Mr. Kato Plays Family: A Novel, Milena Michiko Flašar, Author; Caroline Froh, Translator; Brian Nishii, Narrator
Mr. Kato has retired. He is a surly, and somewhat dissatisfied man who has defined himself by his employment. He works; his wife takes care of the home. With the time now to contemplate about his life, he believes it has not turned out as he had hoped. He always remained a mid-level employee, he never actually planned the trip he thought he would take after he retired, he was never able to fully put voice to his true feelings. Then again, he so often second guessed his hopes and plans, they could never come to fruition anyway. His motto could very well be “but what if”, since he was always thinking of alternate outcomes to whatever he planned to do. Hoping to be better loved and appreciated, although he was well taken care of by his wife, he pretends to have a heart condition, though the doctor has given him a clean bill of health. Hasn’t he wasted the doctor’s time, if he is okay? Isn’t it better to have some diagnosis as the outcome of his visit? Has he unintentionally foreshadowed his future?
He is at loose ends. His wife no longer shares a bedroom, complaining of his snoring. They now sleep in separate rooms, and although he longs to share a bed again, he cannot put voice to the words. He is only in the early years of his sixties. She is only at the end of her fifties, but they both seem a bit older. His self-worth has diminished so much, because he feels he is without a purpose. He misses his job, but he never fulfilled his potential there, either. He is without friends, since he made excuses that prevented building relationships. He had no dreams that he could follow.
One day, bereft, he takes a walk and winds up in a cemetery; believing he is unobserved in such a place, he dances with abandon, yes dances! He discovers that he has been observed by a woman, who calls herself Mie. She entices him to take on roles acting the part of a missing relatives, friends, whatever, for other lonely people. She praises him and professes to like him. He is flattered, but unsure, so he promises to think about her offer, mulling over the pros and cons, as usual.
He returns home and finds out that his wife has enrolled in dance classes. She too is trying to find a purpose in life, other than taking care of her husband. She is trying to rediscover her former, younger self, too. Without telling her, he takes on the job the woman offered him and secretly goes out and acts the part of whatever character she assigns him, a grandfather, a brother, or even a deceased relative, which is a part that Mie has had to play and which altered her own perspective on life. Does anyone actually show their true selves to anyone? Is everyone always playing some kind of a role, in life? Is it better to keep things secret or always to share the truth with those we love? The book will make you wonder about that for a long time. Have we our own secrets from those we love? Are we better off for having them or do we suffer for not being honest? Does the relationship between Mie and Mr. Kato help them both discover their true feelings and identities? Who is Mie, really? Does one of them benefit more than the other from their relationship? Do we all blame someone else for our own shortcomings? Is it better to own up to them or make excuses that are believable, if not true? As they play out fantasies, do they lose touch with reality?
Mr. Kato does not see himself or the world around him very honestly. He begins to question his every move and every thought. Did he truly want a dog since he was a child, or was a dog really too much trouble? Did he want to travel when he retired, or was it just a story that he made up to impress his fellow workers? He makes excuses, tells fibs and keeps secrets from those he loves. He is afraid of showing his true emotions, afraid of being mocked, afraid of not measuring up. Every reader will find a moment in this book with which to identify, with which they will feel a kinship or a personal relationship with Mr. Kato or Mie, or perhaps even Ito, who loses everything of value to him in a fire, and it turns out that it is not the material things that he and his wife miss most, but the personal photos that are the possessions that cannot be replaced. The author has touched on the doubts we ordinary humans have to consider and reconcile with our real lives.
A pessimist by nature, Mr. Kato sometimes presents himself as an optimist, but always questions his thoughts. He never presents the man he really is inside. He is quick to judge others, and find reason to mock them, without reason. As the novel plays out, Mr. Kato changes in subtle ways. He begins to see his own shortcomings and recognizes the positive aspects of others. Although he finds it hard to correct his own behavior, he begins to understand his feelings. He has been selfish; he has not considered the needs of his wife. He finds that some of his made-up stories have actual truth buried within them and come back to haunt him. He loves his family and his wife but is unable to show them his concern or affection. He does not like to ask for help or offer it. Slowly, he discovers that he has to alter his own approach to life to satisfy others and the aging process. Slowly he comes to understand that life has changed and so must he. Slowly he begins to appreciate what he has, and he does not obsess and yearn for what he does not have the power to attain or keep.
In the end, life forces him to make certain decisions. Man plans G-d laughs. Still, he finds more contentment in his life and his dreams as he learns more and more about himself and comes into his own, realizing that he has envied others who have had less and never fully appreciated what he had, though he was proud of his achievements. Mostly, though, he was proud of his material success, and he had neglected his personal and emotional growth and also the needs of others. He had allowed his life to stagnate. Did Mr. Kato finally begin to grow up and deal with reality? In his real life and his pretend life working with Mie, did he find a way to go forward? It seems that even in his real life there was a hidden pretend life with secrets and unsaid words. Are we all playacting to some degree?