったドイツやイタリア系アメリカ人には日系人に対するような極端な隔離政策を取らなかったので、この隔離は戦前からアメリカに敷衍していた東洋人への人種差別であるとも考えられていた。読後に調べたところによると、アメリカ政府は、戦後何年か経ってから1976年にジェラルド・フォード大統領が連邦議会で強制収容所の過ちを認めている。その後、更に12年を経た1988年に、ロナルド・レーガン大統領が「日系アメリカ人補償法」にようやく署名している。この本は1987年に書かれていたが、アメリカでの版元が見つからなかったという話しを聞くと、自由の国アメリカでも、自国に不利な話しには出版を拒むのか、との憶測をしてしまう。

2 people found this helpful

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Maiyouweng

Good for learning English and history

Reviewed in Japan on January 7, 2016

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I think it is good to learn Japanese culture and history for forginers and for Japanese also. If you are a Japanese, you can different aspects of your own history and culture. I was interested in how an American author describes Japanese culture. And I think the author did a good job especialy on the description of Japanese- Americans' life in Seattle and their life in the concentration camp during the War. He wrote very precisely their life in the camp. In the other hand, I felt that it was too much precise description about Japanese culture in Japan. I don't know if it would be nessessary to make this story? It is so far from main story. I felt It was just only introduction of Japan, like guid books. So I become tiered to read in those parts.
However I think that the author a analised very well the sensitive and complexed mind of the people who live in two counties like first gerneration Japanese in US and Niseis.
I have experience to live in US. So I really understood Mistuko's mind and have the same point of view on Christians as hers. It is also very important core material of this book. "Love" as the word in Christian world.
When I started to read this book, I recalled
"Norwegian Woods" by Haruki Muratama. But when I finished to read this book, my first impression has gone away. I found It was different from Norwegian Woods. I advice you should not expect 'a breathtaking novel' as Haruki's one.
In consequence, through of reading this book, you can get many information about Japanese-American citizen's life and mind during the War and the situation of Japanese victim in Nagasaki where suffered by nuclear bomb, although this book is not nonfiction but a fiction. The author investigated very well historical events. So you can continue to read with some reality.
I thought Japanese must write about the catastrophe with reality as this author wrote. But in the fact, there are few books which mentioned about the catastrophe with realities during the War. I have suspected if It is prohibited to describe the fact how much suffered from the nuclear bomb Japanese were or how much sever Japanese-American life in the consentration camp is.
Unfortunately or fortunately we had lacked precice information about those suffering like on the concentration camp and the situation of the victims by nuclear bombs. We should know that.

I recommend this book to intermidiate level English learners, too.
It is easy to read and understand. But it might be too long.