Tokyo Tempos by Michael Pronko

An outpouring of well-penned admiration for the enigmatic architecture, music, philosophy, and denizens of Japan’s capital, Tokyo Tempos by Michael Pronko is an artful love letter to an inimitable city. His obvious reverence for Japan is clear, and he writes with a blend of humility and pride that only comes from deeply loving your chosen home.

Largely composed of articles and essays the author published while working as a writer and teacher in Tokyo, this collection of vignettes and brief stories is driven by the author’s perpetual curiosity and hunger for new experiences. Pronko, an American who has lived in Japan for over twenty years, delivers reflections that are both philosophical and sociological, veering from the serious to the superficial and back again, from casual drinking with students and Tokyo’s air conditioning addiction to systemic sexism, extreme professional pressures, and the taboo of poor mental health.

Both objective and personal, these pieces muse over oft-overlooked details and nuances of urban life that will be recognizable to anyone, but through a distinct cultural lens, such as the cultural significance of post offices and train journeys, or the power of seasonal traditions. No matter the topic, Pronko approaches his subjects with respect and a playful sense of awe that is both endearing and convincing. After two decades in the city, he has the intimate knowledge of an outsider, offering both a travelogue and analysis of his adopted city, while still acknowledging the incomplete nature of his or any attempt to truly summarize this kaleidoscopic metropolis.

Taking a poetic, personal, and aesthetic brush to a dynamic landscape, this collection is an impressive and rousing homage from a gifted storyteller.