Interview with Karl Taro Greenfeld

On a fairly regular basis, Capitola Book Cafe will interview authors of current and quasi-current books for your enjoyment. This month's interview is with Karl Taro Greenfeld, author of Speed Tribes: Days and Nights with Japan's Next Generation (Harper Perennial, $13.00). A fascinating look at the underbelly of Japanese society, Speed Tribes introduces the reader to a variety of twisted and tawdry characters. There's Choco Bon-Bon the porn star, Jackie the hostess, and Kazu the drug dealer, to name a few. These folks are not your stereotypical Japanese.

Interview with Karl Taro Greenfeld:

BC: What attracted you to this element of Japanese society?

KTG: This is the Japan I was involved in, versus what I'd been reading about. The Japan I was living in was more seedy, sorted, lively and energetic. The Japan that was being portrayed by the mainstream media in the early 90s was stale-- the geisha and the salaryman. I saw Japanese society very differently--chaotic, violent, edgy. I was drawn to it.

BC: Is this generation different from previous ones?

KTG: This generation is different in that there is not a desperation to achieve. Previous generations came of age with a desire to catch up with the west. This generation has enough money and prestige. They just want to dive in and take what they can get while it's there. They take things for granted. They want the fruits of the previous generation's labor, but they don't want to work for it.

BC: How did you meet these people?

KTG: They were, in most cases, people I already knew. I was introduced to some by friends, or through family, or by different girlfriends. It was a case of knowing all the wrong people. These characters are remarkably close together socially. They are from he same social spectrum.

BC: Which character is your favorite?

KTG: Daisuke, from the chapter Dai: The Motorcycle Thief. He was this really nice kid who stole motorcycles. He was really excited by life, naive, and endearing. He got a role as an extra in a movie and actually thought that he was going to be a big star. He still had hope in him, unlike all these other criminals, who had no optimism. I could empathize with him.

BC: What's your next book?

KTG: A novel, published by Riverhead.

BC: Thank you.

Order Speed Tribes: Days and Nights with Japan's Next Generation, by Karl Taro Greenfeld (Harper Perennial, $13.00)

Home Page | Andrea's Page | Author Events
Order Form | Links & Current Events