In If Cats Disappeared from The World, Kawamura tells the story of a postman in his thirties who discovers that his days are numbered because of a brain tumour which will cause his imminent death. Upon returning home from his doctor’s appointment, our narrator finds the devil sitting on his couch in the form of his doppelgänger dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts. This strange character will propose to him a simple trade-off: for each item that the young postman would be willing to make disappear from the world, he will gain one extra day of life.

Read our review of If Cats Disappeared from The World.

Genki Kawamura is a Japanese writer, author and producer. He has written several novels, essays and produced internationally acclaimed films such as Your Name (Kimi No Na Wa, Shinkai Makoto, 2016) or The Boy and the Beast (Bakemono No Ko, Hosoda Mamoru, 2015). His debut novel If Cats Disappeared From The World published in 2012 has sold more than a million copies in Japan and has been translated in several languages.

Read our interview with Genki Kawamura.

If you have any questions, please call the Japan Society office on 020 3075 1996 or email events@japansociety.org.uk.

Booking Info

You should receive an automated email from the Japan Society to let you know that your booking request has been registered. Please note that your booking is pending while we check your details and you will receive a further email once your booking is confirmed.

For online events, we will send you the zoom links and details to attend the event closer to the date.

If you don't receive any confirmation emails or links, please check your spam folder or email events@japansociety.org.uk.