[EXCLUSIVE] Karylle’s Current Obsession: Reading Books by Japanese Authors

TOKYO/MANILA – Celebrities are known to have busy schedules because of live shows, shootings, promos, and other showbiz events. With everyone dealing with COVID-19, even them have to find ways to cope with pandemic stress and anxiety. For OPM Showbiz Royalty Karylle, rekindling her love for books is one of the things she turns to in order to survive all of these.

The singer-songwriter and TV host has taken a great liking to reading novels written by Japanese authors such as Haruki Murakami, Durian Sukegawa, Sayaka Murata, Shaw Kuzki and Hiromi Kawakami.

“When I ran out of shows to binge-watch during the pandemic, a book entitled ‘The Nakano Thrift Shop’ in my mom’s house called to me. I borrowed it and that started my current obsession with books by Japanese authors,” she revealed in an exclusive interview with Filipino-Japanese Journal (FJJ).

Karylle was so inspired by the stories she read that when she gets the chance to visit Japan again, she plans to see some of the places and to try out the food mentioned in the books.

“I think you can tell that I will be visiting some of the places I’ve been reading about or eating certain food that is highlighted in the stories. I must eat the sweet bean paste for example. Drink tea and experience ‘ichigo ichie,’” she quipped.

To date, Karylle has finished reading Murakami’s “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running,” Sukegawa’s “Sweet Bean Paste,” Murata’s “Convenience Store Woman,” Kuzki’s “Soul Lanterns,” and Kawakami’s “Strange Weather in Tokyo,” “The Ten Loves of Mr. Nishino” and “People from my Neighborhood.”

“I am currently reading ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and next in line will be ‘All the Lovers in the Night’ by Mieko Kawakami, which is a new online order and gift of Yael [Yuzon] to me,” she added.

If you want a new hobby or new books to read, these recommendations by Karylle may be the breather that you need. - Len Armea

(File photo taken in Tokyo, Japan in March 2018 | Din Eugenio)