Tabloid Tokyo: 101 Tales of Sex, Crime and the Bizarre from Japan's Wild Weeklies

Anyone worried about American society's decay need only let this book fall open to the story about a supposed trend among Japanese mothers who have sex with their sons "to keep [the boys'] minds from wandering" while cramming for entrance exams (it isn't clear whether for college or high school). The editors of this zippy collection trolled the pages of some 15 Japanese tabloids (called, not always accurately, "weeklies"), pulling out the weirdest stories and organizing them by subjects such as sex, crime and food. Given the reserve of the mainstream media in a fad-crazed nation like Japan, the book has a wealth of material to choose from, whether it's the tale of the housewife from Fukusaki who died in a bread-eating contest, or the practices of "chikan"—men who grope women in public places. There's a refreshing lack of pandering, with much of the material presented in a straightfaced fashion that heightens its absurdity (though it's anybody's guess why the childish illustrations mostly depict non-Asians). As the book comprises not the actual stories but somewhat pallid retellings, there's a strangely distant and unreal feel to these quick bites of pop culture oddness. (Nov.)