In Tokyo in the future, adults of a certain vintage are seemingly immortal, yet the toxic environment has rendered their great-grandchildren fragile, weak, and sick beings. It is against this backdrop that we find the energetic centenarian Yoshiro caring for his weak but wise great-grandson Mumei, worrying about Mumei's safety and diet, doing everything he can to create a comfortable and caring cocoon for the child, who seems destined to die well before his time. It may seem a depressing tale from this description, but somehow Tawada's quirky sense of humor brings a lightness to this dystopian tale. It's an odd little book, but I very much enjoyed it.
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