Yuzuki has come up with a very original subject for her novel "Butter" , The butter of the title turns out to have a strangely mesmerising role on those introduced to it by the book's main character, Kaji. Even Rika, the reporter assigned to write an article on how/if Kaji murdered three people, is drawn into her thrall and ends up besottedly cooking Kaji's recipes in which butter is the "magic" ingredient.

Perhaps the book could be shorter, but then there must be a risk this could prevent the reader being drawn in to the peculiarly addictive quality food. plays in the story. and indeed of the role food plays in Japanese society. How it can effect everything from conversation to personal relationships and sex. This influence is a recurring theme and through the medium of cooking we also gain an intriguing insight into the potential power it allows a woman to exert in an otherwise male-dominated Japanese society.

There is no spoiler here as to whether Kaji did in fact murder three people. But the determined and tortuous route taken by Rika, throughout her investigation, makes for a complex and thought provoking novel - albeit slower paced than the norm.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year! After hearing the synopsis and how we follow a protagonist who is both simultaneously a gourmet chef and serial killer, I thought I WOULD ADORE this!

I unfortunately only got 30% of the way through before deciding to dnf it. Although I feel as if I would like it more if I had stuck it out, the first half was so incredibly dense. I know my girl is a gourmet chef but she LOVES talking about food and for me, it unfortunately didn't work. If you're interested in reading Butter, I would recommend checking it out (if you don't like heavy descriptions on food) but unfortunately this time, it wasn't for me.

4⭐️

Happy publication day to „Butter“!

This was such a wonderful and weird book that I sometimes loved and sometimes hated and I can see why people would give this 5 or 1 stars and anything in between. But I‘m getting ahead of myself.

My entire being is predisposed to loving this book. When you give me food and a female killer and it‘s set in Japan?! I‘m all over that.

Gorumand Manako Kajii is in prison for murdering several men and refuses to speak with the press. Rika Machida is a journalist and contacts Kajii asking her about bœf bourguignon. What follows is an exchange about food, but also about life, misogyny and obsession.

Essentially, it‘s a book about Japan‘s society and traditions.

What a wild book that will certainly stay with me for a while. Truth be told the first 1/3 was a bit mid and I was kind of wondering if I‘ve made the wrong choice here, but the plot‘s so slow and it‘s really interesting to me that the main focus isn‘t really the plot or even the characters, it truly is about society as a whole. And „Butter“ kind of spits in society‘s face.

It‘s incredibly fascinating how most characters weren‘t very likeable. Rika seems to have no personality and Manako is such a weird character. But despite that they‘re both incredibly fascinating in their own way.

The prose is very lyrical and sometimes incredibly convoluted and I wonder if it‘s partly because it‘s translated. Some expressions seemed a bit odd to me and like 1:1 translations from Japanese which sometimes doesn‘t work in English. But its aim is perhaps to keep it as authentic as possible. Dunno. Would love to compare it to the original.

But honestly… What a fun, weird, slow and fascinating book. Like I said, I’m sure there are many people who despise it, but overall I really enjoyed it because it left such an impression on me. Plus I now have a list of culinary tips and recepies I want to try.

—

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoy reading Japanese fiction (translated of course) and I was intrigued when I read the blurb for Butter. Particularly that is it was inspired by ‘The Konkatsu Killer’ who I confess I had not heard off until reading the book. The first thing I have to say is do not get deceived by the title and front cover. This is not a quick and easy read but rather like a good meal is something to be savoured. The novel is thought provoking and offers a deep insight into Japanese culture and the culinary arts.

The heart of the novel focuses on the relationship between women and ultimately female liberation. While Kaji is of course murderess Yuzuki goes a great way to explain or offer an exploration of what made her the way she is. Rika by contrast we see on her journey of ‘coming out of her shell’ as her friendship grows with Kaji. The characters, while not all likeable are incredibly well put together and realistic.

The writing is interesting and kept me captivated. In a way this was almost like a cook book with the detail and inspired meals. It is most definitely a unique read and one that some cultural aspects might be lost on a Western reader if they are not familiar with Japanese culture but I do not believe this creates too much of a barrier since you can enjoy the story as is. I have already ordered a physical copy and will definitely be re-reading in the future. It’s a beauty story about female friendship (arguably manipulation) and overcoming misogyny.

This story explores a developing relationship between journalist Rika and alleged serial killer Manako, a self-confessed foodie purported to have seduced several men and then killed them. Rika has been granted an interview and has regular meetings with Manako at her prison and, as a result, starts reassessing her own relationship with food. The descriptions of food and food preparation in the early part of the book slow down the narrative but are, at the same time, an essential part of the story, though it does make it feel at times like reading the preamble to a Nigella recipe many times over. To be fair, there are also aspects which feel a bit odd to readers like me who are unfamiliar with Japanese cultural expectations - for example, the idea that a 59kg woman of average height is overweight and has “let herself go”. I found the book to be interesting rather than riveting but it did make me more curious about Japanese attitudes towards femininity and food.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Butter by Asako Yuzuk about Kajii, a female gourmet cook and serial killer and Rika the only female journalist in the weekly magazine where she works, intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story.



Butter by Asako Yuzuki is a fictional crime and food novel based on real events in Japan in the same way that a number of movies are based on historical events, so if you want to find the reel story look up the "The Konkatsu Killer".

However if you are looking for a novel that examines Japanese culture and in particular feminism, in the country with its relationship with food set in the background of an investigative journalist story then Butter is for you.

The main character in the novel is Rika, a 30 something female journalist who is trying to succeed in a work culture that is entirely geared towards men, in fact she is the only female journalist in the weekly magazine where she works.

In fact when women get married or have children they generally have to move departments, for a better work life balance, in addition her long standing friend has left the prestigious job in PR for another company as she wants to have children.

While the novel is a crime novel which on its own would make an interesting story as it shows Rika both interviewing Kajii and how the two main characters interact which is really well explored throughout.

In addition, with the story mainly being told through Rika’s eyes you see how the interaction between the two of them has an effect on Rika as she begins to explore the western food that Kagii used to cook.

This as a reader felt the most interesting part of the novel as it allowed Asako Yuzuki to use this crime novel to examine the western food through the eyes of another culture.

All in all Butter was an enjoyable read for any one interested in both novels set around journalists or set in japan.

A cult classic in Japan a book that combines Japenese culture with a serial murder.So well written multi layered characters that are really well formed.Intense a book that requires thoughtful reading.Such an interesting read .#netgalley #4thestate

Dark, original, fascinating. A book that I thoroughly enjoyed and kept me reading. A twisty and surprising plot, well rounded characters, plensy of surprises
The author is a talented storyteller and I liked the style of writing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

My sole experience of Japanese literary fiction is Yoko Ogawa’s “The Memory Police” (2019), admittedly a good one as I rated it five stars. I thought that might start off a surge of reading Japanese novels in translation but that hasn’t happened until now with this book, which was a best-seller in the author’s homeland when published in 2017 and here available in a translation by Polly Barton.
Rika Machida, a journalist, becomes fascinated by the case of convicted female serial killer Manako Kajii who dispatched three men she had relationships with over a six month period and attempts to befriend her to get her to agree to an interview at the Detention Centre where she is incarcerated. Kajii is a devotee of fine food and Rika discovers the way to get her talking is to pursue similar experiences of food and report these back to her. This leads to a cholesterol-drenched, sensual tale which probably wouldn’t win that many fans amongst vegans but which I found really quite appealing.
It really only works within its Japanese framework. A movie/tv adaptation which relocates this to the US or UK would just seem strange and implausible as alongside all the food and the rights and wrongs of Kajii’s case is the Japanese view towards women and the social pressures for people to ensure that they are not overweight and always making an effort with their appearance.
It is overlong and tends to go over the same points as characters analyse one another’s behaviour and anyone expecting a Japanese “Silence Of The Lambs” will be disappointed but as a tale of society’s expectations, of manipulation and of loneliness it is really very effective. And the food! Asako Yuzuki really goes to town with getting the smells and tastes of all this gastronomy across, even when I wasn’t sure what the foods being mentioned, prepared or eaten actually were, my mouth was often watering. Manako Kajii’s enthusiasm for the best quality butter denied her in prison has an impact on all the other characters, physically, certainly in Rika’s case, but emotionally for all. There are elements of mystery regarding the conviction and one character does stretch plausibility with her actions but tied up within the Japanese perspectives this doesn’t grate too much.
This was another very good experience of Japanese fiction for me suggesting this is a literary culture I would do well to explore further.
“Butter” is published in the UK on February 29th 2024 by 4th Estate. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

This is a story based on a real-life serial killer in Japan. I have to say that the translation is really good and very immersive! However, the story in itself is way too long. The chapters are like 30min long with a lot of details and descriptions that I found unnecessary. This book could have been half of the length. I was very tempted to DNF but I wanted to know what was going to happen at the end and I wasn't pleased with it, to be honest. I can't say I fully enjoyed this book but I was pleased to read a lot about topics such as misogyny, women's expectations in society, beauty standards and body image in Japan.

Based on true story of the ‘Konkatsu Killer’, Butter is not the high octane thrill ride one might expect - it’s far more physiological.

We follow Rika, a journalist at a popular mens magazine, as she tries to get an interview with the notorious Manako Kajii, a food blogger convicted for preying on lonely older men. She would pose herself on dating sites as perfect marriage material, only for them to end up dying from seemingly faked suicides, after she used them for money. However, Rika’s requests for interviews are rejected, until her friend suggests she asks Kajii for a recipe. This works, and Kajii grants her a face to face meeting - but, when Rika arrives at the Tokoyo Detention House, Kajii makes clear she will not talk about her case. She will only talk about food. Thus Rika, who tends to live on a diet of bento boxes and ready made ramen, opens herself up to trying new foods and dishes- all the while trying to earn the trust of Kajii, and delve deeper into her mind.

This isn’t a book that’s meant to be flown through. It’s not that the story won’t grip you but that it’s written and laid out in such a way that makes you want to take your time with it…to chew the fat, so to speak.

It’s far more a reflection of attitudes towards oneself and feminism. Most of the novel consists of self reflection. It’s considered and measured, peppered with Rika trying, making, and tasting various dishes, inspired to do so by her interviews with Kajii, as she attempts to understand Kajii’s way of thinking, while also coming to terms with aspects of her own life that she’s perhaps unhappy with.

Food, obviously, plays a major part in this novel. Sometimes I can find myself bored by descriptions of food, but it’s truly wonderfully done, and translated, here. I even found myself trying out some of the meals Kajii suggests trying early on in the book - it seems that I was taken in by her too.

It’s such an interesting concoction of murder, food, feminism, and culture. I found myself highlighting a lot of passages, particularly ones that were dealing with attitudes towards women’s bodies, and the expectations put upon women in society. I did find it to be a tad overly long, but not awfully so, and like I said before, I feel like it’s a book worth taking your time with anyway.

It’s certainly a story that I will linger on in my mind, and I recommend it if you’re looking for something thoughtful, with that true crime edge.

Thank you to 4th Estate, and Netgalley, for the copy to review.

I feel like the more I love a book, the less I can find to say about it, which is frustrating when I'm trying to write a review. But I thought this was so so good. The characters were fantastic and so nuanced and full of life. The commentary and exploration of feminist themes and women's relationships with their bodies/food/each other/men/within families/careers, was just incredible. There are so many passages I highlighted because they really spoke to me. And apart from that, the descriptions of food were absolutely mouth watering and now I want to take cooking classes. Thank you very much to 4th Estate publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, I'm absolutely thrilled I got to read it and will be recommending it to everyone!

This book had mixed feelings for me. Did I enjoy it? Yes without a doubt but I did get lost in translation at times. Ignoring the fact that I had a certain song running through my head whilst reading it!
This book is based on a true story.
When journalist Rika Machida looks into the female serial killer Manako Kajii (the Konkatsu Killer) she discovers that the way she lures her victims in by feeding them exotic food but there is a twist to how she does this.
It explores how society sees an overweight woman and the impact it has on society.
An interesting read.

Thank you Fourth Estate and NetGalley for the early review copy ahead of its publication on February 29th in return for a fair and honest review.

Butter is whole load of things. It's a crime novel, a feminist expose, a feast of food writing, and an emotional journey of grief, connection, and the pitfalls of society.

Butter is, also, good - but not brilliant.

It follows Rika as she secures an illusive interview with the suspected serial killer and fraudster, Kajii months before the criminal is due to go on re-trail. From there, the story plays out as conversations between the two as well as the spiraling chaos that consumes Rika as she falls more and more under Kajii's spell.

Characters in this book do the heavy lifting. Rika's internal monologue in engrossing, genuinely making you feel as if you're descending down this spiral with her. While Kajii's way of speech is so captivating that it drags you into her delusions just as it enchants Rika in the same way. Watching their relationship play out, supporting each other, destroying each other, is so enthralling to flick thorough and this is largely owed to the fabulous translation of this work.

It is impeccably written, managing to create the most engrossing first hundred pages that I have ever read in my entire life. It explores its politics of patriarchy and the expectations society places on women with such clarity while still rich metaphors and texture which is so impressive. If there's one thing you cannot fault, it is how much of amazing job Polly Barton did in translating it. That alone sees it through to the end for me.

But, the book is plotted very strangely, seeming to end far earlier than it does, and then using the remaining pages to answer questions I didn't really feel I needed to know the answer for. And in that filler, I found myself growing tired of this narrative. If it had been skimmed down to 200-300 at the most pages, then ultimately you'd get a much more tighter experience that hammers in its themes and narrative.

That for me is what stops me absolutely adoring this book. While the good are fantastically good, the whole book seems over bloated and frankly dull in sections. That doesn't mean I didn't have a good time with it - and if Japanese feminist literature with a true crime edge is at all your thing, then please give Butter a try, it's worth it - but on the whole, I've left feeling worn by it in a way I didn't expect.

Saw a first mention of this book being published in translation well over a year ago and have been poised for the release ever since. A super foody read with a little mystery to keep you hooked. It was somewhat of a slow burn for me to start with but I soon got quite addicted and was keen to know how it would all play out. I wasn't totally satisfied with the ending but it was an interesting book and my first translated fiction in some time.
It was fun to get back to the types of book I was reading before my reading mojo fell off the cliff last year..

Plenty of butter and descriptions of food and how food makes you feel - a journalist investigates the case of a female serial killer, accused of taking advantage of lonely men in Japan. A bit slow, but an eye opener with regards to the culture in Japan and how women are regarded.

Wow! This is an absorbing read, which you need to invest time in to read.

Rika is a journalist who rarely cooks. Food is just food to her and her boyish figure. She becomes intrigued by Manako Kajii. Kajii is awaiting a retrial for the serial murders of men she befriended and then shortly after cooking for them, they died.

Rika manages to obtain a visit with Kajii in the Denention Centre. She is further intrigued by the prisoner and her recipes, which on Kajii instructions Rika begins to cook. From thereon there is no going back for Rika and we follow her down a rabbit hole of investigative journalism and her foray and obsession into food. She begins to gain weight through the rich foods she is cooking, all with butter.

I can't really do justice to the writing of this book in this review. It's beautifully written, even the long passages on food and the preparation are just mesmerising. This is why it takes time to read, it's not a book to be rushed through.

There are so many other strands to the book besides the main relationship between Rika and Kajii. Rika's friends are also drawn into the obsession and I just read on amazed at the outcomes of the storyline. I also became a little infatuated myself, willing Kajii not to be the serial killer everyone thinks she is.

Having been to Japan the book resonated with me, but it could be a little slow for some Western readers. This would be brilliant on the screen and I hope it makes it there.

If you’re looking for a quick easy read then this isn’t for you but if you want an intense, thoughtful read that will take you on a journey through Japanese culture then this is most definitely for you. This book is a slow and steady read that takes time to look at relationships between friends, family, and partners. It highlights the high levels of misogyny that still exist in society, and how this impacts not only relationships between men and women but between women particularly those women who are perceived as over-weight. It explores people’s relationships with food which is a really unique and enjoyable aspect of this story that makes the story very relatable.. The story of murder and the convicted killer Kaji is central to this story but is somehow very cleverly understated too at the same time. The focus of the story falls on Rika the journalist researching Kaji’s case as she starts to learn more about who she is and wants to be. As Rika learns more about Kaji she learns more about herself. I was rather appropriately, I think, slowly seduced by this thought provoking book.

The book follows Rika, a journalist who pursues writing a series of articles about convicted serial murderer Manako Kajii (closely based on the real Kanae Kijima). As Rika tries to get closer to Manako and gain her trust, she finds herself falling under her influence, but also opening up to new experiences and emotions. A key surface theme in the book is culinary pleasure and the joy of food, which is the lever that, in may ways, turns Rika's life upside down (overall, in a good way). Nonetheless, the main theme of the book is the role of women and their empowerment. This is a topic that comes up again and again, via Rika, Manako, and all the women in their lives. The story of (nearly) each woman starts with her trying to live up to some expectations that society tries to enforce on her, then sinking deeper and deeper into sadness and depression, until finally emerging out of it being truer to oneself. There is a lot of nuance in this as well - I especially liked the idea that emerges at some point in the book, juxtaposing Manako's cooking to please others with Rika's cooking to please herself. The fates and stories of these two opposing philosophies, one could argue, is the read thread that binds the book together.

Overall, it was a worthwhile experience. The characters were robust and interesting - Rika, in particular, was multi dimensional and felt very real and tangible; Manako was an extraordinarily carefully sketched portrait of psychopathy. Other characters were also interesting, with the men, despite often being more secondary to the plot, also offering interesting glimpses into the socio-hierarchical structures of contemporary Japan.

It's also hard to disagree with the main premise of the book. Women's liberation, and self-realisation is an age-old important theme, and this author does a great job bringing it to life in contemporary Japan. While some of the aspects of this topic might seem ridiculous to a Western Reader (like me), they clearly show the journey that women in Japan still have to go on in order to achieve what they truly deserve.

I also really liked the use of the real-life story of the murderous female chef, and delving into the potential reasons for her behaviour. It was a nicely executed backdrop to a story that otherwise would have come across as soppy and cliche.

That being said, I can't say I really enjoyed the book. The main reason was the length, driven mostly by way too detailed descriptions of cooking, food, and meals. When I say long - I mean dozens of pages describing the preparation for and cooking of one single meal (as an example). While I also love cooking myself, this felt too much like an obsession that went too far, and really added little to the storytelling or character development. I think the book could have easily been 30% shorter (and therefore - flowing much more easily), by editing these bits more ruthlessly. The other reason I disliked it a bit was the on the nose women's lib topic. While I think it's obviously the main theme of the book and the overall structure is well done to highlight it, the topic ended up being hashed, rehashed, and then rehashed once again. Albeit very different, it reminded me of the preachy nature of Ayn Rand's work, where the same idea would be repeated 20 times in different guises.

I recommend it to anyone interested in what it means to be a woman in contemporary Japan, and those who love reading about food and how it influences people's lives.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Inspired by a true crime story about a convicted conwoman and serial killer, Butter follows journalist Rika in her quest to get a scoop story about Manako Kajii while she awaits retrial in the Tokyo Detention Centre. It centres greatly around food and is packed with descriptions of tastes and textures etc. however, I often found these a bit too much, not helped by the fact I really don't, and never have, like butter. Kajii is a very manipulative and not at all likeable character and yet she seems to blindside so many people who encounter her, Rika included. The misogynistic culture is prevalent throughout and often felt overpowering.
This was definitely a book that took me out of my comfort zone, but overall I’m glad I persevered and saw Rika’s personal journey through.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, 4the Estate for an arc in exchange for a review.