Written by Kenzo Kitakata, Translated by Paul Warham
Vertical, 228 pp.

Takino has spent more than a decade living the quiet, suburban life. He runs a grocery store that was inherited from his father-in-law, and he’s turned it into a profitable little venture. Meanwhile, his wife, Yukie, has converted the second floor into a mildly successful coffee shop. They’re relationship is a bit strained, but they generally seem happy with their nice, unassuming life. Unfortunately for them, Takino’s an ex-gangster and the world he left behind isn’t quite through with him yet, but that might not be a bad thing from Takino’s point of view. From Kenzo Kitakata comes this engaging and gripping tale of a man trapped between two worlds yet belonging to neither.

The idea of a man desperately attempting to escape his past, forcing himself to essentially live a lie until outside forces cause him to face the fact that the lie can’t be maintained forever, isn’t exactly new or groundbreaking. Takino is a man trapped between two worlds and unable to live in either; the lure and mystique of the criminal world holds an irresistible appeal to him, yet on another level he clearly loves and enjoys his work at the grocery store, not to mention his wife. Unfortunately, it’s the nearly omnipotent presence of the yakuza in Japanese society that kicks off the train of events that lead to his internal conflict.

An attempt to force him to sell the market goes horribly wrong as a low-ranking yakuza finds himself facing down not a middle-working-class businessman but a retired gangster with a long history of violence and murder. The encounter triggers the long dormant side of Takino to resurface—the side that enjoys and gets a thrill from the life-and-death struggle that comes with the world of organized crime—and drives him to contact an old friend with a request for a job. It’s ostensibly a one-off deal simply to taste that world once more. Sadly, the one-off deal is anything but and Takino’s downward spiral begins.

Takino is one tough cookie and a fairly entertaining one, too. He’s capable of frightening off most people by simply stuffing his hands into his pockets while walking towards them and staring them in the eye. It’s a neat trick but I wouldn’t recommend trying it out the next time you’re facing a mugger or something. Still, it’s a clear indication that the gangster side of him is clearly a bit of an idealized man’s man from the days of yore, calm but capable of great violence and emotionally tight-lipped. This is something that’s reflected in Takagi, an aged but determined investigator hot on the trail of Takino due to his one-off job. His life parallels that of Takino quite closely, complete with the oddly distant marriage and heavy drinking habit. In this way The Cage almost seems less like a crime novel and more of a study of men in Japan. Both Takagi and Takino have this dual nature to them, where both are incredibly quiet and taciturn for the most part, but beneath the surface of each is a bit of a beast waiting to emerge. Takino’s overwhelms him and forces him back into the life of crime he long abandoned, while Takagi’s manifests itself through his relentless pursuit of criminals and the odd bit of physical torture towards criminals.

The Cage is a pretty enjoyable and interesting read that does a good job at slowly building up the tension until the hectic chase that marks the climax of the book. It didn’t really feel particularly groundbreaking or revolutionary to me, but it was an entertaining and well written crime novel.

The Cage is available now.

Review copy provided by the publisher.