The Easy Life in Kamusari by Shion Miura, translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter (Amazon Crossing)

Yuki Hirano, a city boy born and raised in Yokohama, thought he would be a “freeter” after graduating from high school, making a living while being a part-time worker. He didn’t get good grades in school and he didn’t like studying. Because of his attitude towards academics, his parents and even his teachers never once suggested going to college to receive higher education. He was also put off by the thought of becoming a company man, working for the same company until retirement. 

Yuki already worked as a part-timer at a convenience store. He knew he couldn’t do this for the rest of his life but he didn’t have anything particular he wanted to do and didn’t expect he ever would. He thought, “after graduation, nothing would change, that my life would go right on the same as ever.”

Imagine his surprise when he is told by a certain Mr. Kumagai, that he has found Yuki a job. He thought he must be kidding, but when he gets home, he can see his mother moving a lot of her stuff into his bedroom. His mom looks at him and tells Yuki that she has already sent some clothes and other essentials he will need to Kumasari village.

So begins the tale of The Easy Life in Kamusari, the first volume in Shion Miura’s Forest Series, first published as 神去なあなあ日記 (Kamusari Naa Naa Nikki) in 2012 by Tokuma Shoten. The English version was published in 2021, and was followed the next year by Kamusari Tales Told at Night ( Asia by the Book, 2023), and is translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter. 

Yuki Hirano has no idea where Kamusari Village is. Without his knowledge, Yuki’s parents have enrolled him in a government-sponsored program called Green Employment. The idea is to “support the reemployment of people returning to their hometowns or moving to rural areas for the first time”. 

Yuki thinks if the program is willing to hire someone like him, right out of high school, it tells him how shorthanded rural communities are. Mr. Kumagai takes Yuki to the train station at Shin Yokohama station, gives him a piece of paper that tells him how to get to Kamusari Village and tells him, “You can’t come back for a year. Take care of yourself, Hirano. Hang in there.”

Yuki finds himself in a rural community in Mie Prefecture. There is no phone, no convenience stores, no Internet access, and no means of escape. He also can’t understand the Kamusari dialect and their use of “naa-naa” which could mean anything from “take it easy” to “relax” or might be a simple greeting. 

Yuki is still unsure of what kind of work he will be doing but after he makes it to Kumasari, he wakes to find himself in the home of the forest owners’ cooperative. He also learns that his first three weeks will consist of basic training—listening to lectures such as “Dangers That Lurk in the Mountain” and “Forestry Terminology”. He learns how to use a chainsaw. It finally hits him that he will be working in the forestry industry.

The more time he spends in Kamusari, the more it grows on him. He learns how to cut trees and plant saplings. He takes part in local festivals and learns more about the history and traditions of Kamusari as well. He thinks he might even be falling in love. 

It wasn’t until I was halfway through the book when I realized I saw a movie with a similar plot. I did a little research and found out the book was adapted into a movie titled Wood Job! in 2014. If I had bothered to read the subtitle of the movie, Kamusari Naa-Naa Nichijo, then I would have known the movie was based on this book. 

Miura’s coming of age story is heartwarming and lighthearted. It is an often-told story of being a “fish out of water,” with a city boy learning how to live in the country and work with nature. Miura adds a bit of the supernatural to provide a bit of tension and mystery. The setting, the folklore, the legends, the people of Kamusari, all of it will make you wish you could find a similar community to be a part of. ~Ernie Hoyt