柚木麻子

木嶋佳苗事件から8年。獄中から溶け出す女の欲望が、すべてを搦め捕っていく――読み進むほどに濃厚な味が広がる、圧倒的長編小説。

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Asako Yuzuki

A highly fresh and original novel following a journalist in contemporary Japan as she investigates a serial killer convicted of luring wealthy men in with her cooking classes only to seduce, murder, and rob them, and a gripping exploration of misogyny, obsession, and the pleasures and pressures of food Journalist Rika Machida is facing an unusual assignment: she is tapped to investigate serial killer Manako Kajii, notorious for drawing rich men in with her pricey cooking classes, only to murder them and move on to the next. Kajii refuses to cooperate with the press until Rika writes her a letter asking for her beef stew recipe, a correspondence and ongoing series of conversations between the two women that sees Rika transforming as she becomes closer to Kajii, taking on some of her confidence and strength but also some of her deadly intention. Game on. Set in 2011, when dairy product shortages across Japan made butter a hot commodity, Butter depicts a vivid, panoramic view of contemporary Japan as seen through a diverse cast of Japanese women. An endlessly entertaining and sharply insightful look at the relationships between women and how they engage and challenge one another, revealing the many contradictions and complexities in the process, Asako Yuzuki's novel is filled with intoxicating descriptions of food and the body that also looks deeply at its connection to the sinister, criminal, and taboo, its enduring power and delight.

A Novel of Food and Murder

Butter

Lindy

Blood and butter both hardened in no time - which was why she would be okay.

Don't you think that's a disease of the contemporary age? It feels like these days our value is determined by how much effort we make from day to day. That matters even more than our results. After a while, the concept of effort starts to become mixed up with things feeling difficult, and then you reach the point where the person seen as the most admirable is the one suffering the most. I think that's the reason people are so vicious towards Manako Kajii. She refuses to live that life, refuses to suffer. 

At the end of the day, men were not looking for a real-life woman, but a professional entertainer.

In principle, all women should give themselves permission to demand good treatment, but the world made doing so profoundly difficult.

wondering if there even is a natural order, or is every systematic thing a figment of the human mind

Kira L

Everyone is suffering because they’re trying to rail against the natural order of things.

clara

As it grazed her cheeks, she smelled the scent of spring. It came as a shock to her that the warmer season was finally arriving, kicking away the cold, dry wind. And there she’d been, until a few minutes ago, thinking that nothing would change, that she couldn’t change a thing. Even without her lifting a finger, the world would keep on changing. The fact stunned her. Even without her trying, the people around her would form connections, intertwine in complex ways, and keep on growing, like the roots, leaves and stems of a plant. She felt as though she could see their rich green spreading out behind her eyelids.

aywen

‘What we do know about one another is our favourite and least favourite foods, whether or not we can make a sauce with a nappe consistency, if we’ve been on a cheese holiday to France, which department store’s food section we like the best, which meal scenes from films we take inspiration from when laying the table – that kind of stuff. That’s the crucial info, as far as we’re concerned.’

Was it not in those details that a person’s soul resided? It seemed to Rika that she’d lived her life underestimating the importance of such things.

'If you find someone you truly like then that person is enormously lucky, and if you told them how you felt they’d be pleased, regardless of whether it develops into a romantic relationship. The kind of person you’d fall for wouldn’t treat you cruelly or use you. I can guarantee that.’

‘I think it’s because you don’t mind if your acquaintances get to know one another when you’re not there. You’re not bothered by the idea of them forming new connections or talking about you, right? That’s a rare quality. People are usually desperate to hold on to what they’ve got, desperate not to lose anything.’

If you were accepted by just one person, then you didn't need to be someone whose beauty was acknowledged by everyone.

The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story.

There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine.

Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back.

Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought?

Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, “The Konkatsu Killer”, Asako Yuzuki’s BUTTER is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.

OH OH OH🫵🏻😯🫵🏻😯🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

Stas

A desire that I didn't usually confront suddenly flashed before my eyes as if lit up in fuorescent lights: If only Rika were a man.

The heady aroma that rose up through her nose, the crispiness of the skin as it broke open beneath her teeth, the silkiness of the gooey insides that spread themselves fat across every bit of flesh in her mouth and refused to let go…

Food and fashion the things that women were supposed to have a particular fondness for - had always left Rika indifferent. At her height, though, it was easy for her to look stocky, and she took care that her weight never exceeded 50 kilos. 

Gemma McCarthy

“humans just need rice, don’t they”

Rika found herself rapt by Kaji's speech. In a diferent way fom Reiko, Kajii opened up a new world to her, expanding her perspective.

Her recent experience  at Reiko's had reminded Rika of just how much comfort te thoughtfulness and home-made food of another person could bring to a tired body and dried-up heart.

she hadn't passed a single bookshop that looked as if it had been there forever, or in fact any shop that appeared to be owned by an individual and not a corporation. There was not the slightest whiff of culture or history 

Jemima Scott

‘When the world is this unfair and unfriendly, people want to do the things that give them satisfaction, that fortify and protect them. It doesn't necessarily require money - just time and innovation.’

‘I don't think I'm a lazy person, necessarily, but I'm not confident that I can maintain the effort needed to keep you and the rest of the world happy twenty-four-seven. I'm not young any more, and I don't want to give myself up to other people for their consumption. I want to decide how I work and interact with other people based on what I think really matters.’

‘Nobody has to be fully satisfied by just one thing, and nor do they have to aim to be like everyone else. It's plenty if people can enjoy things a good amount, and be satisfied with their life overall.’

Liking this so far! Makes me want to try rice with butter and soy sauce so bad! (I’m mostly on plant-based diet so I don’t usually have butter on its own, but we’ll see!) 

Ash Hoe

A journalist goes to lengths to acquire an exclusive interview with a serial killer. Using food, Butter explores societal expectations of gendered roles. 

apart from the delicious food mentioned and the constant urge to eat a slab of butter, what really struck me was the desire to live. even when torn down by someone or something, Rika still had the will to move on and live, the will to be herself and to do things as she want. “If God exists. He wouldn’t take joy or satisfaction in the sight of suffering. Which means, you don’t have to get through everything alone. You don’t have to always be growing as a person either. The far more important thing is just to get through the day.”

I really liked this book, in the sense that it threw me for a loop and brought me into an obsessive spiral basted with butter. The story follows a journalist named Rika who herself becomes obsessed with the case of convicted killer Manako Kajii in her efforts to dig deeper to understand how her mind works… and potentially prove her innocence. As she successfully establishes contact with the convicted murderer thanks to advice from her best friend and recently-established housewife Reiko, Rika begins to take on challenges assigned by Kajii to emulate Kajii’s experiences with men and food, namely butter. In this journey, Rika confronts avoided familial trauma while exploring Kajii’s own, ruminates on the power imbalance between men and women in society, and recovers a long-severed relationship with food and the community that food can nurture. 

Because of its outspoken feminist commentary, I was reminded a lot of Korean author Cho Namjoo’s Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, a much shorter and straightforward tale of the hardships of the everywoman, written in a tone stripped of emotion and left empty. Butter takes the same messages delivered by Cho and sends them along a much darker path with Manako Kajii’s confident feminine charm, Rika’s malleable identity, and Reiko’s silent unpredictability. Both Cho and Yuzuki’s stories tell essentially the same tale - of women’s hope being in each other - just each in their own gripping and powerful ways. 

Hell yeah I’d recommend this book. The read was fun and stomach-churning and emotional all the same. This was a great book about food that doesn’t necessarily overpower or draw the attention away from the plot, which is something that tends to be a pet peeve of mine in other books. I actually get to appreciate food a bit more while reading this book as I reflect on and appreciate my own body and womanhood. And I think a lot about the incredible women in this story who take risks and dive headfirst despite fear, who develop the courage to leave what does not suit or serve them, who pursue connection and hope even when drained of both.

joana ashley

I really liked this book, in the sense that it threw me for a loop and brought me into an obsessive spiral basted with butter. The story follows a journalist named Rika who herself becomes obsessed with the case of convicted killer Manako Kajii in her efforts to dig deeper to understand how her mind works… and potentially prove her innocence. As she successfully establishes contact with the convicted murderer thanks to advice from her best friend and recently-established housewife Reiko, Rika begins to take on challenges assigned by Kajii to emulate Kajii’s experiences with men and food, namely butter. In this journey, Rika confronts avoided familial trauma while exploring Kajii’s own, ruminates on the power imbalance between men and women in society, and recovers a long-severed relationship with food and the community that food can nurture. 

Because of its outspoken feminist commentary, I was reminded a lot of Korean author Cho Namjoo’s Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, a much shorter and straightforward tale of the hardships of the everywoman, written in a tone stripped of emotion and left empty. Butter takes the same messages delivered by Cho and sends them along a much darker path with Manako Kajii’s confident feminine charm, Rika’s malleable identity, and Reiko’s silent unpredictability. Both Cho and Yuzuki’s stories tell essentially the same tale - of women’s hope being in each other - just each in their own gripping and powerful ways. 

Hell yeah I’d recommend this book. The read was fun and stomach-churning and emotional all the same. This was a great book about food that doesn’t necessarily overpower or draw the attention away from the plot, which is something that tends to be a pet peeve of mine in other books. I actually get to appreciate food a bit more while reading this book as I reflect on and appreciate my own body and womanhood. And I think a lot about the incredible women in this story who take risks and dive headfirst despite fear, who develop the courage to leave what does not suit or serve them, who pursue connection and hope even when drained of both.

Woah I didn’t know this was based on a true story. Honestly this book was longer than it needed to be but I enjoyed the commentary on Japanese culture and gender roles

Kiran Aftab

So disappointed in this book. I really appreciated the feminist narrative, but didn’t connect with the voice of the narrator as well as I would have liked. 

hessensitive

The first chapter was quite slow but once you get into the book it just keeps getting better! I loved the story and the food was also great (I ofc tried to recreate the simple cold butter with hot rice and soy sauce recipe) overall stunning book, really goes into the darker side of Japanese work culture and people finding a balance. Beautifully written 

0cchi

I had high hopes but this book did not fully live up to the hype for me. It is an interesting perspective on Japanese work and social culture that I haven’t experienced before. 

Elizabeth Denny

this was quite a complex read. i am honestly not sure i get it beyond the surface level themes that were described quite on those nose as i think the deeper themes are lost on the sheer density of the text - it was draggy at parts which didn’t need to be. nevertheless i LOVED the descriptions of food, the discourse on femininity, fatphobia etc in the contemporary Japanese context. a solid read if you have a little time!

prachi

Eva Ströberg

Butter - Asako Suzuki
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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The Silence of the Lambs meet cooking program, Suzuki’s writing is simply brilliant in this book. I was mesmerized and bulldozed through the 400+ pages of this book in the promise of thrilling plot and more cooking recipes. I could only imagine how awesome if this book would be filmatized with all the mind-blown scenes ala anime that would follow all the eating and cooking in the book
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Ms Rika Machida - a journalist for a woman’s weekly is set to interview Manako Kajii, a serial killer who is infamous for seducing middle-aged men into pampering her, buying her luxury presents, sending her to the most exclusive cooking school in Tokyo and these men all turned up dead later on. What’s more controversial is that Ms. Kajii, the suspect, she is not pretty and slim, on the contrary, she is a big woman who loves to eat, making it even more mind boggling for the public to understand how she could seduce all the men (and later allegedly killed them)
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This book discusses not only about the investigative journalism that Machida did, including all her long interview sessions with manipulative Kajii but also a reflexion about Japanese society in general, how women are supposed to look and behave and what’s demanded of them as a daughter, wife or a mother.
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I can’t recommend it highly enough. Go read it!
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#asakosuzuki #butter #japaneseauthor #japaneseliterature #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #currentlyreading #2024readingchallenge #2024reads

Butter was an enjoyable read with some really intriguing themes and ideas conveyed throughout. I don’t have any major parts or features that I particularly disliked; my only complaint being that I felt the pace was too slow. What was said in 452 pages could have perhaps been said in 300, which would have made it more ‘snappy’ and ‘alive’ in my opinion. I loved the correlation between food and the body; desire and flesh; hunger and carnal instinct. I would recommend this novel, it’s an upbeat and easy read with some bigger concepts running throughout.

Lily Cooper

Ein universeller Roman über Genuss, Lebenskunst und die Geschichte einer weiblichen Befreiung Für alle LeserInnen von Han Kangs »Vegetarierin«, Sayaka Muratas »Ladenhüterin« und Mieko Kawakamis »Brüste und Eier« Rika, eine junge Journalistin in Tokio, recherchiert für eine Reportage über die Serienmöderin Manako Kajii, die Männer mit ihren Kochkünsten verführt und anschließend umgebracht haben soll. Manako behauptet, sie verabscheut nichts mehr als „Margarine und Feministinnen“ und hat eine ausgeprägte Leidenschaft für hemmungslosen Genuss und insbesondere Butter. Jetzt, wo sie im Gefängnis sitzt, empfängt sie Rika, unter der Bedingung, nur über ihre Kochkünste zu reden. Für Rika werden die Begegnungen mit Manako zu einer Meisterklasse der Lebenskunst. Ein Roman, der Genuss, Essen und Trinken feiert, vor allem aber die unmöglichen Erwartungen thematisiert, die an Frauen in patriarchalen Gesellschaften heute gestellt werden. »Ein Buch, das einen sofort in seinen Bann zieht. Mann kann nicht anders, als es zu verschlingen.« Yomiuri Shinbun »Wie lebt man als Frau ein glückliches Leben? Asako Yuzuki hat einen Roman darüber geschrieben, welche Normen sich eine Kultur setzt und wie man sie durchbricht. Ein Buch, das mich empowered hat.« Miki Book Review »Ein sinnlicher Roman über Verlangen, Freundschaft und die Geschichte einer Befreiung.« Booklog Japan

Roman

The story did not really catch me but i got constantly hungry while reading - the recipes and the descriptions of food are mouth watering haha. 

Hannah L 

Francesca Palmer-Clarke

Very good read, first translation I’ve ever read. Made me very hungry with its excellent descriptions of food. However I would say it’s a little on the long side and the build to and the ending itself is weaker than the rest of the story. 

Jordan Dodsworth

Karmen 

A pretty dense read at nearly 500 pages. But one full of scrumptious, buttery food. 

Suzie

"Butter" by Asako Yuzuki explores the themes of love, loss, and identity. The first half of the book is captivating and engaging, drawing the reader in with its vivid descriptions and relatable characters. However, the second half of the book seems to drag on, losing some of the momentum and excitement of the first half. Despite this, "Butter" is still a worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys character-driven stories and thought-provoking themes.

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