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Writer Asako Yuzuki talks food, culture and the inspiration behind Butter
The author of acclaimed novel Butter, which skewers misogyny and fatphobia in Japanese culture, discusses her love of food, and the serial killer who inspired her book
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
I was born in Tokyo in 1981. At that time, Tokyo still had the atmosphere of the 1960s and 70s. The sky felt high and the buildings were kind of dreamy and dramatic-looking. I now appreciate that that time was precious. My father was a salaryman and my mother worked in the clothing industry. As a child, I loved reading and read widely. My favourite authors were Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren and Margaret Rumer Godden. I loved imagining new cities, unknown foods and cultures.
All things Parisienne
When I was 15, I became very ill. The experience had a huge impact on me. I became quite anxious, but it also made me much more resilient. I learned how to stand on my own feet and act when I saw an opportunity. During my high school years, fashion magazines were popular, and many Japanese people were obsessed with “Parisienne” images. Naturally, I also became obsessed with all things Parisienne. I went to Rikkyo University to study French literature. I was attracted to the way it portrayed human relationships with an emphasis on dialogue.
The write thing
At university, I was exposed to many films, books and people, and I began to form my own tastes and preferences. I had visions of becoming a scriptwriter for television dramas, so I took up writing as a part-time job. I was paid to write dialogue and plots, but not stories. I didn’t become fluent in French at university, but I researched the representations of monasteries in the works of French novelists Pierre Choderlos de Laclos and Honoré de Balzac. I still feel these authors’ influence on my writing today.
The sweet spot
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