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Supermarket (1984)

by Satoshi Azuchi(Favorite Author)

3.44 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0312382944 (ISBN13: 9780312382940)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Thomas Dunne Books

review 1: I've ordered the translation -- I just finished reading it in Japanese, where it was initially serialized and then came out in two volumes, which might explain some of the disjointedness that a reviewer below noted. I've read two other Azuchi novels (one of which is available in English translation as Shoshaman) as well as several other "business novels." This is part of that genre, which tends to be heavy on business and light on characterization, though the character building is in the context of widely shared stereotypes of business life and how the competition inside big firms molds people, so may be a bit deeper than it seems to someone unaware of that context.Azuchi (the pen name of Arai Shinya) is clearly smitten with the supermarket format which he helped develop a... morend about which he continues to write business-oriented nonfiction. As a novel, parts of it go on at excessive length for many readers on the technical side of chain store retailing and groceries. (Shoshaman dwells less on such.) It does however give a sense of the entrepreneurial days of the 1960s, when chains expanded rapidly, with two eventually adopting the "hypermarket" format successfully (Ito Yokado, Aeon/Jusco) while the largest chain (Daiei) crashed and another (Seiyu) remains on life support as a wholly owned subsidiary of Walmart. Lots of consolidation the past decade among the stores that remained more narrowly food supermarkets as well, and among the wholesalers that supply them produce (veggies) and other fresh goods. So this novel is rooted in business history, quite accurate in pointing out the key strategic and operational issues.It's hard for me to put myself into the shoes of a reader unfamiliar with Japan. This book does not pretend to be high literature, but it does give a depiction true to the times. After all, in the late 1960s older Japanese remembered the penury of the war and the slow reconstruction of the era of the US Occupation (1945-52). A 6-day work-week was normal, as was overtime -- add in a commute and there was very little time for home life or outside interests. It's different now (schools moved to a 5-day-week in the 1990s, and most employers have as well). But that's for another book ... one I'm trying to write.Note that the 1996 Itami Juzo movie, Supa no Onna, is based on the book; it's available with English subtitles. My university library bought it recently, the card catalog suggests it came out in 2005 on DVD, however it is not available in netflix.
review 2: This is a Japanese novel about a banker who takes a new position in his cousin's supermarket chain. The viewpoint is strictly Japanese and sometimes seemed strange (such as the obsession with work, loyalty, the cultural differences) and there isn't much of a personal side to the characters. However, if you can get involved in the business workings, then the novel becomes very interesting. How the employees relate to one another, who is hiding what from whom, whether the company can survive one tragedy after another - all of these move the story line along. I didn't always understand the culture involved, but I found the book to be interesting and engaging. The writing style is good and easy to follow, which helps with the unfamiliar aspects. I found this one through a Goodreads newsletter and I'm glad I decided to check it out. less

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