WHY JOIN JFT BOOK CLUB?

You can read a book by yourself, but when you read something thought-provoking or moving, it’s natural to want to discuss it with someone else. This will be an exciting opportunity to connect with other book lovers from different cultural backgrounds, find new and interesting books, authors, or themes, and develop a richer understanding of Japan that you wouldn’t gain from reading alone!

HOW DOES THE UPCOMING JFT BOOK CLUB WORK?

1. Once you register for the event, you will receive guiding questions to help you think more deeply about the manga.

2. On the day of the event, we will meet via Zoom and in person at Japan Foundation Toronto Library (2 Bloor St E #300, Toronto, ON M4W 1A8 Canada). *How to find us: https://tr.jpf.go.jp/about-us/how-to-find-us/

3. We will start with a quick introduction & ice-breaking activity (*Light refreshments will be served for in-person participants)

4. Depending on the number of the participants, we will break into a few small groups to discuss questions so that everyone has a chance to share their thoughts.

5. After each breakout session, each group will share what they have discussed with other groups.

*There is no right or wrong answer. Different perspectives make discussion more fun and vibrant!

WHERE YOU CAN FIND THE BOOK?

Seesaw Monster (physical copies and ebooks) and the original Japanese version『シーソーモンスター』(physical copy) are available at JFT Library! The checkout of the physical copies are limited to JFT Book Club participants for a 1-week loan period (non-renewable). 

To get a new library card or to renew your existing card, please follow the instructions found here.

  Borrow Ebook      Email Library to place hold (physical copy) 

  For more information about the book or where else you can get the physical copies, click here.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Seesaw Monster

(The original Japanese version:『シーソーモンスター』)

Written by ISAKA Kotaro

Translated by Sam Malissa

Published by Chuokoron-Shinsha, 2019 / The Overlook Press, 2025

From the international bestselling author of Bullet Train, two inventive espionage tales in one

Miyako suspects her mother-in-law is a murderer. It’s not just a case of them rubbing each other the wrong way—there is definitely something suspicious going on. But Miyako isn’t exactly what she seems either. Her husband has no idea about her past life as a secret agent. When she decides to use her professional skills to investigate her mother-in-law, the delicate equilibrium of their lives is thrown wildly out of balance. Many decades after the events of Seesaw Monster, in a future world dominated by surveillance, facial-recognition software, and AI, the most sensitive information lives only on paper, and confidential messages must be delivered by trusted couriers like Mito. But one delivery pulls Mito into a conspiracy beyond his wildest imagination and forces him into a race against time to defeat a world-changing technological threat. Mixing mythology, family drama, corruption, and espionage, these gripping novellas from the international bestselling author of Bullet Train explore the idea of progress, the power of close relationships, and the nature of conflict with deadly stakes.

— from Publisher’s website

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

(c) Munemasa Takahashi

Kotaro Isaka is the internationally acclaimed Japanese author of Bullet Train (Japanese title Maria Beetle, 2010). One of the most consistently bestselling authors of contemporary Japanese fiction, Isaka is known for works that straddle the literary and entertainment genres. His novels include Audubon’s Prayer (2000, Shincho Mystery Club Award), Lush Life (2002), Three Assassins (Japanese title Grasshopper, 2004), The Precision of the Agent of Death (2005, Mystery Writers of Japan Award), Shumatsu no Fool (2006), Golden Slumber (2007, Yamamoto Shugoro Award and Japan Booksellers’ Award), The Mantis (Japanese title AX, 2017), and Gyaku Socrates (2020, Shibata Renzaburo Award). His latest novel is 777 (2023). Isaka’s books have been translated into over 20 languages worldwide. Bullet Train was the basis of the eponymous movie from Sony Pictures (2022), directed by David Leitch and starring Brad Pitt.

*Click here to download the PDF file of author details, his books available at JFT Library and TIFA related event info.