Book: Pachinko
Author: Min Jin Lee
Country: South Korea
Format: Physical Book
Pages: 479
Publication: 2017
One of the most surprising things I’ve learned this year of reading more Asian books is the impact that Japan’s imperialism had in East Asia. Pachinko is the third book I read in which this is a central element.
In Min Jin Lee’s best-seller book, we follow 4 generations of Koreans in their search for belonging. It all starts in the 1910s in a small village near Busan, in what is now South Korea. Yangjin is a hard-working woman who makes a living managing a lodging house with her husband Hoonie and her daughter Sunja. During that time, Japan annexed Korea, and many of the area’s residents were caught in the economic downfall that followed.
“History has failed us, but no matter.”
Pachinko – p. 1
Eventually, part of the family moves to Japan to become Zainichi Koreans, or foreign residents, as many Koreans did at the time. Some of the other characters get caught in the war and separation of the Koreas in the 40s, with many having to choose one of the sides to tie their passport and nationality into. Decades go by and even though the new generations of the family are born in Japan and never leave the country, they’re still not recognized as citizens. This is a sad reality that persists until today, as Japan has one of the most strict citizenship programs in the world.
The characters in the book face many of the tribulations that Koreans have been facing in Japan – they’re obliged to adopt a Japanese name (the Tsumei), have to re-register with the government every four years and can’t leave the country (since the lack of citizenship would complicate the re-entry). They’re also officially excluded from some employment opportunities and can’t vote.
The official bureaucracy surrounding that population only reinforces the segregation and discrimination many Zainichi encounter in Japan. Throughout the book, the Japanese often refer to Koreans as lazy and criminal.
“Yoo laughed. ‘No one will rent to Koreans. As a pastor, you’ll get a chance to see how the Koreans live here. You can’t imagine: a dozen in a room that should be for two, men and women sleeping in shifts. Pigs and chickens inside homes. No running water. No heat.’”
Pachinko – p. 119
It’s no surprise then that many Koreans try to pass as Japanese, as is the case of one of the characters. With a Japanese name, a good domain of the language and the right facial features, the only trace left of their Korean identities is on paper. They spend their lives in fear of being discovered.
This type of situation was actually the author’s inspiration for the book. Lee says that in the 80s she heard a story of a middle school boy who took his own life after his classmates discovered that he was Korean. She said that this had a profound effect on her.
Despite the hardship and the discrimination, the family in the book perseveres, especially the women, who often go through great sacrifices for others. Almost all Korean characters in Pachinko are hard-working individuals, which interestingly enough, aligns with what I saw in my North Korean read. This is a part of the story that I found a little flat. When it comes to hard work, the Japanese characters are often way more flawed than the Korean ones, and we know that reality is a bit more complicated than that.
“You’re becoming a woman now, so you should be told this. For a woman, the man you marry will determine the quality of your life completely. A good man is a decent life, a bad man is a cursed life-but no matter what, always expect suffering, and just keep working hard.”
Pachinko – p. 27
Some of the family members get involved in the Pachinko business – a type of pinball/slot machines that fall in the gray area of legislation. Many Koreans who became wealthy in Japan owe their success to one or more Pachinko parlours, one of the few lines of work that is open to them. Even then, the Pachinko business is looked down upon, as being part of an underground world and criminal activity.
“Why did her family think pachinko was so terrible? Her father, a travelling salesman, had sold expensive life insurance policies to isolated housewives who couldn’t afford them, and Mozasu created spaces where grown men and women could play pinball for money.
Pachinko – p. 406
Both had made money from chance and fear and loneliness.”
This book opened my eyes to a reality that I had no idea existed. We often hear about Korean culture, K-pop, and K-dramas, and it’s hard to imagine that this nationality is so looked down upon in another country. In Japan’s defense, I’ve read some Reddit comments saying that the younger generations often don’t share those ideas.
It’s interesting to see the shock of two cultures that to us are so close. This is a phenomenon I’ve observed when I moved to Canada. Looking from Brazil, Canadian and American identities were very similar to me. But when I started living inside those realities I got to see the differences. The same might be true for Japanese and Korean cultures that to many Westerners blend in one same pot.
Overall, Pachinko is a great read if you want to immerse yourself in a side of the Korean culture that is not often shared by the mainstream stories we hear. There’s also a TV Series, with Korean actors. I haven’t watched it, but I heard that it deviates a lot from the book.
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