Summary

In “A Summer Night’s Kiss,” Yoshiko’s friend Kikue always said summer was “the season for kissing” (45, Murata’s italics). At 75, Yoshiko “had never had sex” or “kissed anyone” (45). She had been married, but both her daughters were “conceived by artificial insemination” (45). After noticing how others responded when she said she was a virgin, Yoshiko kept “quiet about it” (46).

Kikue called, inviting Yoshiko over. She wanted to make compote and go for a walk. The friends were the same age and lived near one another. Unlike Yoshiko, Kikue “loved sex” and dated often (47). While on their walk, Kikue shared her dumplings with Yoshiko, insisting they resembled “a boy’s tongue” (48). Although initially embarrassed, Yoshiko tried one, feeling “a rush of satisfaction” (48).

In “Two’s Family,” since Kikue’s cancer diagnosis, Yoshiko visited her in the hospital every day...